(3rd Person POV)
Solarus listened as his servants briefed him on Arthur Pendragon—a demon from the world he'd conquered just before entering meditation. The world designated as Solarus 1,067. His one thousand sixty-seventh conquest.
"So this demon created colored televisions, established an entirely new banking system with debit and credit cards, and even invented flying machines called airplanes?" Solarus repeated the highlights thoughtfully. Despite the brevity of the report, curiosity flickered in his eyes.
The servant bowed deeply. "The demon is certainly remarkable, my Lord. However, our representatives in Solarus 1,067 believe he poses a threat to our faith. He's established considerable influence and gathered his own following."
"I thought he was just a simple demon?" Solarus frowned slightly. "Weak enough to be eliminated at any time."
"Arthur Pendragon is more complicated than that, my Lord," the servant said carefully. "Reports indicate several powerful mortals have moved against him—yet he remains. Either someone formidable protects him from the shadows, or he possesses extraordinary power himself."
Solarus nodded but waved dismissively. "Even if he's powerful for a mortal, he's still just mortal. There's no need to consider him a genuine threat."
His servants murmured agreement. After all, their lord was among the most powerful gods in the Divine World. A single servant would be more than sufficient to handle Arthur Pendragon.
"Though he may be mortal," Solarus continued, his tone shifting thoughtfully, "the fact that he can invent technologies like televisions, computers, and aircraft suggests he's not ordinary." Suspicion entered his gaze. "There's a strong possibility this demon is blessed by gods."
"Blessed by gods?" The servants exchanged startled glances.
"Yes." Solarus stood, hands clasped behind his back. "Arthur himself may not be a threat, but whoever stands behind him could prove... troublesome."
He began pacing slowly. "No mere mortal could achieve so much in just a few years without divine intervention. There's only one explanation." He raised a single finger. "He's been blessed—deeply blessed—by a deity associated with invention or innovation. I'll rule out the God of Craftsman, since Eon is my ally. So perhaps the God of Inventions? Or the God of Knowledge?"
Several servants flinched at those names.
Those gods were ancient. The God of Knowledge predated even Solarus by eons.
And they belonged to the old Hellenes Pantheon—scattered and fragmented now, but not to be underestimated despite their diminished collective power.
"I suspect the God of Inventions is most likely," someone suggested. "The technological nature of the blessings would align with that domain."
Solarus turned toward the speaker.
Luna Elfstar, the Goddess of Moon, stepped forward from where she'd been observing quietly. The Ancient Elf had lived tens of thousands of years before ascending to divinity, and her beauty reflected that timeless nature—silver-white hair, pale luminous eyes like moonlight on water, and midnight blue robes that shimmered with starlight.
A moonstone circlet rested on her brow, pulsing with gentle radiance as she moved with ethereal grace.
"Luna." Solarus acknowledged her with a nod.
"I heard you'd ended your meditation. Thought I should greet you personally." Luna returned the gesture with quiet grace.
"You think the God of Inventions is backing this demon?"
"Most likely. It certainly isn't Eon Rurik—that old dwarf couldn't create technologies like these even if he tried." Luna's tone carried mild disdain. "The God of Craftsman works with traditional methods. These innovations are something else entirely."
"What about the God of Knowledge?" Solarus asked. "He'd have the capacity to share such information."
Luna's expression grew distant. "Last I heard, the God of Knowledge descended from his Divine Territory years ago. He's been wandering the surface of the Divine World ever since."
Solarus frowned. "Dangerous. Even powerful gods like us are vulnerable outside our territorial protections."
"Exactly. No one knows if he's even still alive." Luna paused. "Though his Divine Territory remains intact, which suggests his essence persists somehow."
"Perhaps just his soul maintaining the realm," Solarus mused. "A shell of what he was."
"Maybe." Luna's voice dropped slightly. "Or perhaps he knows something we don't. The Divine World itself is alive, Solarus. It has consciousness. If the Divine Word chose to act, it could command creatures powerful enough to overwhelm even you."
Solarus snorted dismissively. "You still believe those old myths?"
"They're not myths." Luna met his gaze steadily. "We've seen mortal worlds with living consciousness—planets that control their native creatures and attack intruding deities. Why would the Divine World be different?"
"Because it's shown no signs of awareness in recorded history," Solarus countered. "No instability, no consciousness, nothing. If it ever lived, that consciousness died long ago. This world belongs to us now, not some dormant presence."
Luna fell silent, choosing not to argue further.
She wanted to believe he was right. The alternative was too frightening—because if the Divine World's consciousness, the Divine Word, still slept rather than died, ancient prophecies spoke of what would happen when it woke.
The Great Reset.
Every creature dwelling on the Divine World's surface would rise against the floating territories. An overwhelming army would sweep away the gods themselves. Even mortal worlds wouldn't be spared. All existence would be wiped clean, allowing a new cycle to begin.
The thought alone was terrifying.
"For now, we observe this demon," Solarus said, his mood brightening. "If he becomes a genuine threat, we eliminate him. But I'm curious to see what he invents next—or rather, what the god backing him creates through him."
Isaac bowed and departed to carry out the order.
Luna settled beside Solarus's throne. "You're not concerned about letting this threat grow?"
He chuckled. "Why would I be? These inventions could benefit the other worlds I manage—even my own Divine Territory. I can introduce them here."
"Won't that anger whoever's backing him?" Luna asked carefully. "If they realize you're stealing their innovations, they could use those very inventions to spread their own influence. You'd be strengthening a rival."
Solarus considered that, then smiled with casual confidence. "Only if people know the inventions came from someone else. If I simply introduce them as my own creations..." He shrugged. "Who would question a god?"
Luna remained quiet, her expression troubled.
The casual arrogance in his words disturbed her more than she wanted to admit. But then again, such arrogance had kept Solarus in power for millennia.
Perhaps it would continue to serve him. Or perhaps, one day, it would be his undoing.
---
One month after the flat-screen TV and DVD launched in Horn Kingdom, the products rolled out globally. Morningstar, Thorn, Japon, Choson, the Empirican region, Evros territories—all welcomed the new technology with overwhelming demand.
Billy Dark's corporation had become the primary distributor, leveraging his established networks to accelerate worldwide deployment. The logistics were impressive—products reached remote markets faster than anyone had anticipated.
But the releases didn't stop at home entertainment.
Computer monitors received the flat-screen upgrade as well. More significantly, Hellfire unveiled an entirely new operating system: Hellfire OS X. The interface, functionality, and user experience surpassed anything currently available—roughly equivalent to what Arthur remembered as Windows XP from his previous life.
Components like CPUs and motherboards—all manufactured through the factories Arthur had built over the years—were distributed jointly by Hellfire and Dark Corporation. The computer community worldwide took notice, though the higher price point compared to TVs and DVDs limited mainstream adoption for now.
Technology was advancing rapidly. But Arthur noticed one sector lagging behind: video games.
That wouldn't last much longer.
Films and box office success alone couldn't sustain his growth anymore. He needed to dominate gaming as well—especially now, when his divine power had been diminished by sharing it with Firfel through their marriage. Video games could restore that power remarkably quickly through the sheer volume of engagement they generated.
The system mission he'd received months ago remained his primary motivation:
[Make Hellfire the Top 1 Company in the World. Prove that only Hellfire reigns supreme.]
[Reward: Deity Title]
Gaining a deity title meant acquiring the ability to absorb worship from a new authority domain—adding to Entertainment and Wealth. The potential was enormous.
That's why he'd scheduled the Hellfire Electronics Conference.
The HS2 gaming console was ready, along with its launch titles. But before the release, he wanted maximum impact—an event that would capture global attention.
Hellfire's current momentum was extraordinary. The company hadn't even held a formal conference for the flat-screen TV and DVD launches, yet anticipation for this announcement was building across multiple kingdoms.
Headlines appeared in newspapers and entertainment channels across the world:
"HELLFIRE ANNOUNCES FIRST MAJOR ELECTRONICS CONFERENCE"
Scheduled for April 24th, 1277 - Horn Kingdom Capital
"What Will Arthur Pendragon Reveal Next? Conference Set for Five Days from Now"
"Tickets for Hellfire Electronics Conference Sold Out in Hours - Secondary Market Prices Soaring"
"Morningstar Weekly: 'Whatever Hellfire Announces, Competitors Should Be Worried'"
"Wales Royal Electronics Stocks Drop 8% on News of Upcoming Hellfire Conference"
The conference was five days away. The world was watching. And Arthur intended to deliver something that would change everything.