The moment the rays of light vanished, every child found themselves teleported away.
All the leaders gathered, but instead of speaking, they sat down—or floated in the air—turning their attention to the massive projection screen that had appeared in the sky.
Like the many still in their territories, they were watching the show, only this was the raw, uncut version.
On the screen were all the newborn children placed in a forest. But this was no ordinary forest—it was filled with star beasts ranked up to Tier 3.
And... Phase two of the God Pool was nothing more than a deadly culling game.
However, it wasn't as dire as it seemed. With all beings on Panthun awakening from the moment they took their first breathes....
These obviously wouldn't be normal infants.
As even now... One could see them walking around with no struggle... some were flying and some had already begun fighting each other and star beast.
And all of this stemmed from the Entities that resided in their stars.
[A/N: The Power system will be explained as the Mc comes into power... which won't be long. However, in the meantime just check the Aux chapter in case of confusion.]
-----
In a cave, a toddler could be seen, but unlike the others, he hadn't moved since being teleported there.
This was none other than the abominable infant who had once been in some strange realm. As he sat on the cold cave floor, there was nothing around him.
Well, not completely nothing… floating in front of the child, just like with all the others, was a status screen.
[------
Age: 0 Years Old
Rank: Awakened (Tier 1)
Race: Blank God (Bloodline: Blank)
Divinity: 0
Star: The Blank God Star (Lesser Ranked Star)
Innate Powers - N/A]
[The Blank God Star - This God Star has no guiding entity. The world is the painting to your canvas.... and you are the Blank God itself.]
----
Even though the screen floated there, the child couldn't see a thing.
And just like that... hours upon hours slipped by without the child moving a muscle or making a sound.
GRRR!
That was until the peace shattered with a growl—no, the growls of several beasts.
Three gaunt Tier-One Star Wolves emerged, their attention locked on the unmoving infant.
From their eyeless sockets drifted thin wisps of crimson smoke, while black-and-red fur clung to their skeletal frames, ribs jutting like broken spears.
The lead wolf lowered its head, nostrils flaring. One circled to the left, the other to the right.
Then, without hesitation, they lunged as one.
SNAP!
In an instant their jaws clamped around smooth the infant's gray limbs.
RIP!
With a simple bite and pull.... it's teeth easily tore through.
SCRRRTCH!
The second wolf buried its muzzle in the child's abdomen——ripping upward in a long yank.
CRACK!
The third wolf seized the infant's small torso, shaking it violently like a rag doll until ribs splintered.
Within moments, the child was being consumed alive, yet he neither moved of his own accord nor uttered a sound.
And something even stranger was the complete absence of blood; no matter what limb was lost or how savagely the wolves tore into him, not a single drop appeared, as though he possessed none at all.
Unaware or not, his life clung to the thinnest thread.
HUMMMMMM!!!!!
But before the wolves could continue.... a faint surge of divinity radiated through the air.
It was pure pressure that descended upon the cave, enveloping each wolf entirely. At the tunnel's mouth, white light bloomed, soft yet unwavering in its presence.
The pressure instantly caused the wolves to freeze.... with their mouths still full of gray flesh.
As their eyes shifted to the entrance... A tiny girl stepped into view.
She had pale skin and pure white hair already falling past infant shoulders. She had two small white wings behind her as well, which signified that she was an Angel.
And as she looked at the wolves and the... thing that already looked to be dead, a voice sounded in her head.
[Go on... to attain more power is to live accordingly to your Star... We are the Goddess of Protection, so this shall be the first of many.]
As her God Star spoke, she nodded her tiny head and lifted her hand.
It might have seemed simple, but it wasn't—little did her God Star realize.
This small infant was feeling an indescribable pull toward the abominable infant, a sensation far beyond what she could yet comprehend or recognize.
WHOOOSH!!!
In that moment she used merely 10 DP, as she manipulated her Divinity in pure white chains.
And with the wolves that were still frozen due to the pressure emanating from the little infant...
They were nothing but easy targets....
SHK!
SHK!
SHK!
In an instant... they found the throats, hearts, and skulls of the wolves.
THUD!
[You have reached Tier 2. +10 Divinity]
[Congratulations... protection... that's our Path.]
The girl blinked once, slowly. And even though she had just ranked up... even though her Entity was speaking.
Even though she had just killed... her mind was focused solely on the half dead infant.
Almost absentmindedly she padded forward on bare feet, stepping over cooling corpses without a glance.
She stopped before him.
There wasn't even a tad bit of fear or disgust on her face. Instead, her tiny brows knit together, lips pursing in the smallest frown of concern.
And inside her mind, a woman's voice—her god star spoke again
[This is the path. To bear this power... is to guard what stands unguarded. Once we take upon a task of guardianship, we see it through till the end... Save him.]
The girl gave the tiniest nod.
She knelt on both her knees and pressed both small palms to the place where his heart should be.
Then in that moment she activated one of her innate powers....
But it wasn't just any, this young girl was beyond special. She held a Primordial God Star... which was only two under the highest.
Many benefits came with this, but it all boiled down to having an earlier start than others. Like her Innate Powers... which she started off with three of.
In this moment though, she didn't use just any of the three.
But the only Primordial tier Power she currently had....
[Wai---] Her Star tried cutting her off... but it was far too late.
|Mark of Eternal Light (Primordial)|
She leaned in, her voice high and trembling, barely more than a whisper:
"P… pwotect."
HUMMMM!!!!!
The boy's body jerked once.
Then he began to mend, returning to perfect form.
Torn edges knit together, gray sealing over the wounds....
His severed limbs straightened and rejoined. Then in moments, he was whole again—blank, silent, but breathing more steadily.
The girl let out a quiet sigh.
This power could work wonders, but it was the very reason her Star had tried to hold her back.
It could only be used once every era, and when it was, it bound her to someone, making her their Eternal Guardian.
In any moment of death, she could bring them back to her level of condition. Only if they were in close enough proximity.
[Why would you…] Her entity wanted to scold her, but honestly, there wasn't much she could say. After all, these beings were merely manifestations of a cultivator's own power.
At best, she could offer advice—but the damage was already done.