"Damn it, what kind of god are you? Why have I never heard of a god like you before my?"
When the divine energy on Kurogai erupted, the dark deity Chthon, god of the underworld, immediately recognized the aura of divinity—but it was unlike anything he had ever sensed.
Its purity and nature were utterly alien to him.
"Hmph," Chthon sneered.
"Even if you possess a trace of divinity, it means nothing. The outcome will not change. Hand over your power to me, mortal!"
In an instant, a surge of sinister divinity radiated from Chthon's body, overwhelming the surrounding space and pressing down on Kurogai's divine aura as though trying to consume it entirely.
Greed burned in his eyes.
If he could devour this unfamiliar divinity, his own power would reach unimaginable heights.
Originally, Chthon's goal was to nurture followers in this realm and claim it as his own.
But the moment he sensed the essence within Kurogai, all other ambitions faded.
The divinity within this m ortal was more valuable than any world.
Yet devouring divinity was a dangerous act, even for gods themselves.
A being's divinity defined its very existence—consuming another's could easily backfire.
The only reason Chthon dared attempt it was because he believed Kurogai's divinity was weak, fragile enough to absorb safely.
What truly tempted him, however, was its purity.
Though faint, Kurogai's divinity was so immaculate that it sent chills down the ancient god's spine.
If Chthon's own power could be compared to a rough stone, then Kurogai's was a flawless diamond—crystal-clear and unbearably tempting.
It was this perfection that drove Chthon's greed beyond reason.
If he could seize it, his strength would evolve to a terrifying new level.
"What is this feeling?" Kurogai muttered as his expression tightened.
He could feel Chthon's essence wrapping around his own, tugging at it, trying to wrench it free from his body.
"It's useless," Chthon declared coldly.
"Your divinity may be pure, but it's weak—far too weak to resist me. Accept your fate and surrender it!"
Kurogai grimaced, though his eyes remained calm.
Deep within, no fear stirred.
"So the strong devour the weak…" he said softly.
"And what happens to the devoured?"
Chthon smirked.
"You already know the answer. Your divine spark will be extinguished, and your power will become mine."
"I see," Kurogai replied, his tone smooth and measured.
"Then that means the stronger the divinity, the safer and easier the devouring becomes."
The sudden change in his expression—pain vanishing, calm returning—made Chthon uneasy.
Something was wrong.
Instinctively, he intensified his assault, forcing his divinity forward in an attempt to finish the process before Kurogai could react.
But Kurogai merely smiled.
"Thanks for the lesson," he said quietly.
"Now allow me to return the favor—by devouring your divinity."
A surge of divine light erupted from him, the overwhelming radiance of the Seventh Ring bursting forth.
Until now, Kurogai had revealed only a fragment of his power.
The full force of his divinity now poured out like a tidal wave, slamming into Chthon's essence.
"You tricked me?" Chthon roared, his form shuddering as he unleashed his full strength in retaliation.
His divine energy clashed with Kurogai's in a violent, radiant storm.
Kurogai's gaze was calm, unwavering.
"You think that's all I have? You're wrong. That was just a small portion of my power."
In an instant, he summoned the energy of four more Pupil Rings—each one perfect, each one blazing with divine light.
Their combined power fused with his core, multiplying his divinity fivefold.
Chthon's expression froze.
"Impossible! No one should possess such divinity—not even the Elder Gods themselves!"
Before he could retreat, the overwhelming light engulfed him.
Kurogai's divinity, vast and relentless, tore into Chthon's essence like a beast unleashed, consuming the ancient god's power piece by piece until his screams were swallowed by silence.
The underworld trembled—and then fell still.
_____
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