All that mana was converted into a single bolt, a colossal energy beam that seemed to pierce through the fabric of reality. The luminous discharge exploded with an intensity that eclipsed all the stars around it, its expanse stretching for hundreds of millions of kilometers in an instant. The bolt was not merely light or heat; it was pure mana in its most condensed form, capable of shredding the universe’s laws around it.
Space trembled and fractured under the impact, black fissures spreading like cracks on a cosmic mirror while waves of distortion propagated in all directions. Subatomic particles danced in absolute chaos, creating a spectacle of colors and energies that no mortal mind could comprehend. The sound—if it could be called that—resonated like a symphony of thunder, reverberating across billions of kilometers of the vacuum and echoing in deeper dimensions.
Wherever the bolt passed, time seemed to hesitate, gravity bent anomalously, and matter disintegrated into a breath of particles, returning to the primordial ether from which everything emerged. The demigod, who previously seemed unshakable, was engulfed by that cosmic fury, his imposing figure lost amidst the incomprehensible devastation that redefined the boundaries of existence.
Kayden found himself floating outside the zone, in the same place where he had stood to challenge the demigod. The fight had ended just like that. His attack replayed in his mind and before his eyes, as if stuck in a loop. Kayden seemed almost insane, reliving that scene every second.
He never thought he could achieve that level of mastery over all his incomplete laws and his path with his current capabilities. It was a true case of flow. While he had always been confident of victory, the cost to his soul would likely have been years of recovery. Yet, the flow he experienced... the way his laws balanced themselves... caused everything to explode in a way he had never imagined possible.
The old feeling of being a frog at the bottom of a well assaulted Kayden’s mind. It was remarkable how he always had room to grow. If he could reach that power because of a flow state, he should be able to achieve it naturally. He just needed to train more.
Kayden had been so focused on his ultimate goal that he forgot the journey—a classic beginner’s mistake in this world. Strength without quality was useless. Kayden possessed extreme quality, but it was far from perfect. This situation proved that point to him. Once again, he would need more time to reach the peak of his power.
A black crown adorned with red jewels appeared on Kayden’s head. Instantly, he could feel the entire zone within his reach. Not only that, but he understood where every point of the zone and its treasures lay. Practically everything became visible to him—where mana was most concentrated, where treasures and condensed laws resided. Everything was within his grasp. For the first time in his life, Kayden felt like a true god.
Kayden could sense every person in his zone. Moreover, they were categorized by their power levels and relationship to the zone. Some, for instance, were clearly marked as spies or invaders. It didn’t take more than ten seconds for Kayden to locate the true mages of the zone. The elite resided on a planet made of red grass that strongly resembled fire, surrounded by dozens of stars burning at high density.
"Thoth," Kayden called out to the mage as soon as he felt him crossing into the zone.
"This favor is only your body, isn’t it?" Kayden smiled.
"He was never your opponent, Kayden. I gave you a true battle," Thoth replied, understanding immediately that Kayden was considering killing him, as the demigod had been much stronger than Thoth had let on, directly putting Kayden’s life at risk.
"What do you know about the state of flow? Tell me, and we’ll settle our debts," Kayden decided to extort the mage a little.
Thoth thought for a few seconds before accepting. Negotiation involves both losing and gaining. "The heavens sometimes reveal certain things in moments of some beings’ lives. They provide a small glimpse of that person’s hidden potential or unveil something they have sought for a long time. That’s all."
Kayden raised an eyebrow. He had expected something like a hidden power or some fantastical explanation, but it seemed to be just the heavens subtly manipulating the threads of destiny.
"Can it be forced? Do gods experience it as well?" Kayden pressed with more questions.
"There is no easy way to force it, and all living beings are capable of receiving it," Thoth explained.
Kayden finished his questions and fell into thought. Thoth, noticing his distraction, made a request.
"What are you going to do now?"
Kayden didn’t know if there was a way to pass the crown to Thoth without engaging in a life-or-death battle. "I need your help recruiting all the mages on the central planets for my group and establishing me as the administrative leader of this zone."
As soon as Thoth said those words, a small yellow sphere appeared above his head. Kayden immediately received information from the crown that a simple gesture would grant Thoth the position.
"Let’s go," Kayden said, giving the position to Thoth and teleporting the two to the center of the zone, the place with the highest mana density and resources.
This was an authentic SS-class planet, spanning hundreds of billions of kilometers. Finding larger planets in the current era would be extremely difficult. Without gods, such an extension was something that few mortals could adequately manage. However, with the zone’s crown, it was exceedingly simple.
Kayden teleported for a few seconds and was in the center of the planet, in this place there was only one city where the elite of the elite lived, the houses were just mansions full of riches, there were slaves everywhere, there were no low-class residents in this city, even the poorest were still merchants who owned interplanetary companies, this was where the truly strong ruled, as soon as Kayden appeared in the skies he released his aura for all the wizards to feel.