Kayden’s existence was something completely unique in the entire universe.
Thoth approached him by surprise on a random day. "Only one billion years remain on the outside, and you haven’t even come close to a result."
Kayden simply smiled and nodded.
"I have never been this close to something truly grand in my entire life, Thoth."
Kayden had spent trillions of years in this place. His soul had been killed and restored at least a few quadrillion times. He had raised an almost infinite number of beings made entirely of mana.
"As impressive as it is for you to have this army of mana monsters bound to your soul, this won’t make you strong enough to defeat any of the great mages in this universe."
Kayden smiled, realizing he couldn’t hide anything from Thoth.
After spending time with Shadow, he had learned how to recruit and conceal these beings within his soul. Kayden now carried tens of thousands of tenth-realm demigod-level mages in his pocket. It was utterly insane—something that, in the past, would have placed him at the peak of this universe.
"They are just a deeper study," he said.
It was strange, but Kayden felt comfortable in the presence of these beings, who were hungry for mana and power. He began accumulating all those capable of resisting that hunger—those who could obey his commands. It seemed like a large number, but in truth, it was a tiny fraction of the whole.
"You haven’t even reached the tenth realm or attained the level of a demigod. No progress in trillions of years. What exactly are you planning?"
Thoth couldn’t hold back his curiosity. His mind tried to consider all possibilities, but he couldn’t foresee much due to the interference of the laws of chaos.
"The tenth realm and the demigod level are just shortcuts to the real objective, aren’t they?"
Kayden’s words startled Thoth’s ancient mind.
"The tenth realm is merely a way for a mage to continue their path toward a fundamental law, and infusing divine mana to become a demigod is just a method to bring that path into resonance with divinity. Both are unnecessary shortcuts."
Thoth started clapping.
"Your talent has truly reached a level that shouldn’t exist in this universe."
"The nine realms are the same," Kayden continued, revealing some of the greatest secrets of existence. "They’re nothing more than a way to teach mortals how to become something greater. Just like the lightning bolts from the heavens—it’s all a step-by-step guide for us to reach the divine realm."
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"Exactly! And what does this mean for you?"
Thoth was beginning to understand Kayden’s train of thought, and his skin tingled with curiosity.
Kayden refused to elaborate further and remained silent. Thoth did not insist. In the end, he understood how Kayden’s mind worked—at least in part. It was all or nothing.
The greatest event this universe had ever witnessed was about to begin.
A coliseum of unimaginable proportions had been raised—an absurdly vast structure spanning at least a thousand galaxies. No mortal could ever hope to construct something so grand. They shouldn’t even be able to comprehend the scale of such a creation.
A staggering flow of mages from other universes had begun pouring into this one. Beings from all levels and social standings took their places in the massive coliseum. The very laws of space had been altered to provide each spectator with the utmost comfort. Most of them were incredibly powerful mages, highly respected across different universes. The weaker ones were servants, attendants who had come to assist their masters.
Some gods had also been invited to participate. The majority were already familiar with the event’s procedures, leaving only a small portion of the audience in awe of what was happening. This was one of the most insane spectacles in the entire multiverse—at least in this part of it.
The coliseum stood as an incomprehensible masterpiece, an edifice beyond mortal grasp. It stretched across a thousand galaxies, its pillars formed from primordial matter and reinforced with enchantments as old as existence itself. The arena seemed to breathe, pulsing with arcane energy, its walls whispering echoes of past battles. It was as if the very structure was alive, hungering for yet another grand event.
Above the coliseum, the sky was a shifting tapestry of dimensions. It reflected fragments of distant realities, distorting space and time under the overwhelming presence of its guests. Interdimensional portals continuously opened and closed, unleashing torrents of power as new arrivals poured in—mages, gods, and entities so far removed from mortal understanding that their names could not even be comprehended. Each one brought an aura so intense that the universe itself seemed to tremble.
This was not just a tournament.
It was a collision of forces that were never meant to coexist.
And yet, here they were, standing side by side, ready to make history.
"Hope you all had an excellent journey. We are about to begin the most important event of our year."
A charismatic voice invaded the minds of every being present. Immediately after, the great gods were introduced one by one.
It was amusing—mortals could only sense their presence and memorize their titles. They couldn’t perceive the real names of these entities. Alongside them, the main disciples of each god were also introduced.
When it was Hypnos’ turn, only Han was announced as one of the most formidable mages present.
The level of power displayed was unfathomable. Not a single ordinary mage was among the greatest names. Every single one of them was something this universe should have never been capable of producing. They all surpassed the very limits of what was considered possible.
The weakest of the mages who stood among the greatest gods had a spiritual sense that covered at least 25% of a large galaxy. It was an absurdity. This was a level of power that had never existed before the arrival of the gods. It was an absolute peak, an unprecedented threshold of strength.
"In the end, you won."
Kollen stood beside Atlas, observing every powerful figure being introduced.
And yet, there wasn’t even the slightest mention of Kayden.
Not a single voice called his name.