Kayden spent the next millions of years sitting in the same spot in Lucius’ garden. He did not get up for anything. During all that time, he simply drank tea and ate fruits and cakes.A butler had been assigned to bring him food and anything else Kayden requested. There were events hosted by Lucius and many parties — many saw Kayden, but few spoke with him. His presence was not striking, and he made no effort to meet the other gods. He was simply a ghost lost in that space.
Kayden occasionally trained with Kayn. His guidance was precise, yet offered no direct paths. Kayden was laying the foundations for Kayn to become something unique — something capable of completely transcending all limits.
"What’s your name? I’ve never seen you in the family before."A woman with black hair and pale skin sat beside Kayden — a divine presence.A goddess, dressed in a black dress that contrasted with her white skin. Her black hair heightened the contrast even further, but what clearly indicated that she wasn’t human were the shards of ice phasing in and out of her body. On top of that, her eyebrows were entirely white, and the most unmistakable sign of all was her red eyes and furry ears.
"Kayden. I’m not officially part of the family."Kayden had made a vow of non-aggression and secrecy while under Lucius’ domain, but that didn’t officially make him part of the family."Will you fight for Lucius? He mentioned a peculiar god."The woman’s last comment referred to the fact that this was the third party where Kayden was in the same spot, drinking tea and eating cake — a stark contrast to the meat feast offered to the other guests."Yes."Every response after that was even shorter. Kayden seemed like the most unapproachable being to ever exist. But in reality, he was simply focused on his own mental training.
Understanding karmic lightning was a long and arduous process, and at that moment, it was one of the most insane things Kayden had ever seen — simply because it was omnipotent. It was a law capable of taking down a fourth-level god as if it were nothing."Can I eat with you?"The woman expected to be refused, but was surprised to see Kayden clap his hands and summon a chair beside him.
It violated every code of etiquette — sitting beside a woman without asking her name, not offering to pull her chair — it was as if she were being treated like a man."This isn’t from here. Where’s this tea from?"Kayden was drinking one of the recipes he had discovered somewhere along his life — made from a divine fruit, infused with various mortal spices to enhance the flavor. His stock included trillions of liters, as well as trillions of raw ingredients.
"A place very far away. I don’t know its name.""Can you share the recipe with me?"Kayden tossed a piece of paper at the woman and remained completely silent.
His attitude began to irritate some of the men around them. This woman was one of the family’s masterpieces — from talent to beauty, everything about her was perfectly perfect. She also belonged to one of the family’s main bloodlines — meaning she was untouchable within the Ody family.
From that day forward, every party at Lucius’ estate followed the same script: the goddess sat with Kayden and exchanged a few quiet, one-sided words with him. But with each encounter, she understood a little more about him. And she began to realize that Kayden truly was peculiar.
The parties at Lucius’ home were frequent — practically one per year. That meant Kayden had contact with many high-ranking individuals. Lucius had spent a long time away from the family — long enough for dozens of mortal generations to pass and at least two divine ones. That was why he decided to do this.
Lucius was one of the few gods who ventured out to explore Atherior and returned to tell the tale. He had amassed a ludicrous personal fortune, making him practically an elder among the ordinary gods of his family."With our current level of friendship, you could offer me a few liters of that tea."Kayden glanced sideways at the goddess."I don’t even know your name."The comment felt odd after they had been conversing for decades.
"Yasmim Ody."Kayden nodded and handed her a few dozen seeds along with a small book that explained how to cultivate each one."I was expecting liters of tea..."The woman pouted and—
"Don’t be spoiled."Kayden’s reply was like a slap to her face — especially for someone who had never been treated so harshly."You should treat women a little better, Kayden."Lucius appeared and sat next to them. Kayden found it amusing how some things never changed, regardless of what part of existence he was in.
Kayden didn’t reply while Lucius struck up a conversation with the woman about various topics. Kayden practically isolated himself, not participating in the conversation at all — and he didn’t care in the slightest.
"Let him in."Kayden’s voice echoed to the outside, leaving no room for doubt.The gods who had been blocking the way stepped aside and allowed the boy to float inside."Master."Kayn bowed as he entered, and Kayden nodded. The boy seemed a little desperate."I offended some people I shouldn’t have."Kayden raised an eyebrow."Who?""The Mercato family."Kayden raised another eyebrow."They’re a family of merchants with a few dozen gods."This could be a problem, depending on the level of those gods.
"What’s the peak of their leader?"Kayden’s question was direct, but Lucius answered instead. Though he was a bohemian, his knowledge was vast."Peak of the second level.""And why exactly is this a family you shouldn’t have offended?"Kayden raised another eyebrow again.In his view — and Lucius’ and most of the other gods’ at the party who overheard the gossip — this was not exactly a powerful family.
"I don’t have any support, Master."Kayn was truly desperate. He was only going to fight for Lucius — he had no real backing."Why didn’t you come to me for help?"Lucius asked, but received no answer. Kayden had already stood up."He just came to his master first, Lucius."Kayden began to float outward."Take me to them. I’ll resolve this for you."