Awakening：The Infinite Evolution of My Talent as a Low-Level Awakener - Chapter 495

Chapter 495: Chapter 495: Mixed Motives, Officially Entering the Nation of Orichalcum!
“Oversee the final battle?”

Sterl murmured to himself, a flicker of interest crossing his mind. His inclusion in the Orichalcum faction clearly tipped the scales of divine-level power against Ashen.

Even if he were to withdraw from the Orichalcum faction now, their current advantage would likely allow them to slowly erode Ashen’s forces. While they might not utterly annihilate Ashen, they could still drag things out until the royal city of Orichalcum successfully fused with the world itself.

From what he sensed earlier in the royal city, its colossal structure was at least on par with the Hall of Valor, comparable to a mighty Divine Power-level deity. Against such a force, Ashen’s weaker gods of minor Divine Power wouldn’t stand a chance. Even Sterl himself wouldn’t dare to step into the city once its fusion was complete.

If he could leverage this opportunity to help Orichalcum triumph over Ashen, it would greatly enhance his legend. Not to mention, he’d amass an enormous amount of contribution points and reputation.

The moment this thought crossed his mind, the four gods from the Southern War Preparedness Zone, whom Sterl had rescued earlier, as well as Diana by his side, couldn’t help but look delighted. Their lives were indebted to him, making their loyalty to him all but assured.

However, the newly arrived gods who had come to reinforce the Orichalcum faction wore more ambiguous expressions. Thoughts churned in their minds, their allegiance not as clear-cut. As with any faction, internal divisions were inevitable, and it was apparent that these reinforcements were aligned with another powerful deity within the Orichalcum forces.

Moreover, these newcomers had not witnessed Hades’ earlier display of overwhelming power—when he had effortlessly annihilated five enemy gods. To them, Hades might indeed be strong, but achieving such a feat was beyond the realm of a minor Divine Power deity. Yet the aura he exuded unmistakably marked him as no more than that—a god of minor Divine Power, without having crossed that critical threshold.

“No time to waste. Let’s move,” Sterl commanded.

The group took off, heading toward Orichalcum’s royal city. Before long, the massive structure loomed in the distance. Along the way, faint traces of battle were visible—scars left behind from Ashen’s desperate attempts to delay Orichalcum’s reinforcements.

These skirmishes, infused with lingering Divine Power, were part of Ashen’s carefully laid plans to stall Orichalcum’s response. Yet, their supposedly foolproof strategy was shattered by Sterl’s unexpected intervention. His actions had completely turned the tide, flipping Ashen’s advantage into an undeniable disadvantage.

What had once been a clear upper hand for Ashen now stood as their most precarious moment.

“Mr. Hades, behold! This is the greatest royal city of our Nation of Orichalcum!”

The speaker, Morette, gestured with pride. “The entire city is constructed from the hardest materials, inscribed with countless formations. It exudes a powerful suppressive force, and any creature not recognized by the royal city itself will be crushed by its overwhelming will simply by approaching. Weaker beings are directly enslaved by the city, forced into servitude for its operations. Even gods—yes, even upper-tier Divine Power beings—would not dare cause trouble within the royal city!

However, the city has not yet fully descended. That’s the only reason those natives have dared to encroach upon us. But it won’t be long now. Soon, the royal city will successfully merge with this world. At that time, even upper-tier Divine Powers will be able to descend and take action through the city. The might of the Nation of Orichalcum will sweep across everything in its path!”

Morette proudly explained this to the enigmatic Hades standing before him, unaware that this god had already witnessed the Nation of Orichalcum at its earliest descent.

Back then, Hades had observed everything in secret, cautiously probing. But now, standing openly before the enormous city, he couldn’t hide the awe that rippled through him. Despite everything he had seen before, the sight of this towering, magnificent city left him deeply shaken.

As Morette noticed the look of astonishment on the face of the aloof and domineering god, he couldn’t help but chuckle. His pride swelled in his chest. No matter how powerful this god might be, he couldn’t ignore the majesty of the royal city.

“Please rest assured, Mr. Hades,” Morette continued. “Your identity has already been recorded in the royal city’s registry. You are now one of the city’s most revered guests.

I have informed the other gods. They are all gathered in the temple, awaiting your arrival to discuss the strategy for dealing with Ashen.”

“Indeed, my elder brothers are eager to meet the hero who saved our Nation of Orichalcum from peril. They’re curious to see what kind of person you are to have accomplished such a feat!”

The gods surrounded Hades with words of flattery, their admiration palpable. A noble goddess stood gracefully by his side, holding his arm, adding to the picture of grandeur.

This scene sent shockwaves through the royal city. Soldiers on duty, laborers, and mercenaries all paused, their eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.

“My heavens! Who is that? Look at the entourage! Could it be an upper-tier god recruited by the royal city?”

“Impossible. Upper-tier gods rarely make public appearances, let alone march around so brazenly.”

“Wait! Isn’t that the God of Thunder and Courage? And the Goddess of Swamps and Archery, Diana?”

“No way! Isn’t Diana famous for being untouchable and aloof? Why is she acting so meek and obedient in front of him? Am I losing my mind?”

In principle, when gazing upon any deity, there is no need for words or explanations to discern the divine authority and power they wield.

However, when their eyes fell upon Sterl, there was no such indication! Even so, none of them doubted that he was indeed a true god.

After all, to command such reverence from so many deities, one’s identity could only belong to the divine. In the eyes of gods, anything below their rank was nothing more than ants, and even speaking to a mortal was considered an act of grace.

“Just recently, the royal city had only activated Level One War Preparedness. Could it be that the crisis has already been resolved?”

“My brother in the Southern War Preparedness Zone just sent me a message. He said it was a near catastrophe—the entire south, east, and north regions were nearly overrun by those natives! And all of it was turned around by a single powerful deity named Hades!”

“Hades? Could it really be him?”

“To single-handedly reverse the tide of battle… truly a model for us all.”

As they looked up at Sterl hovering above, a sense of deep respect arose in everyone’s hearts.

This respect was not only due to the reputation accumulated by the name Hades, but also the innate reverence that the weak felt toward the strong.

Sterl nodded slightly, following Morette and the others into the royal city. As he stepped across the threshold, he could feel a powerful will scanning him.

However, he had anticipated this. Whether it was because the royal city had not yet fully fused with the world, or because its powers were still incomplete, the scanning failed to penetrate the layers of disguise provided by his Facade of Vanity and the blood of the Ancient One.

Besides, as a current member of the Orichalcum faction, Sterl had amassed considerable contribution points and reputation. There was no reason for any issues to arise.

Seeing him pass through the city’s scrutiny without incident, the gods who had previously reinforced the south allowed themselves a nearly imperceptible sigh of relief. If he could openly pass the royal city’s examination, his identity must be legitimate—certainly not a spy from a rival faction.

What they didn’t know, however, was that Sterl wasn’t a god at all—he was nothing more than a lowly third-class being!

Of course, his past feats left a lingering impression. Even though Sterl had stepped down from his ascend to godhood state and his aura now seemed far less imposing, they were certain this was merely another layer of his disguise.

As they entered the royal city, a radiant, ethereal ribbon of light extended swiftly from the distance and unfurled beneath their feet. Its appearance was imbued with a profound sense of mysticism.

“This is the Polaris Chain,” Morette explained. “It is one of the city’s many functions, imbued with the power of Space Law. It allows us to traverse to any location within the royal city in an instant.”

Upon hearing this, Sterl maintained a calm expression and gave a slight nod, though inwardly, he was somewhat surprised. This so-called Polaris Chain was essentially a spatial teleportation formation but far more convenient and efficient, unbound by fixed points of travel.

The group stepped onto the Polaris Chain, which immediately began retracting and moving at an incredible speed. Being someone who had mastered Space Law, Sterl could clearly sense the mechanism at work. The Polaris Chain traveled through a layer of subspace, allowing it to avoid Spatial Turbulence while maintaining impressive velocity.

In no time, a massive and opulent palace came into view!

The towering gates, standing thousands of meters high, and the sheer presence of authority and power emanating from within the palace made it unmistakably the central seat of the royal city’s supreme dominion.

Sterl recognized this place—it was the grand palace he had observed from outside the royal city. However, seeing it from the inside was an entirely different experience.

“Mr. Hades, this is the Ancient One Hall of the royal city. It is one of the most important places in our Nation of Orichalcum,” Morette explained, his voice carrying a hint of reverence. “Every god born under Orichalcum leaves their mark within this hall. The Ancient One Hall is the very symbol of the royal city itself.”

As Morette spoke, his tone carried a touch of sentimentality. He couldn’t help but reflect on how close he had come to dying outside, which would have forever denied him the chance to return to this sacred place.

Sterl surveyed the intricately designed hall. Every inch appeared to have been meticulously crafted by master artisans, and its structural integrity was remarkable. Even the mightiest divine battles likely wouldn’t leave a scratch on this place.

Deep within the hall, numerous divine thrones were arranged in rows. Upon them sat dozens of figures radiating immense power—these were the deities of the Nation of Orichalcum.

“Mr. Hades, your place awaits you,” Morette said with a hearty laugh as he noticed Sterl inspecting the grand hall.

It was a common reaction for anyone entering this divine hall for the first time to be awed by its magnificence. Seeing even a figure as mighty as Sterl reveal a hint of amazement filled Morette with a sense of pride.

The construction of this hall wasn’t solely the work of master artisans; it also involved gods who wielded divine authorities over architecture, aesthetics, and related domains. The hall was not merely a symbol of Orichalcum’s grandeur but also a powerful artifact in its own right.

The group of ten deities proceeded toward the conference hall at the heart of the palace.

As they approached, the gods who had been waiting there for quite some time all turned their attention to them.

…