Global Gods : Skill-Resonance Awakened

Chapter 323: Ch 323 : A Vision From Future

The Throne Room, City of Gods.

The atmosphere in the hall was filled with anticipation.

Beru had evolved into void born God of evolution. Cai Zhen had become a void born God of cultivation. Now, it was Thera’s turn.

The Goddess of Annihilation stood before the throne, her eyes wide with a mixture of fear and eager determination.

She had watched her companions ascend to heights she had only dreamed of, and she was terrified of being left behind.

She wanted to be strong. She wanted to stand by Cai Zhen’s side not as a liability, but as an equal.

Sunny looked at her. He saw the hope in her eyes. He saw the trust.

He raised his hand, preparing to manifest the Isolation Sphere for the third time.

"I am ready, Emperor," Thera whispered, clenching her fists.

Sunny nodded. His thumb moved to snap against his middle finger.

STOP.

His hand froze in mid-air.

He suddenly felt a rejection from his own talents.

His SS-Grade Talents: Divine Intuition and Time Affinity, screamed in unison.

The world around him didn’t stop, but Sunny was no longer in the present.

His consciousness was ripped from his body and hurled forward. It wasn’t a vague premonition or a gut feeling. It was a high-definition Vision of the Future.

A future that was only three minutes away.

In the vision, Sunny saw himself standing inside the Isolation Sphere. Thera was kneeling before him, her head bowed for the blessing.

"Awaken," Future-Sunny commanded.

He poured a stream of Faith into Thera’s soul, targeting the dormant Law Particle of Annihilation.

Just like with Beru and Cai Zhen, the particle woke up. It sensed the power. It surged with vitality.

But Annihilation was not Evolution. It was not Cultivation. It was the Concept of nothingness.

The particle began to become destabilized the sorroundings. Overcharged by the Emperor’s faith, the Spark of Annihilation sensed the aura of void mother on Sunny. It tried to fly toward Sunny’s hand, seeking the place it originated from.

But to move, it had to pass through Thera.

CRACKLE.

There was no sound of flesh tearing. There was no scream.

One moment, Thera was kneeling. The next, she was erased.

The Law of Annihilation didn’t burn her; it deleted her. Her skin, her bones, her soul, everything turned into a blur and vanished into the void.

Future-Sunny’s eyes widened behind his mask. "No!"

He reached out to grab the particle, to force it back down, but the damage was done.

FLASH.

A brilliant white light illuminated the sphere. Divine Immortality kicked in.

Thera reappeared instantly. She gasped, her eyes wide with confusion.

"Haah~ what was that?" Thera stammered, trembling. "I felt cold... I felt..."

"The Law is unstable!" Future-Sunny shouted, his voice laced with panic. "Hold on, I need to-"

"Does that mean I only have 8 lives left?" Thera asked, terrified.

She opened her mouth to say more, but the Spark of Annihilation, which was also revived and still overcharged, pulsed again.

ZZZT.

Thera disintegrated.

She didn’t die. She just ceased to exist.

FLASH. Life 7.

She reappeared. "Help me!"

ZZZT. Gone.

FLASH. Life 6.

"Cai!"

ZZZT. Gone.

It was a horror show. The loop was happening faster than thought. Every time she revived, the Spark erased her instantly.

Future-Sunny was frantic. He tried to seal the Spark, even though he succeeded in sealing it, but the small frame of time when Thera revived was enough for the Annihilation to annihilate her.

He tried to freeze time. He tried to use his Authority to cancel the reaction. But Annihilation was the antithesis of Creation. It ate his faith. It ate his spells.

Outside the sphere, Cai Zhen was screaming. He slammed his fists against the barrier, his new strength cracking the space around him, but the Isolation Sphere held firm.

FLASH. Life 3.

FLASH. Life 2.

Thera reappeared one last time. She was weeping. She looked at Future-Sunny, who was freezing in horror, realizing he was powerless to stop the chain reaction he had started.

She saw his despair. And in that moment, she smiled. A sad, broken smile.

"It’s okay," she mouthed.

FLASH. Life 1.

The final life.

Thera stood up. She didn’t look at Sunny. She turned and walked toward the edge of the sphere, where Cai Zhen was desperately trying to break in.

She reached out. Her hand, glowing with the unstable gray light of annihilation, touched the barrier.

The barrier dissolved.

"Thera!" Cai Zhen roared, rushing forward to grab her.

"Do not come near me, Cai!" Thera screamed, backing away. "You will die!"

But the God of Cultivation didn’t listen. He didn’t care about the Law. He didn’t care about the danger. He lunged forward, wrapping his arms around her, trying to physically hold her existence together with his own body.

"You fool..." Thera whispered, tears streaming down her face.

She pressed a kiss to his lips.

"Live your life happily," she sobbed. "Don’t try to be a hero. Forget the revenge. Forget the demons."

"My death has nothing to do with the Emperor. It is just... I was too weak."

The Spark pulsed one final time.

It expanded.

It didn’t just take Thera. It took the matter touching her.

"No..." Future-Sunny whispered.

Thera dissolved into gray dust. And in her arms, Cai Zhen dissolved with her. The Void Born and the Goddess of Annihilation were erased from exsistance, leaving nothing but silence.

Before Cai Zhen could even revive, the vision ended.

The Present.

"GASPP!"

Sunny sucked in a breath, his body jerking violently, as he barely stood his ground.

The vision ended. The smell of death vanished, replaced by the cool air of the palace.

He looked down.

Thera was still standing there. She was alive. She was looking at him with those beautiful, hopeful eyes, waiting for his snap. Waiting for her power.

Sunny’s heart hammered against his ribs like a trapped bird. Cold sweat pooled beneath his mask.

He slowly lowered his hand.

"Sorry, Thera," Sunny said. His voice was steady, but it lacked its usual playfulness. It was heavy. "But I don’t think it is possible for me to help you increase your strength. Not now."

The silence in the room was deafening.

Thera blinked. The hope in her eyes shattered, replaced by confusion.

"Why?" she asked, her voice trembling. "Is it... is it because I am too weak? Did I do something wrong? You helped Beru. You helped Cai. Why not me?"

Sunny looked at her. He saw the tears forming in her eyes. It hurt to deny her. It hurt to see her disappointment.

But the alternative was seeing her turn to ash.

"It is not about weakness," Sunny said gently. "It is about the nature of your power."

"Your Law is Annihilation. It is the most volatile force in existence. If I pour my Faith into it... it won’t strengthen you."

Sunny leaned forward, his violet eyes burning with intensity.

"It will eat you."

"I saw a vision," Sunny admitted, deciding that honesty was the only kindness he could offer. "If we proceed, the Law will backfire. It will erase you from existence. And not even your Nine Lives will save you."

A bomb dropped in the Throne Room.

Cai Zhen, who had been riding the high of his own ascension, went pale. He stepped closer to Thera, instinctively reaching out to hold her hand, as if stopping her from even thinking of trying it.

"Erase her?" Cai Zhen whispered. "Completely?"

"Completely," Sunny confirmed grimly. "And likely one of your life as well, if you tried to save her."

Thera slumped. The rejection stung, but the terror of the Emperor’s words struck deeper.

"Is there no other way?" Thera asked, looking up at the cosmic darkness of Sunny’s mask. "Am I destined to be weak forever?"

"For now, there is no way," Sunny said honestly. "The risk is 100%. I cannot gamble with your life."

He couldn’t even imagine what he would have done if he hadn’t seen that vision. If he had just snapped his fingers... he would have been the executioner of his own subordinates. The guilt would have broken him.

"Don’t worry," Sunny added, softening his tone. "I am the God of the Gods. I will find a solution. It just... won’t be today."

Thera stood silently for a moment. Then, she took a deep breath and nodded. She wiped her eyes.

"I understand, Emperor," she said softly. "Thank you... for saving me from myself."

She turned and walked back to Cai Zhen.

The God of Cultivation didn’t speak. He simply pulled her into a crushing hug. He held her tight, burying his face in her hair, shaken by how close he had come to losing her again.

"Don’t worry," Cai Zhen whispered directly into her ear, his voice fierce. "I have enough power for both of us now. I will protect you. Always."

Thera blushed, leaning into his warmth. "Stupid cultivator."

Sunny watched them. The scene was tender, a stark contrast to the gray dust of his vision.

"They are alive," Sunny thought, a wave of relief washing over him. "That is enough."

He thanked his Divine Intuition and Time Affinity. They were truly the guardians of his empire.

"You are dismissed," Sunny said, waving his hand.

The three Gods bowed and exited the Throne Room, leaving the Emperor alone in the vast hall.

Sunny slumped back into the throne, the exhaustion of the mental journey finally catching up to him. He stared at the ceiling, feeling the weight of leadership.

"Saving people is exhausting," Sunny sighed.

He closed his eyes, the silence of the room amplifying his solitude.

"Should I go see her?" Sunny whispered to the darkness.

"Yeah," Sunny decided, standing up. "I think I’ve earned a break."