Global Gods : Skill-Resonance Awakened

Chapter 359: Ch 359 : Stagnation

While Sunny drifted through the lightless corridors of the deep void, his cosmic form flickering like a ghost between the void, the worlds within him were experiencing an era of unprecedented tranquility.

Inside the inner world of his soul, the City of Gods, the Realm of Advancement, and the sprawling Multiverse of Gods existed in a state of absolute grace.

Thea’s silver particles permeated every atom of the atmosphere, acting as the ultimate nervous system for the territory.

Through her, every prayer was heard, every stomach was filled, and every heart was calmed.

It was the perfect utopia.... a diamond-hard sanctuary where the concepts of hunger, plague, and fear had been edited out of reality by the Sovereign’s will.

But perfection, as the ancient ones knew, has a price.

High upon the balconies of the City of Gods, two figures stood overlooking the endless, shimmering expanse of the inner world.

Mammon, the demigod of Greed, leaned against a railing carved from the finest metal.

Beside him stood Nova, the firstborn of Sunny’s demigod, her presence radiating a gravity that made the very air feel significant.

"Don’t you think their growth is becoming... stagnant?" Mammon asked, his golden eyes narrowed as he watched the mortals below.

"Look at them. They spend their days in meditation and art. Their goal is only to reach the rank of Demigod and then simply stop. Since the demons can no longer reach them.... since they are cradled in the Master’s palm.... they feel the fire of necessity has been extinguished."

Nova followed his gaze. Far below, a sprawling civilization of cultivators was having a festival. There was no urgency in their movements, no hunger for the next breakthrough.

"It is the paradox of peace, Mammon," Nova replied, her voice carrying the weight of an Empress. "The demons were the whetstone that sharpened their spirits. Without the threat of annihilation, they have become complacent. They feel that reaching a comfortable height is enough. But that enough is just a slow way to die."

She turned to Mammon, her expression hardening. "There is only one way to reignite the flame. We must withdraw the surveillance. We must let the Master’s hold loosen and allow their deepest, darkest thoughts to rise to the surface once more."

Mammon stiffened. "You are suggesting we allow them to divide? To let the ’Us and Them’ mentality return?"

"Conflict is the engine of evolution," Nova said firmly. "Once there is a reason to struggle, growth will follow naturally. If we continue to hold their hands, they will remain children forever. We must allow the lifeforms to divide, for it is in that division that they will find the fuel to transcend their current limits."

Mammon shook his head, his mind already calculating the variables. "I understand the theory, sister, but the execution is terrifying. If we remove the restrictions, universal wars will become a common occurrence. These civilizations have technology and magic capable of shattering stars. Without the Master’s Law to restrain them, they will turn those weapons on each other. The casualty list would be... catastrophic."

"Even if they fall," Nova countered, "there is still the divine buff of the Nine Lives. And if those lives are spent, their souls will be judged. Those who sought growth through honor will be elevated; those who sought only blood will find the Hell."

The current Heaven and Hell system of the Inner World was ironically empty.

Because Sunny’s Law prevented significant crime and malice, the Hell was merely a silent, empty hall.

And since no lifeforms died under his rule, the heaven was also silent.

But Nova’s suggestion would change that. It would turn the Inner World from a static paradise into a living, breathing crucible.

"Sister Thea," Mammon called out to the empty air. "What is your assessment?"

The silver mist between them began to swirl, condensing into the elegant, translucent form of Thea. Her eyes held the cold logic of a billion data points gathered from hindered of years of data.

"According to my projections," Thea began, her voice soft but brutally honest, "Big Sister Nova is correct. The current rate of growth has dropped by 84% since the problem with demons was solved, and the remaining growth is only left because of the Tower of Eternity."

"The inhabitants have optimized their lifestyles for comfort rather than ascension. To ensure the Master has a formidable army, we must remove the moral stabilizers. We must allow them to fail."

Mammon looked from Nova to Thea, feeling the weight of the decision. "But what of the innocents? The children who will be caught in these natural divisions? Can we truly stand by and watch worlds burn just to see who climbs out of the ashes?"

"You are right Mammon... but that’s how life truly is, we can’t change the law of life forcefully..." Nova said. "We are here to be the architects of this New Bubble... And we must ensure that the quality of lifeforms is the best"

"Perhaps we should let the Master decide," Nova suggested, hoping for a tie-breaker.

"That is not an option," Thea interjected, her silver form flickering.

"Master has explicitly delegated the governance of the internal territories to us. He is focusing his mental capacity on the Cosmic Bloodline and finding the Old Gods."

"To bother him with this would be a failure of our duty. The decision must come from the Council of Demigods."

"Then we shall put it to a vote among the entire Council. Let the collective wisdom of his creation decide the fate of his subjects." Mammon sighed. He knew the auxiliary demigods, those focused on art, life, and creation... would never vote for war.

"As you wish, Mammon," Thea said with a faint, enigmatic smile.

Back in the cold, silent void, Sunny felt a ripple through his Nihilium Omniscience. He didn’t intervene, but he had heard every word of the debate.

’Stagnation...’ Sunny mused, his cosmic heart pulsing with a slow, heavy rhythm. ’They aren’t wrong. A garden without sun eventually chokes on its own growth.’

He considered letting a few Demon Gods and demigods into his inner world to act as antagonists, but he immediately discarded the thought.

The demons were the creations of a hidden entity. To bring even a fragment of their essence inside his soul was to invite a Trojan Horse into his very bloodline.

’So, I must let them be their own demons,’ Sunny realized.

He felt a pang of reluctance. He had worked so hard to save these people, to give them a life free from the terror of the Spire of Sins.

But he also knew that he was a Royal of the Nihilium.... a race that didn’t just rule reality, but defined it. A stagnant reality was a dead one.

"I will let the Council vote," Sunny whispered to the void. "But I will also accelerate the search for the Reincarnations of the Old Gods. They are the true anchors of the past and the future."

"If my world is to have a new Age of Conflict, I want it to be led by those who have already tasted the bitterness of defeat and the glory of the heavens."

He looked toward a distant, flickering light, a primitive multiverse that hummed with a familiar aura.

"Thea," Sunny commanded, his voice reaching back into his soul. "If the council choose to lift the restrictions, return the memories of the old Gods back to them. Let that be the catalyst for the new era."

With a sudden burst of Void Step, Sunny blurred through the dimensions, in search of more leaders for his inner world.