Chapter 9 - A Game

Elias had no idea how he found this warehouse. It was as if a voice had called him here. The moment he arrived, he received all the memories of Elias Brightwell, a devoted follower of the Light God. 

Elias quickly understood that this warehouse was protected by illusionary magical arrays, preventing anyone he didn't wish to enter. So far, he had only allowed Adrian and recently permitted Harper to come inside.

Adrian had messaged Elias, saying he was on his way with Harper. Elias also felt it was time for Harper to learn everything about what was happening. Harper had crucial information that could help them eliminate the followers of the Shadow God, making her an essential ally.

At that moment, a figure of average height, with tousled blond hair, mischievous blue eyes, and a boyish face, approached the warehouse, whistling as he walked.

"Oh, arrays?" the man said with a chuckle.

With a casual wave of his hand, he stepped into the warehouse effortlessly. If anyone else had tried, they would have found themselves back at the entrance, no matter how many times they attempted. As the man entered, Elias received a warning. This person was no ordinary man—likely one of the reincarnated gods who is in Arcania City.

Staying calm, Elias conjured a set of chairs and a coffee table from his storage portal, placing them in the center of the warehouse. He then walked over to a coffee station he had set up.

"Who can resist coffee?" Elias thought. As the mysterious man's footsteps grew closer, Elias greeted him without turning around, "With or without sugar?"

The man smiled, "With milk, if you have it."

Elias nodded. The man took a seat without waiting for an invitation, and soon Elias joined him, handing over a cup of coffee.

"Here you go. Hope it's to your liking," Elias said.

The man sipped the coffee and praised, "Not bad for a man who has reached the demigod level."

Elias remained silent. "You're Jaxon, or more precisely, the reincarnation of the God of Mischief, Rook, right?"

"You're asking what you already know."

"It's called manners," Elias replied.

Jaxon chuckled, then laughed louder. His face and body transformed, becoming taller and more mature. This was one of the abilities of the God of Mischief—he could change his appearance, aura, voice, manipulate reality, create illusions, and had formidable telekinesis.

"Now it feels like I'm facing a god," Elias said casually. Despite facing a god, Elias remained unusually calm, perhaps because he had encountered gods before or even more powerful beings.

"What brings you here?" Elias asked directly.

"You seem very composed. Good. That makes you a fitting right-hand man for the God of Light," Jaxon noted, sipping his coffee.

He transformed back to his original form. "I don't need to intimidate you, so I'll stick with this appearance. It's more comfortable."

Elias crossed his legs and leaned back. "You still haven't answered my question."

"Alright. I don't want to linger either. Adrian and the detective are almost here. There's something important you need to know."

"What is it?" Elias asked, his tone serious. He had to stay calm and analyze Jaxon's words carefully. As the God of Mischief, Jaxon was a master manipulator.

"A game is about to take place," Jaxon said slowly, savoring his coffee. He looked immensely satisfied.

"What kind of game? Is it part of your plan?"

Jaxon laughed. "Though I'm a trickster, this is the Elder Gods' plan. They feel there are too many gods right now. Not only that, but more new gods are appearing."

"You mean they want to reduce the number of gods?"

"Bingo!"

"So, what's this game you mentioned?" Elias asked, growing uneasy. Jaxon's role as the Elder Gods' messenger always came with significant news.

Jaxon mimicked Elias's posture and smiled knowingly. "The Battle of the Gods."

Elias took a deep breath. This wasn't new. A million years ago, such a battle had occurred when there were over two million gods. After the Battle of the Gods, only a few hundred thousand remained. 

Elias wondered how many gods the Elder Gods wanted to eliminate this time and where it would take place. His main concern was if it happened on Earth, countless humans could be affected and killed, just like now with the followers of the Shadow God.

"Worried?" Jaxon teased.

Elias didn't reply. Facing the God of Mischief was enough to make anyone tense. Suddenly, Elias remembered something. "If the Battle of the Gods is coming, what about the riddles you gave us last time? The God of Light and the God of Shadow."

"That… I'll leave for you to solve. But don't worry. The Battle of the Gods won't start and finish anytime soon."

"What do you mean?"

"The Elder Gods plan to change the format of this Battle of the Gods. I find it quite interesting," Jaxon said with an excited smile.

"If you're this happy talking about it, I know it's not good news."

"Hahaha! Think what you want. I find it fascinating. All participating gods will have to build their armies using the Ten Commanders' structure. In the first round, all gods will be divided into their own zones," Jaxon explained.

"There will be over ten thousand zones, each with about fifty-five gods. Only the five strongest gods from each zone will move on to the next round," Jaxon continued.

"So, how is it going to be conducted?" Elias grew more anxious about what Jaxon was saying. He didn't know which gods would be placed in the same zone as Adrian. 

What worried Elias even more was that he didn't know how long the other gods had been reincarnated. The longer they had been around, the stronger they were likely to be compared to Adrian. Elias knew Adrian didn't have much time.

Jaxon answered, "The identity of every god in the same zone will be revealed."

"So, be prepared to attack and be attacked?"

"Bingo!"

"You mean each defeated god will become one of the ten commanders for each winner?"

"Bingo! The five gods who defeat and gather ten commanders first will be the winners of the first round in each zone."

"Let's say Adrian defeats another god who already has commanders, then that god and their commanders will become commanders for Adrian," Jaxon continued.

Elias was a bit confused, "If that's the case, the number of gods won't decrease, right?"

"Not in the first round. The death of gods will occur in the subsequent rounds," Jaxon replied, taking another sip of his coffee.

"So, what's the role of followers in the Battle of the Gods?"

"It's a war, Elias. Even followers might be stronger than a god. Like you. How many gods have you eliminated?"

Elias tried to process what Jaxon meant. Followers weren't just for combat. They could, for example, use Harper as a follower of the God of Light. With Harper's help, they could gather more information about the other gods if they were in this city. Even if they were in another city, Harper could use her network to get information.

At the same time, they could empower those who wanted to be followers and train them so their combat abilities would be stronger, making it easier to defeat other gods' armies. This was similar to what they did millions of years ago—gathering many followers and subjugating other gods to maintain their power.

This time, it was more about destroying each other. The Elder Gods always had unreasonable plans and didn't consider other beings.

"I think you understand what's going to happen. Consider my presence here to help you and Adrian prepare as best as possible," Jaxon said with a smile.

Elias looked at Jaxon's face without emotion and asked, "Will you participate?"

Jaxon shook his head. "No. I'm exempt. Maybe I'm useful to the Elder Gods," Jaxon replied with a laugh before continuing, "My job now is to meet with all the gods and deliver this information."

Elias wasn't surprised that Jaxon could do such things. Jaxon's abilities defied human logic. He was probably talking to thousands of other gods simultaneously.

"Alright. Is there anything else I need to know?"

Jaxon pretended to think before saying, "Before and throughout the Battle of the Gods, each god will be given missions. These missions are crucial to increasing their strength and that of their followers. Oh, many have already received their missions."

"Missions... But Adrian hasn't received anything yet," Elias noted.

"It's not time yet. Besides, he just learned his true identity. He might receive his mission soon," Jaxon replied.

"Oh, each mission must be completed. There will be evaluations later to determine if the god is fit to continue or be eliminated," Jaxon added.

Elias nodded in understanding. He was very familiar with the Elder Gods' tactics, always making things difficult for other gods. There was no denying their immense power compared to other gods. That's why they were the Elder Gods.

To this day, their identities remained largely unknown. They had a formidable army. Any god violating their purpose would be eliminated by this army.

Jaxon stood up and brushed off his clothes. "I think that's all you need to know. Bye!"

Before Elias could react, Jaxon vanished from sight. Elias remained seated, contemplating several important matters. First, concerning Adrian's training. With Adrian's current abilities, it was impossible for him to be among the five winners in this zone.

Elias began thinking about taking Adrian to a place where Raedon had spent tens of thousands of years training. Fortunately, time moves differently there—one day equals one second on Earth. Elias hadn't taken Adrian there before because Adrian wasn't ready. But with the Battle of the Gods looming, they had no choice.

Second, they needed to find at least five followers. Currently, Elias was the only one. If they could recruit Harper as a follower, they would only need three more.

Five followers were the minimum required to utilize certain formations that would enhance their attack and defense, aiding Adrian in facing other gods.

Third, they needed to gather all these followers quickly and take them to Raedon's training ground. They needed to strengthen these followers immediately. Elias believed that for the first round, only the god and his followers could compete.

Any gods defeated and made into one of the Ten Commanders would no longer participate in the first round. Otherwise, the fight would be unfair.

Elias let out a heavy sigh. "Looks like my life won't be easy this time either."