As Saryantos's words settled, Orson didn't even have time to digest them before the man's expression grew solemn.
"It's precisely because we were overwhelmed that multiple chief gods joined forces to remake countless civilizations across the galaxy—putting you on the front line against the Heaven Demon."
Orson shot up from his seat, eyes locked on Saryantos, voice hoarse with disbelief.
"You mean the Infinite Dimensions project—was never just about Earth's humanity?!"
"Correct. Aside from a handful of fringe worlds the gods couldn't bother with, ten thousand worlds lie fully under divine control."
Saryantos nodded gravely.
"Put simply: uncountable adventurers from these myriad civilizations were made cannon fodder, buying time for the gods to cling to life. The ending was written from the start."
An ocean roared through Orson's mind.
His vision had been far too narrow. He'd thought Earth was the sole target.
Turns out, long before the Heaven Demon ever came knocking, those conniving gods had already stretched their claws across half the galaxy.
"Then tell me—what are the Heaven Demon? Why can't even true gods stand against them?"
Calmer now, Orson focused on what mattered.
He didn't have the luxury of worrying about other worlds. He just needed a path to break Earth's fate.
Saryantos slowly shook his head.
"No one knows. Only that they spread from other star clusters, sweeping across countless systems like a tidal wave. All following the will of a supreme Heaven Demon."
"The Heaven Demon Emperor?" Orson pressed.
"The gods are fearsome beyond measure, but after hundreds of thousands of years, they still can't even confirm whether that entity truly exists. They only know its will threads through thousands of Heaven Demon species."
A deep sorrow twisted through Orson's chest.
Even mighty phoenixes, allied with gods, couldn't halt the Heaven Demon's march.
What could a mortal like him hope to do?
He was hailed as Infinite Dimensions' greatest, bearer of countless players' hopes.
But in the scale of the galaxy, he was smaller than dust.
"Bleak as it is, don't lose heart," Saryantos said with a faint smile, raising his cup.
"Even after all these eons of war, though they keep evolving, the Heaven Demon remain within the gods' control."
"Control…" Orson let out a bitter laugh.
One grain of sand from their grand scheme could crush billions.
He'd seen the ruin of the fused world in his past life. Seen the Era of Immortals with his own eyes.
In the gods' minds, that was nothing—just one lost patch of land.
"The gods' reshaping of worlds may be cruel, but it's had some effect. Across countless worlds, new gods have sprung up like mushrooms after rain. Perhaps… someday, they'll find a solution."
Then he changed course, voice curious.
"So far, no 'future ones' have appeared on your Earth, correct?"
Orson blinked, thinking of the Era of Immortals gathering adventurers from all eras.
But then he shook his head.
"No. As far as I know, only adventurers from the present day."
Saryantos's eyes softened.
"The early arrival of the fused world cut the epochal disaster short. It means the gods are too busy elsewhere to meddle with Earth for now. No new cycle of 'remaking' will come anytime soon."
He stood, smiling down at Orson.
"Your mission is complete."
Orson's eyes sharpened.
"It's exactly as it sounds. That's why you were reborn. The gods' abyss will only last ten years at most. After that, the Heaven Demon will move on to the next civilization. If they don't, they'd be trapped here forever."
"So long as a few survivors remain, your civilization will rebuild. By then, the Heaven Demon will have spread to another star system."
Orson's roar shook the hall.
His palm slammed into the table, splinters and shattered bottles flying.
Face red with fury, he glared at Saryantos.
So the eight-winged seraph was right all along. He really was nothing but a puppet.
They didn't give a damn about Earth's current generations.
Their eyes were set on some far-off tomorrow—willing to sacrifice the living for a future possibility.
But for the billions alive now, it was pure annihilation.
That ran counter to Orson's very soul.
Counter to the will of the Godslayer.
Counter to who Orgod was.
Saryantos didn't flinch under his wrath.
Instead he spoke calmly.
"You are just a pawn BlazeKing set upon the board. But he pitied you. So he offers you two choices."
A chime sounded in Orson's mind.
"[Heavenly Spirit's Heart]"
"Soul Seal Final Trial!"
"Choice One: take your sister and flee to a wilderness world, forever leaving behind the war of gods and demons."
"Choice Two: accept BlazeKing's mantle. Inherit the Super God-grade Soul Seal—[Heavenly Spirit's Heart]."
"This… is the final test?"
"I can take you all away," Saryantos said softly.
"That is BlazeKing's compensation."
Orson's face went pale.
His sister was the entire reason he'd clawed back from death.
But then—one by one—faces swam up from his memory.
Blank. Bradley. Madman. Iron Cavalry. Dancing Giant Boobs…
He'd regretted hastening the world's merging.
He'd been glad Sienna could survive.
So many tangled feelings coiled through his soul.
He'd always walked alone, whether dominating esports or grinding through slaughter.
Teammates resented him, rivals feared him.
But without realizing it, he'd gathered so many people at his back—people he couldn't abandon.
Was he really going to watch them die?
Watch them cower in bunkers, living in endless dread?
They couldn't survive without him.
And if he left them—he'd be hollow too, a spent shell with nothing left to fight for.
A small smile curved Orson's lips.
He whispered to himself.
Saryantos's eyes narrowed.
Orson tilted back his head and let out a blood-raw roar.
"I SAID WE FIGHT! FIGHT, YOU STUPID BIRD—CAN'T YOU UNDERSTAND HUMAN SPEECH?!"
Saryantos only shrugged, unsurprised.
He'd laid out so many grand speeches.
All to push Orson to this second option.
Orson had known it the whole time.
But still—his own selfishness couldn't be denied.
Even knowing the truth, he'd wavered.
That was simply human.
"Good. You didn't let them down. You've proven your resolve."
Saryantos let out a booming laugh.
A blood-red halo erupted.
The four statues crumbled into dust.
Hovering above the rubble was a crystal heart, pure white, pulsing with faint sound.
Its beat fell into rhythm with his own heart.
A surge of vast, unstoppable power flooded the Radiant Shuttle hall.
And there, behind the crystal, a hazy figure emerged.
Orson recognized him instantly.
The black-haired youth he'd once seen in a vision.
The boy stood proud in the hall, voice echoing:
"I have always been with you."
"Now, I will become the bedrock of your divine altar!"
"Drink the blood of gods and demons—let your light pierce this dim galaxy!"
With those words, the final Super God-grade Soul Seal—[Heavenly Spirit's Heart]—blazed into a ball of searing flame and plunged into Orson's chest.