(Meanwhile On Planet Granada, Mauriss’s POV)
*KABOOM*
*RAIN*
*Laughter*
Mauriss chuckled like a maniac, as he received the most interesting report he had seen in quite a long time.
A report on the whereabouts and recent activity of the Berserker God Helmuth, who apparently hadn’t been acting like himself as of late.
[Report Title: The Unusual Behaviour of the Berserker God.
My Lord, this is to inform you that recent sightings of Helmuth the Berserker indicate severe deviations from his established psychological and combat profile.
Contrary to expectations, Lord Helmuth has not returned to The Pit, nor has he responded to any recall attempts issued by the Righteous Faction, and has instead been repeatedly sighted across multiple Beast Planets, with a particular focus on worlds under Dragon dominion.]
Mauriss’s grin widened slowly, rain sliding harmlessly off his shoulders as he continued to read the report.
[Witness accounts confirm that during these appearances, Helmuth has openly identified himself as "Moltherak," while taking up the title "The Terror of Galaxies," which is a designation that is entirely inconsistent with his historical behavioral patterns.]
The report noted, as a low, delighted chuckle slipped from Mauriss’s lips.
[Further anomalies have been recorded in his combat methodology, as the subject has abandoned his signature axe-based Berserker style, and has instead been spotted favoring large-scale spellcasting, spatial distortion techniques, and sustained magical assaults previously uncharacteristic of his known skillset.]
The report continued, as Mauriss tilted his head slightly, his mischievous eyes gleaming as lightning illuminated the ocean below.
[Physical alterations have also been observed.
Lord Helmuth’s skin now displays pulsing red veins beneath the surface, while his eye color has been reported to change from gray-black to gold, while his hair has transitioned from brown to crimson red.
Analysts currently speculate that the subject may have suffered catastrophic cognitive damage, identity collapse, or invasive soul overwrite.
However, there is no conclusive evidence to support either theory just yet.]
The report concluded, as Mauriss covered his eyes in delight.
"BY THE HEAVENS.... HELMUTH HAS LOST HIS BODY TO THE OLD DRAGON..... HAHAHAHAHA"
Mauriss inferred from the report, as although the underlings were unsure whether or not a soul override had actually taken place, Mauriss, with his many millennia of experience instantly understood what could have gone down.
"Interesting..." he muttered, his voice thick with amusement as realization finally snapped into place.
"So that’s why Soron pushed him into the Fourth Dimension when he did."
His laughter softened, sharpening into something far more dangerous as understanding finally clicked into place, his grin widening while he slowly shook his head.
"Your movements finally make sense to me now, Cult Master," he murmured, voice thick with appreciation.
"Well played... very well played indeed."
He tilted his head slightly, rain bending away from his body as though repelled by his excitement.
"You knew you weren’t walking out of ’The Pit’ alive," he continued, amusement curling deeper into his tone, "so instead, you chose to leave something behind."
His eyes gleamed.
"A new pillar to protect the Cult... another ancient monster unleashed upon the universe."
He muttered, as the realization sent a low, rumbling sensation through his chest.
*KABOOM*
Thunder split the sky, briefly illuminating the delighted, almost feverish grin etched across his face.
"This means Moltherak the Dragon God is back," Mauriss whispered reverently, savoring every syllable.
"While Helmuth is dead."
He let the words settle, drawing in a sharp breath as goosebumps rippled violently across his skin, pure ecstasy coursing through him as though the universe itself had just whispered its darkest promise.
"This," he breathed, voice trembling with anticipation, "is the perfect formula for CHAOS."
His laughter surged again, wild and unrestrained, echoing across Granada as lightning clawed across the heavens.
"With Moltherak loose," he murmured, eyes fluttering shut as exhilaration overtook him, "the balance of universal power is about to shift yet again..."
He trembled.
"Fun times..."
A slow, blissful smile split his face.
"These are such fun times."
His grin widened further.
"I hope they last forever."
—---------------
(Meanwhile, Su Tang’s POV, Planet Su Prime)
Su Tang stood at the edge of his private balcony, hands clasped behind his back as he gazed out over the sprawling cityscape of Su Prime.
For a long moment, he said nothing, letting the silence stretch as his thoughts aligned, before finally muttering to himself when the time felt right.
"Surprisingly, after everything we did to harm the Righteous Faction, the universe does not even seem to notice it, as it seems to be swept beneath the chaos the Cult stirred during the Execution Livestream."
The realization pleased him more than he cared to admit, as the outcome had exceeded even his most optimistic projections, because while attention had been monopolized by Gods clashing and Righteous Elites collapsing, the subtle movements of lesser powers had slipped neatly beneath notice.
"That is... better than I had hoped."
A faint grin formed on his face, as this scenario was far cleaner than any outcome he had dared plan for, as it allowed the Su Clan to move freely beneath the shadow of far greater events.
"Kaelith will not take Raymond’s death lying down."
He muttered as his expression grew more serious as he traced the inevitable arc of vengeance in his mind, fully aware that a God did not lose his son without answering in blood, and that retaliation was not a question of if, but when.
"Which means the Su Clan will not become the immediate target of his wrath."
That certainty brought with it a measure of relief, because Kaelith’s fury would have direction, and for now, that direction was not pointed toward Su Prime.
Still, his fingers tightened slightly as another name surfaced.
"Leo Skyshard killing Raymond was unexpected... and frankly, foolish."
He analyzed, as although he did not think that the feat itself was something to take lightly, since a Monarch killing a Demi God was definitely most impressive, however, he still believed it to be stupid, because he understood that Kaelith’s rage would now be drawn inevitably toward the Cult, placing them squarely beneath the gaze of a God with nothing but vengeance on his mind.
"For the foreseeable future, the Cult will remain in Kaelith’s crosshairs."
He thought, as he analysed how this situation while dangerous for the Cult was beneficial for the Su Clan.
"However, what truly interests me... is Helmuth."
The Berserker God’s absence weighed heavily on his thoughts, as silence from a being like Helmuth was never accidental.
"He vanished from ’The Pit’ and has yet to return to his domain."
That absence was unnatural, and far more unsettling than open hostility.
"What does that mean?"
The question lingered, unanswered, as Su Tang considered what such a disappearance could herald.
"And more importantly... what does it mean for us?"
As patriarch of the Su Clan, Su Tang knew his role was not to react, but to anticipate, to guide his people through storms before the first thunder ever reached them.
Troubled times were coming.
And as he stood there overlooking his city, his mind already began mapping contingencies and future alignments, so that the Su Clan would not merely survive the troubled times, but rather profit from it.