Cradle's mind was a maelstrom of confusion, disbelief, and a twinge of terror as he stared at the man digging away in front of him. The screen before him blinked with the image of the man's hands rhythmically striking the ground, each action carving a deeper hole into the ground. Yet, despite the motion before him, Cradle was frozen, caught in a moment of stunned realization.

He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. No. No way. Not even the time god would be insane enough to do this…

The time god… had passed his bloodline on to a human. It would be fine if it was a single percentage, maybe two if he was actually that crazy about the human. But no. It was definitely a percentage in the double digits. He’s made a fucking apostle. Is he even sane?

Cradle's eyes widened as the man paused for a moment, wiping the sweat from his brow. It was then that he caught sight of the man's face for the first time. The man's features were twisted, contorted with a look of fierce determination that bordered on the edge of insanity. It was as if he was possessed by some unknown force, driven to carry out this task no matter the cost.

Cradle bit his finger, not quite comprehending what was just happening. Sure, passing your bloodline and making an apostle is fine, but you know…

“Do it in your own fucking world,” Cradle muttered, quite confused at the situation. The time god definitely did not want to declare war. Sure, he was but a clone of the great Origin, but that did not mean he was not a god. Even the time god, a full-fledged god, unlike him, a demigod, would actually dare do this in his domain.

Perhaps the kitty goddess had done this without the time god’s knowledge? No, who the fuck was he kidding? That crazy asshole wouldn’t let something like this happen without ‘his knowledge’. Especially not in such a scenario, when a mortal had gained such a large amount of his bloodline.

“Either way, it wouldn’t be a bad thing to reconfirm,” Cradle muttered under his breath, his voice barely above a whisper as he contemplated his next move. His mind was a swirl of conflicting thoughts and emotions, and he knew that he needed to take action before he became completely overwhelmed.

He ran his hand through his hair, his fingers tangling in the wild, curly strands as he tried to calm himself down. He knew that he couldn't afford to let his emotions get the best of him, not when so much was at stake.

With a deep breath, he waved his hand, and a shimmering blue portal appeared behind him. The energy crackled in the air, annoyingly sending a shiver down his spin as he prepared to step through.

The gods' pantheon was a place that he usually avoided at all costs, a place filled with ancient deities who looked down upon demigods with disdain and indifference. But he knew that he had no choice but to enter this hallowed ground, at least for now.

As soon as he stepped out of the portal, the pantheon stood before Cradle in all its grandeur, a testament to the glory of the gods. The towering structure rose high into the sky, its walls adorned with intricate carvings and shimmering mosaics, each telling a story of times long past. The light of the sun glinted off the gold inlays, creating a dazzling display that left Cradle even further irritated.

However, Cradle didn’t let his foul mood get the best of him. “He’ll probably say no as soon as I ask. This is definitely all a misunderstanding,” he reassured himself. He was still someone with the blood of the gods in him, after all. He would not descend to being petty.

*

“I was the one who sent that mortal to your world. The kitty goddess has acted on my instructions,” the time god clarified, his iridescent cloak shimmering in the light of the celestial realm.

The time god's words hung in the air like a thick fog, swirling around Cradle's mind as he struggled to comprehend their meaning. The sheer absurdity of the situation began to sink in, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of anger wash over him like a wave crashing onto the shore.

The time god stood before him, his expression inscrutable, like a mask that revealed nothing of the emotions lurking beneath. The room was silent, save for the soft ticking of the clock on the wall, marking the passage of time with its steady rhythm. Cradle bit his lower lip, controlling himself from spouting nonsense.

"Why?" Cradle finally managed to mutter, his voice barely above a whisper. Despite its low tone, however, the fury within was vivid.

"You know me, Cradle," the time god said, his voice rich and deep. "I love a fun time. And when the kitty goddess came to me with the idea of a time loop, I just couldn't resist."

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“In my world? Are you fucking insane?” Cradle asked, dropping all sense of decorum.

The time god chuckled. “Maybe I am insane, maybe I am.”

Cradle's eyes blazed with an intensity that could have lit up the darkest corners of the universe. His voice quite literally dripped with venom as he spoke. "Can I take this as a declaration of war against the bloodline of Origin?" he asked, his words ringing out like thunder.

The time god's laughter was like the tinkling of glass beads, light and airy, but with a dangerous edge lurking just beneath the surface. "Of course not," he replied, his voice smooth and calm. "You know me better than that, Cradle."

But Cradle was having none of it. He narrowed his eyes, fixing the time god with a piercing glare. "Then remove the mortal from my world this instant. Or give me the providence to do so myself," he demanded, his words laced with a sense of finality.

“I’m afraid I can’t do either. You see, it took a giant chunk out of both mine and the kitty goddess’s providence to send him to your world with his abilities. Maybe ask some of the other gods?”

“A month,” Cradle hissed. “I will give you a month. If the mortal is still in my world after a month, you shall see the consequences yourself.”

“Oh, really? I won’t remove him. What will you do?” the time god replied, his own tone no longer polite either. All that was left in his voice was playfulness, more spiteful than innocent.

“You’ll see.”

*

Eriket, the time god, was known throughout the multiverse as a being of immense power and unparalleled knowledge. With the ability to manipulate time itself, he had witnessed the rise and fall of countless civilizations, observed the birth and death of stars, and watched as entire galaxies were consumed by the black void of entropy.

However, even despite his unfathomable age and wisdom, there was a single thing Eriket was not immune to: pranking people, especially when it came to pranks that involved testing his own abilities against those of others.

As he leaned back in his ornate chair, the soft rustle of silken fabrics filling the air, Eriket's thoughts turned to the latest victims of his prank: the ten sons of Origin, ancient beings of immense power who had arisen from the primordial chaos of the universe that Origin had unleashed in the Second Age. Though they were formidable opponents in their own right, Eriket could not help but feel a sense of amusement at their audacity in daring to challenge him.

"These kids," he mused, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips, "do they really think they can fight against me? This is going to be fun." He relished the thought of their replies to come, the clash of power and wills that would shake the very foundations of reality itself. "It might even bring Origin out," he added, the glint of mischief in his eyes. "How long has it been? Five eons? Since he last came out, that is. I'm going to really enjoy this."

Eriket’s gaze turned to the mortal, his thoughts filled with a sense of apprehension. The task ahead was daunting, to say the least. The mortal was digging with such diligence that it was clear he was completely focused on his task.

But Eriket knew that the challenges that lay ahead for him would be immense. It was time to finally meet him, since Eriket had a feeling that Cradle was not going to make things easy. Even if Cradle didn’t have access to his world at the moment, his descendants still had an iron grip rule over it.

Eriket let out a chuckle as he considered his next move. He knew that the journey ahead would be fraught with danger for this mortal. His representative would need to be prepared for whatever lay in store.

He chuckled to himself, realizing that even he himself would need all of his wits about him if he was going to succeed in bringing Origin out. The thought of the impending struggle both filled him with a sense of euphoria and excitement. It was going to be quite the adventure.

With a flick of his wrist, Eriket swiped the screen in front of him, and the face of the kitty goddess appeared. Her expression was jovial, and Eriket felt a smile spread over his face upon seeing her. After all, this was his one and only prank ally, the kitty goddess, Asteria.

"How is it?" Eriket asked the kitty goddess, his eyes shining.

“I’m having the time of my life!” she replied. “And it still hasn’t even started. I want to see him grind out slowly, killing the slimes, gaining levels, so much more!”

Eriket’s smile turned somewhat apologetic, but he didn’t say anything to her statement. Instead, he asked her, “Could you arrange a meeting with him for me?”

The feline deity gazed at him with her emerald eyes, her head tilted curiously as she considered his proposal. Her whiskers twitched, and she was about to speak when Eriket interrupted with a calm yet confident tone.

"Think of this as paying part of the favor I gave you," he said, his voice ringing with authority.

Asteria shrugged nonchalantly, but her eyes still held a glimmer of interest. "I'll do it, then," she said, her voice as smooth as velvet. "Lemme just get in contact with my system."

With a flick of her paw, she summoned a glowing tablet that seemed to materialize out of thin air. Her nimble claws tapped away at the screen as she established a connection to the mortal world. The device hummed softly as it processed the information, and Asteria's eyes grew wide with excitement.

"Should I directly link you to the meeting with his soul?" she asked, her voice laced with intrigue.

“No, no,” the time god replied. “Give me a few seconds first. I’ve got to appear regal, after all.”