Amun.

***

I dodged a bullet, I’ve come to learn.

Or perhaps not, remembering Telin’s assurances that this universe was tailored to my liking. Guaranteed to be a realm I’d never want to leave. He was right. That said, divinity was my birthright. And now that I obtained it, there were a few things I learned about the realms in which we dwelled. Most notably the fact that it was highly frowned upon for deities to leave their divine realms. The mere presence of even a demigod could change reality on the Mortal Plane in real time. Most deities didn’t see that as a good thing. Thankfully, however, exploration was part of my portfolio. As such, I could travel the Mortal Plane freely. So too, however, was change a part of my portfolio, thus my influence on the Mortal Plane would be greatly exacerbated.

Especially after the next couple of steps.

That aside, I could safely reason why the Gods never left their realms. Assuming they even could. As I could use the moon, Mani, to look down on the surrounding areas of the Bodhi Peninsula and in Maru with shocking detail, so too could I gaze upon the free space within the moon, now filled with many ‘planetary stars’ and worlds drifting precariously close to the astral sea creatures living around them.

While much time was spent weaving and creating new worlds by those who called Eotrom home, more time was spent exploring the ones in existence already.

From the surface of my home, the other worlds appeared as a distant set of marbles, arranged in the form of a three-dimensional, six-pointed star. Bithisarea, sitting directly ahead, was the mainland without solid land. A gas giant with rings composed of liquid water. As a result, it became a hotspot for everyone to fly around in, either under the convoluted laws of gravity or via the relatively low-tech but well-made aircraft being made in the world far above. It was a place of artisanal craft and commerce, above all else. Fueled by the stream of raw materials and goods from the world above mine.

Ilium was still placed behind my world from Bithisarea’s perspective. Or to put it another way, in the Mani-Bithisarea system, Ilium sat in the 3rd Lagrange Point. Naturally, it became the industrial center for the realm, birthing a plethora of exotic magical materials that would take our technology to divine heights. Due to that and its design, an orbital ring was constructed around it and made to feel like Odissi and Deapou: an unforgiving tundra encircling a hot core of layered molten metals acting as a heat source to drive the relocated forges of the Shadeforge and the glorious factories I made below the tower.

Here- the ring- was where measured portions of the perpetually molten metals that composed the 'sun' were delivered to be tampered with endlessly for the sake of creating the most pristine equipment for the Legions and other no less-quality items for those below. Larger portions from the sun were, of course, sold at horrendously low prices for the many smiths and metalworkers in the kingdom below. But even more was sent to the Artificers, for it was also to Ilium that the artificers went to form their worlds. Or rather, around Ilium.

Many of them were chiseled strongholds. Pillars of carved stone, illuminated with flaring braziers and burning hearths. But one, in particular, was familiar to my old eyes. It was slim and curved truss much like the ring around Ilium, yet it was broken apart by platforms with vast domes on each side that were vast enough to contain Ed’s chemical plants, dockyards, factories, and other such structures, all connected to the central hub via massive conduits like the spokes on a wheel.

It, however, was empty for now, as its owner was with me, toiling away in my alchemical lab. Thus the main attraction around the world of Ilium was the gang of dwarves, orcs, and goblins shuffling about a deep pit of burning embers and billowing smoke. Roasted legs and smoked ribs or barrels of mead and ale were shuffled all about, seemingly to the benefit of one stern-faced dwarven man.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

Sitting atop the greatest seat in his outdoor court was Elsgril Silverforge among his dwarven kin. Forgruna, Darekhil, Thordrohilda, and the dwarves from the compound who stayed remained silent for once as they ate and drank. Intently, they studied and debated about who was the best butcher, brew, and grill master among the crowd. Despite his bickering, it was the last of many such events held not only by the dwarven artificers but by the Captains across all the worlds. They, in particular, were voracious in acquiring the best and brightest citizens to trudge down the rugged path toward technologically militant superiority.

[Step 2: The Holy and Unholy Word - Task Complete.]

[Evolution: Piety Nave - The nave transforms your divine mana into an energy that will increase your physical and mental abilities while performing actions related to your portfolio.]

To the right of Bithisarea when looking from above was a world of perpetual song and dance. A world where Ritrix and the other bards hosted festivities throughout the endless twilight. A place where, like many other worlds, whispers, and praises lingered, trailing through the void between worlds to befall my evolved ears.

[Evolution: Orison Vestibule - This otic implant of the divine is a receiver for prayer, enabling you to answer or ignore the pleas of your followers to greater effect.]

Louder than their prayers, though, was the world on the opposing side of the recreational world. A flat-topped shard or chunk of stone surrounded by air. A domain of knowledge and engineering, with primary schools, universities, and trade schools trapped in a temporally dilated dome. A place where countless prayers were whispered to the Divine Engineer. And in return, they received divine inspiration or spiritual aid. Motes of twilight or tiny moons assisted their weary eyes in reading just one more line of text. Words of assurance were whispered in their ears, giving them the perspective needed to understand a difficult concept or equation. Or, in some cases, some received guidance on who to seek out for the sake of their goals.

[Active Skill: Metaphysical Form - Through creating a divine facsimile of your essence out of matter and energy, you can perform miracles, inspire, or otherwise interact with your followers without revealing yourself or even being present.]

Sitting on the far side of my home was the second-to-last major world of my ‘star’ system. Carbury’s Grove and the larger variations of the Silverstream forest and Duskwoods. It was there that the majority of the materials unique to the domains outside of Engineering were birthed. Hides or leathers and feathers or scales acquired from scavenging the remnants of nature’s cycle, rather than hunting; and an arrangement of ores, stones, liquids, and other divine materials born from this realm.

Last but not least was the Transfer Station. A small platform that served as the entrance to the realm, overlooking a core that would one day become the last of the main worlds. The Headquarters for the Legio Noctis.

Still, though, there were countless other worlds. As many as there were Captains of the Nox, ranging from formless labyrinths or clusters of floating stone to immense globules of water with but a single patch of land. Some, like the two lunar and two dusk worlds orbiting my home, were hollowed and barren rocks, yet they poured sermons and prayers into the astral sea without pause. Others were more… quaint. Festering lands of magma and ash orbited near the sun. Worlds of dust and sand sat before that, overlooked by jungles, forests, grasslands, or floating oceans with frozen shards, chunks, and pillars of ice and snow looming behind them.

I could see it all from here in my timeless alchemical lab. I could watch it intently. That and I could do a hundred other things while I used a fraction of my stores of unicorn blood to brew and brew and brew. I could guide them. Not only down their paths. But towards finding those best suited to journey beside them. I could hear everything- their wants and needs. So, like any benevolent god, I placed them at the height of my priorities as I listened. And brewed and brewed and brewed.

[The Eternal Path: Step 3 - Mission.]

[With your realm formed and your pantheons created, you must send your faithful out into the mortal realms to build your first houses of worship and fill the hierarchies of your clergy across all denominations. Then, their first group of acolytes must be recruited or converted and indoctrinated fully into the clergy.]