[The Day Before Cardinal Nicholas entered The Labyrinth]

That damn leader of ours… To have sent us all a message to meet him… The nerve! First, you pit all of the work on me, dip off to wherever, and not contact any of us for eleven years! Now you send a message without a heads-up and expect us to meet you? As much as I despise the way he goes about things, I am in no position to refuse. I'll have to file my complaints to him in person.

The designated meeting place Demos set up was a tiny uninhabited island east of Craidol. The place was barren of any life, with no grass, trees, or even ants for that matter. It was a desert, but instead of sand and other 'life,' all that there is a rocky floor, and what was situated in the middle of it is a wooden shack. That shack would be the place where my allies meet up for the first time in eleven years. How exciting…

Just as I was about to knock on a rickety door that would blow over by a mere gust of wind, the door suddenly opened.

"Good evening, Artoic." A boy about five feet greeted me with a warm smile. He had curly red hair and pupils that resembled that of a burning yellow dwarf sun. If looks could kill, he would be the literal definition.

"Good evening, Solis. I see you still haven't grown any taller the last time I've seen you," I chuckled, ruffling his hair. Out of all the Pillars, he's the one I enjoy speaking to. Despite his child-like appearance, he's actually a well-spoken and smart individual. Then again, he is about a thousand years old, just like his twin sister.

"Took you long enough Artoic! Why are you of all people last to arrive," said a cranky, high-pitched voice. I raised my hand off the boy's hair and glared at the little girl Luna, who was sitting on a wooden chair in front of a wide table. A girl who's the total opposite of her brother. A mischievous girl who loves to cause trouble for others and gets bored easily. Her hyper-activeness can cause any sane god to go crazy if they were unfortunate to be trapped in a room with her.

"Luna… You know very well I'm a busy person. I have my hands tied conducting the necessary preparations for Cardinal Nicholas-"

"Blah-blah-blah, reserve the boring talk for Demos," Luna scoffed, her attention now directed to spinning the moon replicas around with a bored expression. I've just entered this place and my blood is already boiling…

"Now now Artoic," Demos smiled apologetically. "You know Luna's personality. You should be used to her by now."

"Hmph. No one can get used to her. Not even someone as patient as you, Demos."

Solis and I made our way to the table where the others were currently sitting at. The circular table itself was made of wood, just like everything else in this shack. It was bland, with no furniture or even a fireplace. It was simply just a shack, nothing special. Solis took the seat right next to his sister and I sat on the next available. It was right beside a man wearing a cloak over a gray faceplate mask that had a blue visor over his eyes. He was a quiet and reserved person and doesn't have that much of a personality outside of his laboratory. He loves experimenting on living beings and can be very prideful when it comes to his research. This person's name was Zero.

Zero issued me a curt bow as I sat down and proceeded to stare at the table. He doesn't like making eye contact with us for reasons unknown. Luna would taunt him about that habit of his with every chance she could get.

"Well? Why did you call us over Demos?" A deep voice growled. Next, it was Bolaan who spoke this time. He's a meathead with a fiery temper and a Pillar considerably bigger than the rest of us, standing at a solid seven feet and weighing around four hundred pounds of pure muscle. I don't know how that chair is able to support all that weight.

"Good question Bolaan. Now that all of the Pillars are here… Artoic, if you will." Demos and the rest of the Pillars were now staring at me.

"…Lovely." I inwardly sighed and waved my hand; a large screen was now stationed above the table.

"What you're seeing is eleven years' worth of data I've amassed- without any of your help, might I add." I glared at Demos just so he was aware of what I'm getting at here. As expected, his focus was solely on the screen, blatantly disregarding my disdain.

"…The Chimera project was a complete success. After countless experiments, I've gathered enough data to finally create the perfect specimen." With another wave of my hand, another screen was erected, this time it was a video feed of the Chimera itself. A scaly creature highly regarded as a monster that can level civilizations once fully grown. It was inside an oval test tube slumbering until it is awakened by me.

"This creature you see right now is the Chimera. And yes, this is a dragon hatchling, but it also contains the DNA of dragons and Apithiens, two species considered the apex predators of this world. As of now, it is in stasis, unless awoken by me. I'm sure you are all aware why a dragon hatchling was chosen amongst the other monsters?"

Solis raised his hand eagerly. "Is it because of its heart and the magical properties it holds?"

"Correct Solis. We chose a dragon hatchling because its heart contains only the purest of mana. A dragon's heart functions differently than a mortal's. The air in Athiens contains mana, and once a dragon inhales that air, the red blood cells carry that oxygen to the heart where the refining process takes place, which then converts the mana into something even greater due to its monstrous genetics."

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"…And what does all of this have to do with- well, everything?" Bolaan cut in. I answered him in an irritated tone.

"…I was getting to that, you imbecile. A dragon's blood is what's needed to enter The Labyrinth in Athiens. Since we are unable to travel to Earth ourselves, this was the only way."

"…Splendid job on finding all of this out, Artoic. I knew leaving everything to you was a wise decision," Demos smiled.

"…Thank you very much for your praise…" I want to smack you across the face for having me do all the work, but I will restrain myself. It is beneath me to lose control.

"Continuing… The Cardinal will set out tomorrow to retrieve the item we need for our plan. I won't bother explaining to you what this item is since you're all aware of its power. What you don't know is where it is, so I'll enlighten you. It is hidden deep within the foulest pits of what the mortals on Earth call Tartarus."

"Pfft. Tartarus? Why is the item in that playground anyways!" Bolaan cackled loudly. His boisterous fits of laughter shook the already unstable shack.

"Stop giggling like a buffoon or else you'll bring this whole place down!" With a flick of my wrist, a sheet of ice was glossed over Bolaans mouth. His loud laughter was now muffled.

"As I was saying, the item is now in Tartarus. For why it's in there, you know who was the one who placed it there. 'It' knows that we cannot enter Tartarus ourselves due to reasons we cannot specify out loud. That is why I have sent Cardinal Nicholas, one of my most 'trusted' underlings to retrieve it."

"Why not send The Enforcer instead? He isn't a fallen god like us. That guy should have access to Tartarus, right?" The person speaking was none other than Xalan, who was silently listening to the conversation. Medium-length snow-white hair, long eyelashes, and blood-red eyes. Coupled with her teenage appearance, I would say she's one of the more dangerous ones in the group. One that can catch you off-guard and end your life if she pleased.

"I've thought about sending him too. However, when I gave him the order... He refused."

"You're kidding. The Enforcer refusing an order from YOU of all people? The guy would rather slit his own throat than to even think of refusing your orders." Xalan clearly doubted my words, but I don't blame her. Even I was appalled by his bravery.

"When I asked why he was refusing a blatant order, the man actually gave me a good reason. He pleaded to me with all his heart that he wanted to seclude himself far away to train so that he would never disappoint us ever again after his last blunder."

"Last blunder? Are you referring to when that dimwit lost a fight against that Apithien woman and that athios guy?" Luna sneered.

"The very same. Honestly, the blunder wasn't detrimental to our plans. Besides, you were the one to correct his debacle by killing almost everyone in Port Silis. I haven't forgotten that you somehow managed to not kill those two humans."

"Who cares about them anyways? It's not like they can do anything at this point." Luna snickered as she returned to her little game.

"The point is… Cardinal Nicholas will open the doors of The Labyrinth and use a tool that tracks where the item is located. The item is protected by a barrier, created by you know who. To break that barrier, we need the Chimeras blood."

"What's so special about the Chimeras blood? Why not just use anyone's blood for that matter?" Solis wondered.

"The thing is, not anyone's blood will work. If it was that simple, we would've gotten the item ever since we set foot in Athiens. Extensive research showed that only the purest of mana can destroy the barrier. A dragon's and Apithien's blood mixed together yielded the best results. The blood of a dragon and the DNA of a powerful species like the Apithiens was the best option."

After my long explanation about the Chimera and The Labyrinth, everyone became silent, waiting for Demos' thoughts. Demos was laid back in the chair, curling his fingers together, until he finally opened his mouth.

"Excellent progress indeed. I don't want to sound like a broken record, but it was wise to entrust everything to you. When will Cardinal Nicholas begin his search?"

"Tomorrow at sunrise."

"And when do you expect he will finish the job?"

"According to my calculations… by sundown, at the latest. It depends on how long it takes for him to navigate through the maze."

"Excellent news. Anything else you wish to add," his lips curled. That bastard is aware of how furious I am and expects me to complain to him in front of the others. I can see right through you, bastard...

"No, not at all." I gave him a pained smile. Someday, I'll squeeze your head between my fingers and laugh as you beg for forgiveness.

"Good. Tomorrow, we will take the first step in reclaiming our divinity. Once we get our hands on the item, the Cube, that is when the mortals of both worlds will face a rude awakening. The second Terraforming will commence, and nothing will stop the process. The meeting is now adjourned."

Right as the meeting finished, Luna was already out the door and long gone, leaving a trail of moonlight. Zero quietly stood up from his seat and sauntered away, giving all of us a small bow before heading off to the Forbidden Area. After a quick grunt from getting off his tiny chair, Bolaan too left through the front door of the small cabin. It took him a couple of tries to squeeze through due to his massive frame. All that was left was I, Demos, Solis, and Xalan. Now that they're gone… I strolled over to the smiling Demos and slammed my hand on top of the table, splintering the poor thing. Solis and Xalan exchanged glances.

"Demos, explain yourself," I snapped. "Where have you been the past eleven years and what have you been doing?"

"…Do you really want to know, Artoic? The answer may not satisfy your curiosity."

"Stop blabbering useless things and answer the question."

Demos shrugged his shoulders and replied in a dry tone. "I've been wandering around Athiens, watching how the life on this planet interacts with one another. I've even conversed with some of the locals… And the not-so-locals, if you catch my drift."

"And why have you been conversing with the mortals? What do you gain from it? I seriously don't see the appeal."

"Perspective," he faintly whispered.

"…What? Demos, don't tell me-"

"It's about time I get going." Demos abruptly stood up and briskly walked by, stopping in front of the door. "I will send you a transmission by tomorrow. I expect the Cube to be in your possession by then. Goodbye, Artoic."

Demos had already exited the shack before I could even open my mouth to protest.

"…He's a real piece of work, isn't he?" Xalan sighed. Solis nodded his head furiously in agreement.

…All this better be worth it in the end. If not… I'm afraid I may not control my anger and accidentally freeze this whole planet.