Two weeks had passed since Klaus began his rigorous training regimen. True to his plan, he concentrated on mastering his abilities, while also honing his brawling skills. IV followed all his requests, assisting him throughout his training, and ensuring Klaus was satisfied with his progress.
Despite his intense focus on training, Klaus kept his promise to Avalon. Every Saturday, he descended back to Main World to help his mother with household duties, but mostly to spend time with Avalon. He would return to Higher World on Sunday nights, feeling a sense of fulfillment that was becoming more profound each week.
Avalon was always delighted to see Klaus and made sure each meeting was better than the last. Their time together became a cherished respite for Klaus, a way to relax after the brutal week of training. With each outing, their bond grew stronger.
Klaus perceived their outings as a way to indulge his human side, compensating for the simple joys he missed out on growing up. Yet, Avalon was the only one who made him feel this way, sparking his curiosity about why she had such an effect on him.
Immersed in his training, Klaus barely interacted with other demigods, who were similarly focused on their own progress. The absence of Shade continued to bother him, but he trusted his intuition that his brother was safe.
Six days remained until the upcoming tournament. Klaus was training with IV when IV suddenly paused, receiving a transmission from the Gods. After a brief conversation, IV turned to Klaus with a message.
"The Gods require your presence, Mr. Walker," IV informed him.
Klaus, though curious, accepted the summons without question.
"Ultion will be awaiting your presence at the epicenter of Exalted City, where the Golden Gate is located," IV continued.
Klaus remembered the Golden Gate from his first arrival. It was the entrance he and Ace had passed through to enter the city now known to him as Exalted City. He headed to the designated location, standing by the gate and waiting for Ultion.
"The God of Retribution, huh," Klaus muttered, recalling Ultion's title.
Suddenly, a tremendous force pressed down on him, driving him to his knees. A sound signaled the arrival of an entity landing in front of him. It was Ultion.
Ultion's large white wings retracted as he rose from his landing position. His gaze fell on Klaus, who was kneeling.
"My apologies, Klaus Walker," Ultion said as the force gradually faded, allowing Klaus to stand.
Klaus observed Ultion closely. With brown hair and green eyes, Ultion resembled Tyler, making it clear where Tyler got his looks from. Aside from that, Ultion had the same divine presence as the other Gods.
"Greetings, Walker," Ultion began. "It seems IV transmitted our request."
"I guess," Klaus responded.
"I'm sure you're wondering why you have been summoned?" Ultion asked.
Klaus nodded.
"All the Gods, including myself, have come together regarding your performance in the Cosmic League and have decided to reward you for achieving the MVP title," Ultion announced.
Klaus was taken aback by Ultion's announcement. The Cosmic League had concluded three weeks prior, and the timing seemed odd. Every time Klaus was reminded of his MVP title, it stirred frustration and self-doubt, as he felt he had done nothing to earn it.
"We have decided to reward you with a privilege that other demigods have yet to receive," Ultion continued. "But it is your choice to accept this reward or not."
Klaus pondered the offer. He felt undeserving of the title, which made his decision seem straightforward. However, he knew declining a gift from the Gods would be foolish. His curiosity about their plans for him also played a role in his choice.
"I accept," Klaus replied.
"Excellent," Ultion said. "Proceed to the transportation podium here at the epicenter and keep these coordinates in your mind."
Ultion handed Klaus a piece of paper with coordinates.
"This is the location of the domain of the Gods," Ultion explained. "I will depart and meet you there so we can proceed with the reward."
Klaus nodded and walked to the transportation pod nearby. He focused on the coordinates as instructed and began dematerializing. Meanwhile, Ultion spread his wings and took off to meet him.
Klaus opened his eyes, feeling a minor headache from the transport. Before he could orient himself, a voice addressed him from behind.
"Good, you have arrived."
Turning, Klaus saw Ultion, who had already arrived.
"Y-Yeah," Klaus responded.
"Follow me. I will guide you to the location," Ultion said, leading the way.
Klaus took in his surroundings as they walked. The location reminded him of his first arrival in Higher World and his initial meeting with his father. Though misty, it was easier to navigate compared to his earlier experiences.
As they continued, the scenery began to change. He saw rooms, decorative features like fountains and benches, and patches of trees and grass resembling a park. Eventually, Ultion stopped in front of a room.
"This is the place," Ultion said, stepping aside for Klaus to enter alone.
Klaus approached the door, noting its logo. It depicted two swirling ghosts, one black with white eyes and a menacing expression, the other white with black eyes and a gentle expression. It resembled a yin-yang symbol from Main World.
Klaus realized he had seen this logo before—on the flag Siege always carried. This piqued his curiosity about its significance, but he quickly refocused and entered the room.
Klaus walked into the room, his eyes straining to see in the darkness. He moved forward cautiously until a voice startled him from the right.
"You must be Klaus Walker."
Klaus turned slowly, trying to make out who was speaking. He saw two entities seated on separate chairs, their gazes fixed on him. His heart raced as he struggled to understand who they were.
Judging by their stature, they appeared to be around the same height as the Gods, though their appearances were entirely different. Klaus had never encountered beings like these before.
"He seems confused. I'm not surprised, considering his mortal trait," one of them said, noting Klaus's speechlessness.
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"Ease up on him a bit. Our existence is still news to him," the other replied.
Klaus scrutinized the two beings. Not only were they different from the Gods, but they also contrasted with each other.
The first entity, who had spoken first, had a pale, almost dark grey skin tone. His eyes were entirely white, similar to the Gods, but his mouth was filled with sharp, vicious teeth like a predator. He had black hair, and the most striking feature was the bright ring halo hovering over his head, unlike the Gods' halos that typically appeared behind them.
The second entity was almost the opposite of the first, with a lighter skin tone than both the Gods and humans. His teeth were normal, and his eyes were a dark grey, nearly matching the first one's skin color. Instead of a halo, this entity had two long, dark horns curving from the sides of his head, along with whitish hair. The being's horns contrasted with the ones Klaus saw on Drake, appearing longer and growing from the sides of his head as opposed to Drake's, which spawned from his forehead.
"Have you concluded your analysis?" the one with horns asked, snapping Klaus back to reality. Klaus nodded, unable to speak.
"Finally," muttered the one with the halo.
"Very well. Allow us to formally introduce ourselves," the horned one said. "I am known as Horns, the God of Passive Order."
"And I am known as Halo," the second one continued. "The God of Aggressive Order."
Klaus was at a loss for words, staring at the two supposed Gods as they looked back at him.
"Uh, I'm Klaus Walker," he mumbled under pressure.
"We already know that," Halo replied, a distasteful look on his face.
"He's nervous, Halo. Relax a bit," Horns said with a smile.
Klaus remained confused about their presence, so Horns continued.
"First off, I would like to congratulate you on becoming the most valuable player of the Cosmic League event. Your wit and determination were beyond impressive, leading us to award you the title."
"You awarded me?" Klaus asked, bewildered.
"Does it surprise you?" Halo commented.
"Affirmative," Horns replied. "We were privileged to make that decision after watching the entire event alongside the Gods."
Klaus was stunned. He hadn't expected them to make such a significant decision. But given how they were presented by the other Gods as his reward, it started to make some sense.
After a moment of contemplation, Klaus finally voiced a question that had been nagging him.
"By the way, is there a reason both your appearances contrast so much with the other Gods?"
Horns smiled, clearly pleased by Klaus's growing confidence and curiosity.
"Yes, there's a reason," Horns replied. "Unlike what you might expect, we are creations of the other Gods."
"Creations?" Klaus echoed, puzzled.
"During the purging of the monsters, the Gods created us to provide an objective solution to the crisis," Horns explained.
"Wait, monsters? They were real?" Klaus asked, his surprise evident.
"Your ignorance is not surprising," Halo interjected.
"Allow me to elaborate," Horns continued, cutting off Halo's curt remark. "Millennia ago, monsters were the first mortals created by the Gods to inhabit Main World. After a few decades, the Gods sought to perfect their creation ability, so they made another set of mortals—the demon kind. In their third attempt, they decided to create beings similar to their image, resulting in the creation of humankind."
Horns paused, giving Klaus time to absorb this new information before continuing.
"The Gods initially intended to create a separate world for humans, but they realized managing multiple worlds would be excessively burdensome. Thus, they decided that humans and monsters would share Main World. This arrangement lasted for centuries, until it didn’t."
"The monsters went on a killing rampage against humankind, didn't they?" Klaus interjected, piecing the story together.
"Correct," Horns affirmed, impressed by Klaus's deduction. "The Gods had ignored the monsters' aggressive tendencies, believing they were stable. But as predatory creatures, the monsters began to see humans as prey. The Gods had vowed not to interfere with mortal affairs, believing mortals should dictate their own futures. However, when the monsters began to decimate humankind, it seemed humans were denied that chance."
Klaus nodded, understanding the Gods' dilemma. He also knew that if humans depended on divine intervention, even in modern times, it would stifle their growth and independence.
"So when this crisis erupted in Main World, the Gods were unsure how to respond. That’s when they created us," Horns continued.
"They could not make a decision themselves so they decided to offload their burden onto us," Halo stated bluntly.
"They sought to ensure the right decision was made," Horns corrected. "They created us to weigh both options and choose the better one."
"And you concluded that the monsters were too dangerous and flawed to coexist with humans, who shouldn't be punished for the Gods' decision to have them share a world," Klaus deduced, impressing both Gods.
"Excellent deduction, Klaus Walker. You really are a bright child," Horns praised.
"I guess," Klaus responded modestly.
"Seems mortals aren't just walking liabilities," Halo commented.
"Halo!" Horns exclaimed, glaring at his counterpart.
"Relax," Halo said dismissively. "It was only a compliment."
Klaus couldn't tell if he should be happy or not, so he chose to ignore the comment. As he did, he noticed another inconsistency about the Gods before him compared to the others he had met. Deciding to address it, he asked another question.
"I've noticed that we demigods usually fall to our knees in the presence of the other Gods. That doesn't seem to be the case here."
"That is correct," Horns replied.
"Is there a reason why?" Klaus inquired.
"That is because we do not possess Dominion-Over-Creation," Horns explained.
Klaus's confusion was evident. He had never heard of this term before, so he asked for clarification.
"Dominion-Over-Creation?"
"Of course you are unaware," Halo remarked, a hint of disdain in his voice.
"We were requested to answer his questions," Horns reminded Halo, his tone patient. "The least you can do is try to obey."
Halo’s anger was clear, but he turned to face Klaus and sighed before speaking.
"The Gods created everything, everywhere, in every realm. From the land you walk on to the air you breathe, to the heart beating inside you. As the name suggests, the Gods have dominion over everything they have created, both living and not, which is why all living beings must bow to their creators. We did not create this world or any other, therefore, we do not have dominion over another God's creation."
The explanation made sense to Klaus. It clarified why the Gods had such power over the demigods and everything else, considering they made it all.
After a few seconds of silence, Halo, growing frustrated, decided to ask a question of his own.
"Do you have any more questions, Walker?"
Klaus shook his head slightly, indicating he had none.
"Good, because I have one for you," Halo continued.
Horns turned to Halo, and both he and Klaus awaited the God's question.
"You feel undeserving of the title bestowed upon you by two of the wisest beings created by the Gods. You feel the only reason you took on your duties as a demigod is because of your desire to care for a world you generally couldn't care less about. So let me ask you this one question, Klaus Walker. Do you think you are a good person for this world?"
Both Gods focused on Klaus, awaiting his response. Klaus thought deeply about the question. He reflected on everything he had done that might justify a positive answer, as well as the actions that suggested otherwise. He knew his answer would shape how the Gods perceived his identity, but it felt like he was more concerned about what he thought about himself.
After a long moment of contemplation, Klaus finally responded.
"I don't know what you expect me to say, but my answer is no. I don't think I am."
"Of course, that’s your response," Halo commented, his voice tinged with disappointment as he turned his eyes away and leaned back.
Halo had anticipated this answer, assuming Klaus would choose the more "humble" response in the face of the Gods. This assumption only served to irritate him further.
"Why do you think so?" Horns suddenly asked, sensing there was more to Klaus' statement than they knew.
Klaus took a few moments before giving his reason. "Because as long as I know I can be a better person than I currently am, I will never address myself as one."
As Klaus concluded, Halo and Horns exchanged surprised glances. Halo turned back to Klaus, anger momentarily flashing in his eyes, but he noticed the genuine dimness in Klaus' gaze. Klaus' expression was sincere, dispelling any notion that he was merely being humble.
"You surprise me, mortal," Halo remarked before turning his face away from Klaus.
Horns was equally surprised, having never heard Halo speak about mortals without disdain. He was also impressed by Klaus' genuine self-assessment.
"At the end of the day, it is your action toward becoming a better version of yourself that matters," Horns said to Klaus. "Never forget that."
Klaus nodded in agreement as Horns smiled. The topic weighed heavily on Klaus, as he believed being a demigod meant putting others before himself. But deep down, Klaus struggled to care about anything, no matter how hard he tried.
"Do you have any more questions?" Horns asked, bringing Klaus out of his thoughts.
Klaus replied that he did not, signaling the end of their meeting.
Klaus walked to the door as Horns raised his hand slightly, signaling goodbye. Halo remained silent, his face turned away since his last statement, so Klaus didn't expect any parting words from him.
Exiting the room, Klaus found Ultion waiting.
"Are you finished?" Ultion asked.
"I guess," Klaus responded.
Ultion then guided Klaus back to the transportation pod, where Klaus returned to the Exalted City.
The experience was strange and unsettling, but Klaus felt grateful to have learned about the ancient past and a few things about himself. The ball above the Golden Gate at the epicenter was higher than average, indicating it was already nighttime in Main World so Klaus decided to head to the apartment building to rest for the day.