Sunny's declaration of vengeance hung in the air, heavy and intoxicating. It ignited a fire in the souls of the three Gods.

The despair of losing their homes was slowly being replaced by a cold resolve. They looked at the masked Emperor not just as a savior, but as a War God worth following.

"This city," Sunny said, his voice returning to a calm tone, "possesses everything you require to grow stronger. It is a forge, and you are the raw metal."

He waved his hand, and a massive holographic projection of the City of Gods materialized above the round table. It rotated slowly, displaying the four massive districts, the floating islands, and the orbital shipyards.

"I will not waste your time giving you a guided tour," Sunny said, dismissing the hologram with a flick of his wrist. "I have something better for you. Something more... intimate."

He nodded to the empty air.

"Don't resist," Sunny commanded softly. "Accept the Link."

Before the three Gods could question him, the air around them shimmered. Millions of invisible particles swarmed toward them.

Beru flinched, his instincts screaming that this was an invasion. Cai Zhen tensed his Qi, ready to repel the foreign energy from both him and Thera.

But then they looked at Sunny. His eyes were watching them, calm and expectant. There was no malice, only absolute authority.

They realized the futility of resistance. If this being wanted them dead, he wouldn't use such means.

They lowered their defenses.

Zip.

The particles merged into their skin. It felt like a cool breeze passing through their bodies, settling into their neural networks and souls.

[System Initialization...]

[Welcome to the Cosmic Network.]

[User ID Assigned.]

A translucent blue screen popped up in their vision. It wasn't magic; it was an interface.

It displayed their stats, a map of the city, a currency counter (currently at 0), and a communication channel.

"This system is managed by Thea, my creation," Sunny explained. "She possesses all the knowledge, the layout of the city, and the rules of the Pantheon. If you have a question, ask her. Now... go. Enjoy the city. Heal your wounds. And when you are ready... get to work."

Sunny gestured toward the massive doors of the palace.

The three Gods stood up. They looked at their screens, then at each other, and finally bowed deeply to the Emperor.

"Thank you," their voice echoed into the vast hall.

They turned and walked out of the Throne Room, stepping through the massive archway and onto the entrance of the Palace Gardens.

They stopped dead in their tracks.

"Great Heavens..." Cai Zhen whispered.

The garden alone was larger than a planet. It was filled with waterfalls that cascaded into clouds, and trees that glowed with starlight. And beyond the garden lay the City itself, a megastructure so vast that the curvature of the horizon was barely visible.

"It's... endless," Thera breathed, clutching Cai Zhen's hand.

They didn't linger long. The interface in their vision highlighted their points of interest.

"I have business," Beru growled, his voice vibrating with anticipation. "The System says there is a market where the dead demon gods are sold. I need flesh to grow."

"We... we will go to the Eastern District," Thera said softly, looking at Cai Zhen. "The System mentions an Entertainment Sector. I think... I think we need to forget the war for a few hours. Just for a little while."

Cai Zhen nodded, squeezing her hand. "A walk. Just a walk."

The group split up.

Cai Zhen and Thera, both human in appearance, flew toward the vibrant lights of the Eastern District.

They blended in instantly. To the passing Gods and Demigods, they looked like just another couple enjoying the golden age.

But Beru... Beru was different.

The Zerg Prince spread his jagged, insectoid wings and took off toward the markets. His silhouette was terrifying, a nightmare for any human.

As he flew through the thoroughfares of the city, silence followed him.

Gods stopped their conversations. Demigods froze in the middle of the street.

"What is that?" a God whispered, his hand drifting to the hilt of his sword.

"Is that a Beast?" another asked, eyes wide with fear. "Why is it inside the barrier?"

"Look at the aura... it is filled with killing intent. It smells of the Enemy."

Beru heard every whisper. His eyes twitched. He felt the hostility radiating from the thousands of deities around him.

They looked at him not as a refugee, but as a monster. A threat.

He didn't stop. He didn't explain. He clicked his mandibles and flew straighter, his pride refusing to let him bow to their prejudice.

'Let them stare', Beru thought bitterly.

Within hours, the arrival of the three strangers caused a political earthquake in the City of Gods.

The Pantheon of Cosmos, usually united under the banner of their Emperor, began to fracture into two distinct camps.

"The Emperor allowed them in!" a God argued in the forum. "If they join us, our strength against the Demon Lords will increase by many fold. Who cares if they look scary?"

"Loyalty matters more than strength!" another God countered. "We don't know them. That insect... he looks like he could eat my children. How do we know they aren't sleeper agents sent by Deimos? They come from a dead multiverse. Maybe they survived by selling out their own kind!"

The debate raged in the system chats and the market squares.

[Should we trust the Outsiders?]

[Petition to Expel the Insectoid Entity.]

Sunny, sitting on his throne, watched the forums explode with activity. He read every argument, every fear, every threat.

He smiled.

"Good," Sunny whispered. "Conflict breeds competition. Comfort breeds stagnation."

He didn't intervene. He didn't issue a decree demanding they play nice. He wanted to see how Beru, Thera, and Cai Zhen handled the pressure.

A true God didn't need the Emperor to hold their hand; a true God carved their own place in the hierarchy.

"Let them fight it out," Sunny decided.

He closed his eyes, his consciousness expanding outward once more. He had work to do.

Slowly, time began to pass.

[Another Century has passed in the Realm of Advancement.]

Thea's voice echoed in Sunny's mind.

For the last few hours of time, Sunny had been a ghost. He had wandered across the cosmos, visiting the worlds of 6 Billion Gods.

At the start, he was slow. He lingered in forests, watched sunsets, and listened to individual prayers. He was a tourist in his own empire.

But as the numbers climbed, he became efficient. He became a machine of benevolence.

Visit World 5,000,201 -> Fix the drought -> Bless the caretaker -> Leave.

Visit World 5,000,202 -> Stabilize the core -> Upgrade the Mana Vein -> Leave.

He moved like a phantom wind. He saw mortals invent steam engines, discover magic, and reach for the stars.

He saw the buffs he implemented taking root, turning weak races into strong ones.

"One billion left," Sunny noted, his mental map filling up with green checkmarks. "I will finish the rest after the next upgrade."

He pulled his consciousness back, snapping into his main body. He rolled his shoulders, feeling the weight of billions of prayers settling into his soul.

"Now," Sunny murmured, "before I copy the next Talent... let's check on my guests. It has been a few hours for them."

Sunny's eyes widened slightly.

"Well," Sunny chuckled. "I expected conflict. I didn't expect this."

Beru wasn't in the market anymore. He was on the front lines.

The feed showed a skirmish in a place where War (Sunny's Clone) was leading a raid against a group of retreating Demon Gods.

The battlefield was chaotic. Explosions rocked the ground. But in the center of the fray, a blur of red and black was moving faster than the eye could follow.

It was Beru.

SCREECH!

Beru lunged at a Demon God who was wielding a massive hammer. The Demon swung, but Beru twisted mid-air, his wings buzzing like a chainsaw.

SHING.

Beru's claws, reinforced with the consumption of a many demon corpses, sheared through the Demon's arm like it was butter.

Before the Demon could scream, Beru was on him. His mandibles clamped onto the Demon's neck.

CRUNCH.

He ripped the head off. And then... to the horror and awe of the watching army... he began to eat it right there on the battlefield.

"More!" Beru roared, his aura exploding with savage power. "I need more! Is this all you have?!"

The soldiers of the Pantheon, Gods and Demigods who had previously looked at him with disgust, were now staring with slack jaws.

"Did you see that?" a God shouted, pumping his fist. "He ate the demon God! That bug is crazy!"

"He's not a bug," another God corrected, drawing his sword with renewed vigor. "He's the Vanguard! Push forward! Don't let the new guy get all the kills!"

Sunny watched as the prejudice melted away, replaced by the universal respect for violence.

Beru hadn't tried to win them over with words or diplomacy. He had won them over by doing what he did best: killing the things they feared.

Sunny switched the feed.

In the Southern District, these hours had treated Cai Zhen and Thera well.

They hadn't joined the army. They hadn't sought power. They lived in a beautiful floating mansion.

Cai Zhen looked peaceful, his cultivation base fully stabilized and growing denser by the day.

Thera sat nearby. She looked radiant, the trauma of the past replaced by a serene glow.

The other Gods loved them. They were the "Wise Couple" of the district. Gods came to them for advice on meditation or just to drink tea. They had disarmed the suspicion of the Gods by being utterly harmless and benevolent.

"Everything is going well," Sunny whispered, closing the screens.

His empire was stable. His new Gods were settling in. The rats were hiding.

Sunny's eyes gleamed.

"The board is set. The pieces are moving."

He rubbed his hands together.

"Now... let's see what Talent I can take to break the game this time."

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