"Is this what the Sun God wanted? A life dedicated to serve its creator?" Damian asked.

He could never be certain if the thing was hostile or not; only time would answer that question. But in the meantime, he could use the guy's memories.

The Golden-black golem shook his head.

"I thou.. The previous me thought the visions of a golden sphere and a powerful artificial body meant he would be reborn and become even more powerful than before. Only he assumed all that would happen in his world. The possibility that it could be inside a dungeon and his divine core would have a claim of a master never crossed his mind."

Sulthar glanced at Damian. Clearly, the guy had no idea how to feel about this weird situation. The thought of his all-mighty, benevolent father serving a greedy guy like Damian must be eating him up from the inside.

'So the visions played both of us.'

Damian hated all that chosen one and prophecy bullshit, and this just proves his hate was very justified. If some mysterious, unknown being already decided everything that was to come, life would get boring.

'Better to die freely than be a pawn in someone's game.'

"Hm?"

Damian made a weird noise as he realized how much had changed in his life, yet he was still the same as he had been years ago. Choosing a life of his own instead of playing the games of nobility and people in power.

Well, this was no time for self-reflection. He needed to get to the business and leave this place.

Looking towards the golem that was unsure of his master's thoughts after hearing such a scheme, Damian asked,

"Then tell me, the limits of being a god."

———

An hour later, Level 21 of Highsword Dungeon.

Damian opened a waygate and came out beside Lucian. Everyone was already present around her, ready to help if help was needed.

He wasn't alone. Sulthar and the Sun God golem, aka Sunny, the name Damian had given the guy since calling him a golem felt weird. They had talked at length about the fifth-ranker Sun God. His biggest question was answered as well.

No, the fifth rankers were not omnipresent. They can only control and take over the first and second ranker followers by actively focusing. The Sun God could not control more than 2500 people at once. That was if they were together. Seperately he could only control about 40 different consciousnesses.

Controlling the actions of a third ranker was possible in only certain conditions. If the transcedent individual recived large amount of fifth ranker's divine fragments, it was possible. It was also possible if the transcendent follower was in a state of intense anger or a very vulnerable mental breakdown state.

Newbie transcedents who could not control their strength and enhanced minds were the ones easily controllable. But most often, gods used the heavy tragedy of the transcendent individual to gain control of their minds. It was a constant mental fight though, and there were many cases in which transcedents regained clarity.

This forced control of the transcendents came at a cost for the fifth rankers. If they pushed their will on them forcefully, as this and the individual broke out of their trance, they can never be controlled by the gods. The fifth ranker won't even be able to communicate with the individual after that.

Two things Damian learned were very pleasing to his ears. First, mundanes can only be influenced by external words; without mana, they were not followers of any gods, even if they believed themselves to be, and their status showed blessings.

Second, a fifth ranker could never, in any circumstances, control a fourth ranker. Even if the fourth ranker was the closest follower of said god and had received plenty of soul fragments.

'I already have the temporary ascendion 4.0 skill. It is better for me not ascend just yet, or the gods will hesitate to make me their follower. It needs to appear natural.'

It was a gamble though.

If Astraea took control of Damian the very instant he became her follower, he might not get a chance to activate the ascension. But he wasn't prepared to ascend yet anyway. Even if he hastily used this chance today, and somehow survived fighting with teeth and nails and managed to ascend, becoming the fourth ranker will instantly start a three-frontal war on the sanctuary.

The three kingdoms were fine, but if the Sea God sent his army of mana beasts and the gods themselves joined the fray—he and Sanctuary were done for.

A certain shitstorm and a low-probability one.

Damian felt like recently he was faced with too many such either-or choices, and it was getting annoying now.

Trusting Atraea just a little was the clear choice. He had to keep his mind calm and always remain in control. Damian was no newbie transcendent; he was accustomed to his powers by now. And a tragedy.. well, that shouldn't happen in seconds. That was enough time to ascend if the situation got worse.

"Who is this guy?" Mindseer asked.

"FATHER!!"

The wailing of the legendary beasts answered the question before Damian could. All three fell at the golem's feet like true devotees.

Damian did not explain the situation but told everyone the golem was harmless and was made using the corpse of Pigman Sun God.

As the last act before leaving level 100, Damian and Sulthar had left the Sun God's dead body in the lava lake. That was the best burial they could give. Sulthar refused to burn it with the dark flames of god killer spell. The lava lake was not powerful enough to damage the fifth ranker body, even if the guy was dead.

Explaining everything in detail would only put them in danger. By now, the people he had entered the dungeon with had understood that Damian was keeping some secrets. Fortunately, none had asked him why that was, accepting it without question.

"I am pressed for time; I would have placed waygates on higher levels. It's still a temporary measure. Only the ones on higher levels can activate it to reach earlier levels. It won't work the other way around." Damian said, addressing the two pigman leaders.

The king of pigman smiled, "The monster flesh you have secured and so graciously gifted to us in just one day is enough to last for months."

"My Lord," Sunny suddenly called out.

Damian looked at the guy.

"As I am a being from the very deepest levels and am a reward the dungeon bestowed upon you, I can travel between all levels of this dungeon."

That was unexpected, but a good thing.

"You should remain here then as the protector of this civilization. You should do everything these two leaders tell you to do. I will make a waygate tool that connects to his majesty here." Damian said, and Sunny obediently nodded.

Damian wanted to study Sunny fully, but there was a chance the guy radiated that divine energy, and those bastard gods could sense it. He could not take him outside.

Along with Sam, Lucian, Mindseer, and Grace, Damian exited the dungeon and came back to the Obsidian Bastion. Landbreaker and the two elves were waiting for them. They chatted for just a while. Damian promised to give a full report of the higher dungeon floors later.

The time was around noon. Less than twelve hours for him to choose a god and become their follower.

When Damian returned to the Sanctum, as expected, people were waiting for him to return. Damian just barely washed his face, and Souldealer arrived in his private room with a list of people who had asked the sanctum officially to have a meeting with the Keeper.

Damian glanced over the list and was surprised to find several unexpected names. Most names he knew would come to meet him sooner or later.

Alex and the Faerunian people were not the ones he was expecting to meet today. Neither Reize nor some people from the shadow organization, probably representing the god of chaos. They had risked everything by coming here in the Sanctuary, but Damian doubted the chaos god had given them any other choice.

The red priest and Eldoris people had not made any effort to hide the fact that they were going to travel to Sanctuary for a meeting. Damian's widespread spies had reported several accounts and views of the different factions and all important leaders who were prominent in these factions.

Damian decided to start with Reize. Maybe something serious was happening with her when he was not aware. Some things about her did seem quite off, but he had assumed it was just the awkwardness of their shared history, or she had unfinished things with her sister, or something.

Damian's eyes stopped at two particular names in the list that was added to the red priest's group.

Leon Goldflame.

Maelor Goldflame.

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