Hulk: "That rolls off the tongue a little too easily, don't you think?"

Usually, Aerin only called him "Godfather" in private messages. Orion hadn't expected her to drop the title so casually in front of the others after all these years. It seemed she didn't care about their opinions anymore.

Aerin: "Hehe... Gotta stick with the Godfather if I want to eat good!"

Just then, Caesar and Tangere, likely alerted by the notification pings, joined the chat.

Caesar: "Big Boss! You're finally awake. Just so you know, I'm already prepping for my Legendary level ascension!"

Caesar didn't waste time with pleasantries; he went straight to reporting his gains.

Over the last decade, his territory in the Silverwood Realm had flourished. The alliance and trade routes established with Aerin and Tangere had created a steady economic engine, generating a constant stream of Faith Energy.

Hulk: "Good man. I'm looking forward to the good news."

Orion knew what Caesar was really saying: I'm leveling up so I can be useful to you again.

For high-level operations, the Legendary Rank was the entry fee. Tangere had reaped massive rewards during the southern campaign against the Cult of Four simply because he had the stats to participate, while Caesar and Aerin, stuck at Alpha-level, could only watch the opportunities sail by.

Tangere: "Big Boss... did you ascend to Demigod?"

Unlike the boisterous Caesar or the playful Aerin, Tangere was sharp. He noticed the shift in Orion's presence. Even his greeting—"Big Boss"—was carefully chosen, dripping with new deference.

The question hit the chat like an EMP. The channel went dead silent.

Hulk: "You guessed it."

Orion smirked. There was no point in hiding it. He had climbed the mountain; he might as well enjoy the view.

Aerin: "OH HELL YEAH! GODFATHER IS A BEAST!"

Aerin: "Congrats, Godfather!"

Aerin was the fastest to react. She had been with him the longest, and she had always suspected he was destined for the top. She just hadn't expected him to speedrun it.

Caesar: "Big Boss, you are literally my idol."

Caesar's shock was tempered by his own ambition. He wasn't just impressed; he was fired up.

Tangere, however, went silent.

Silverwood Realm, Venomfen Swamp

Tangere had logged out.

Orion's confirmation had hit him like a physical blow, destabilizing his mental state so severely he lost connection to the Survivor's Platform.

Deep in the swamp, atop the highest spire of his floating Mage Tower, Tangere stood frozen, staring into the mist.

"Demigod... a Demigod..." he whispered, the word feeling heavy and alien on his tongue. "He actually did it."

The shock gave way to a tremor that started in his hands and spread to his core. It wasn't fear; it was euphoria.

He had a direct line to a Demigod. A being who could rewrite reality. And they were on good terms.

I have to maintain this relationship, Tangere thought, his eyes burning with intensity. At all costs.

***

[Survivor's Platform]

Scarecrow: "Uh, guys? Are we telling fairy tales now?"

Scarecrow had just logged in to see the chat exploding. He dropped a soul-searching question into the mix, not out of malice, but out of sheer disbelief.

He had only reached the Legendary Rank ten years ago. He was still stabilizing his own power. And now they were telling him his old client had ascended to godhood? It sounded like a bad joke.

Aerin: "Bro Scarecrow, your death-substitution artifacts are great and all, but if you question my Godfather, you're questioning me. And that means war."

Orion didn't even have to type a response. Aerin was already playing the enforcer.

Caesar: "Scarecrow, you haven't seen the Big Boss in action."

Caesar: "I've seen him flip the sky and turn the rain. It's not combat; it's a natural disaster."

Caesar: "Arch Lords? He sneezes and they disintegrate."

Caesar still had nightmares about the power he had witnessed. It was the fuel that drove his own desperate training.

Scarecrow: "You're serious?"

No one answered him. The silence was the answer.

Orion, however, had already shifted his focus. A notification from Aina had pulled him away from the celebration.

Tower Defense World: Kindling Platform #3318

The platform was massive now, far larger than it had been in the early days.

Commanders like Aina had grown strong. Their summoned guardian beasts and personal combat fortresses pushed the boundaries of the safe zone outward, claiming more territory from the Void.

But today, the walls were unmanned.

Aina, the ferocious combat prodigy who usually lived for the fight, was curled up in a small tent in the center of the platform. She was burying her face in her knees, weeping silently.

"Throwing a pity party?" Orion's voice cut through the gloom. "That's not your style."

The tent flap lifted. Orion, his avatar clad in simple leather armor, squeezed inside.

He didn't offer a tissue. Instead, he grabbed a bag of snacks Aina had exchanged from the system store and started eating.

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.

For thirty minutes, the only sound in the tent was Orion aggressively demolishing her snack stockpile.

When the last crumb was gone, the chewing stopped. Aina finally lifted her head.

Her eyes were red and swollen, brimming with tears. But beneath the tears, Orion saw a profound, crushing loneliness. It was the look of someone who had just lost their anchor to the world.

"Mister..." her voice was hoarse, cracking with emotion. "Can you do me a favor?"

"Let's hear it," Orion burped, leaning back. He didn't say yes. He didn't say no.

"Help me destroy Eldoria. Kill every human there."

The little girl's face was streaked with tears, but her words were venom.

Orion's eyes narrowed slightly. "Eldoria. That's your home world, isn't it?"

"Yes," she hissed. "But the only thing tying me to it is gone."

She stared straight at him, her gaze burning with a hatred so deep it felt cold.

"I hate them. I want to wipe them out. But I don't have the power." She took a shaky breath. "But you do, Mister. I know you do."

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