"This is where my authority comes to a halt."

At the doors of the massive wooden gate, the bull Deamon spoke, his voice low and final. His silver eyes shimmered faintly as they settled on Enzo, carrying a trace of something between caution and reluctant respect. The doors towered above them, ancient wood reinforced with unseen power, the grain etched by time and something far older than either of them.

The villa beyond was prohibited ground. Even he and his elder brother were barred from crossing this threshold. Only the challenger could enter. Only one soul held the right to step beyond this point.

"Okay," Enzo nodded.

His answer was simple, calm, almost careless. Whatever awaited him inside had been prepared by Victoria herself. If this place was meant to judge him, then it was not meant to kill him. At least, that was what he believed.

Moments later, Enzo pushed the doors open and walked straight through. His steps were steady, his legs tempered by trials far worse than this silence. As the doors closed behind him, light descended from above, soft and blinding at once, washing over his figure as the outside world vanished.

The hall stretched endlessly ahead.

There was nothing inside it. No furniture, no pillars, no murals carved into the walls. No statues, no banners, no signs of history or worship. Only white marble walls and matching tiles beneath his feet, polished to such perfection that they reflected his silhouette like a pale ghost following him forward.

As Enzo continued walking, a strange sensation crept over him. It felt as though he had stepped into another space entirely, severed from the world he knew. A white heaven, empty and absolute, where sound itself seemed hesitant to exist.

Then he stopped.

His breath caught in his chest as if the air around him had hardened. His lungs refused to draw in even the smallest gasp. Panic flickered for a heartbeat as he tried again, and failed. The pressure was everywhere, unseen yet overwhelming, pressing down on his very existence.

Until

[you're now accustomed to divine presence]

[step forward]

The system message echoed through his mind, calm and indifferent. The moment it faded, air rushed back into his lungs.

Enzo bent slightly, heaving heavy breaths as he steadied himself. His heart slowed, and he straightened once more, eyes sweeping across the hall. Nothing had changed. The marble still gleamed. The light remained pure and unbroken. He was still alone.

'Is there no trial? Or is this some sort of prank?'

He waited.

Seconds passed. Then more. The silence did not break.

"Is this a prank?"

Enzo finally voiced the thought that had been gnawing at him. His tone was sharp, irritation bleeding through despite his restraint. He had gambled his future on this. If this was some elaborate joke, there would be consequences.

Thankfully

"Prank? Still as pragmatic as ever, I see…"

A female voice echoed through the hall, familiar in a way that instantly set him at ease. Enzo's lips curved upward, a genuine smile breaking through his annoyance.

"Nibbleskin," Enzo smirked, recognizing the mischievous tone immediately.

That freak of a creature. A white hole devourer. An all round devil wrapped in humor and malice.

"In the flesh… no wait, in the spirit. I've long since left this place," Nibbleskin replied playfully, her unseen gaze sweeping across the empty hall as if reminiscing.

"Anyway, Victoria left a star seed of the divine grade for you somewhere here. It will match the experience you had in what you humans call the first voyage."

Nibbleskin's voice carried a strange weight as she spoke, lighter than the words deserved, as if she were deliberately understating their importance.

After Enzo had left, Victoria had not been idle. She had searched relentlessly over the years, her reach extending far beyond libraries and records. She had peered into forbidden futures, even if only for brief, fractured moments, borrowing the sight of existences that demanded a terrible price for such favors. Little by little, she pieced together the path Enzo would walk.

She knew his situation almost as well as he did.

"Oh," Enzo smirked, the expression edged with bitterness.

Of course she knew.

"Divine grade?" Enzo asked, confusion creeping into his voice despite himself.

He had heard of star seeds. Mortal grades, exalted variants, even legendary ones whispered about in half forgotten texts. But divine grade was not something he had ever encountered. It was not even a rumor.

"Yes," Nibbleskin replied softly. "Don't try to understand it until you have come into contact with gods. It is not worth understanding before then."

There was no mockery in her tone this time, only a quiet certainty.

"Victoria also laid another one of those in wait at the Dark Emperor's castle. Something Cassius. Very troublesome person."

The name lingered in the air longer than it should have.

Nibbleskin fell silent for a brief moment, as if weighing how much she should say. When she spoke again, her voice was lower, stripped of its usual playfulness.

"Your destiny is tied to us in a way, kid. That is not a good thing. So prepare yourself for the second voyage."

The words had barely settled when Enzo's vision swam. A sudden wave of dizziness crashed over him, violent enough to rip the strength from his legs. He dropped to one knee, then both, his hand slamming against the cold marble as the world tilted.

Beside him, space warped.

A black coffin emerged as if it had always been there, its surface pulsing with a strange, suffocating energy. The air around it trembled, heavy with presence, as though something inside was awake and waiting.

Enzo stared at it, breathing hard, his heart pounding in his ears.

[[Star Weaver, prepare for your second voyage]

Blank.

For a fraction of a moment, there was nothing at all. No sound, no weight, no sense of self. It felt like being suspended between heartbeats.

Suddenly

[Welcome to the Divine Kingdom: Domination of Life]

[4th epoch of the universe]

[Location: Greenwood Forest]

Pain struck before thought could follow.

A crushing tightness seized Enzo's chest, stealing his breath as his body jerked violently. He fell off the narrow sick bed, hitting the cold, unforgiving floor with a dull thud that rattled through his bones. The impact knocked the air from his lungs, leaving him gasping as spots danced across his vision.

His eyes were unfocused, swimming in a haze, his breathing laboured and uneven. Still, he did not panic. He clenched his teeth and endured, forcing his body to remember itself, to obey.

"Why do I always fall? This is a shitty entrance," Enzo muttered hoarsely.

He pushed himself up from the ground, muscles protesting as he rose to his feet. The dizziness faded slowly as he surveyed his surroundings with practiced speed, alert despite the lingering ache in his chest.

The room was small and dim, built of dark wood and stone. Only thin strands of light slipped through narrow openings, casting pale lines across the floor. The air carried the scent of wet earth and leaves, rich and alive, unmistakably forest born. Outside, birds chirped in distant rhythms, and every so often the soft whisper of falling leaves brushed against the walls.

Greenwood Forest.

This was his second voyage. And judging by the message, it was one of divine grade.

"Divine kingdom. Life domain," Enzo murmured, a crooked smirk forming as the notifications replayed in his mind. "That sounds familiar."

He had always believed Galafray was a singular ordeal, a one time descent into madness and survival. Yet here he was again, not only returning to that cursed cycle, but stepping into something far grander. A divine kingdom.

If Victoria's stories were even half true, this place dwarfed Galafray in terror. Where Galafray crushed with endless sands and silent despair, a divine kingdom ruled with purpose. With will. With gods.

"Oh well. I did it once, I can do it again."

Enzo straightened fully, a careless, almost cheerful smile settling onto his face. It looked out of place against the tension in the air, but it was real.

The sands of Galafray could not destroy him. Weavetech could not catch him. Empires, institutes, and monsters had all failed to bury him. What was a divine kingdom in comparison? A civilization, wasn't it?

And civilizations had rules.

If things turned ugly, he would do what he always did. Hide behind authority. Blend in. Survive in the cracks. Just like he had with Weavetech. Just like he had with the Dual Moon Institute.

With that thought, Enzo took a slow breath, letting the living air fill his lungs.

Then suddenly he received his main objective.

You are a man of righteousness, the king of a forest long forgotten.]

[On a particular day, you awaken to the screams of your family being murdered in cold blood.]

[You are indignant.]

[You will not accept such injustice.]

[You seek revenge.]

[Objective: Kill the Sun God, Raz.]

Suddenly, a wave of weakness overcame Enzo, his eyes widening.

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