Chapter 439: Chapter 440: Challenge from the Giant God
"The connection with the Eternal Dragon is severed, yet not completely severed."
Back in the Dragon Court plane of the main timeline, the silver dragon Garon half-closes his eyes, concentrating deeply. He extends his power of time into the River of Time, trying to re-establish contact with the Eternal Dragon from another dimension.
After some time, Garon slowly opens his eyes, his gaze brightening.
Upon his initial return to the main timeline, the link between Garon and the divine Garon of the alternate dimension was instantly severed by the River of Time. Initially, this was disappointing to Garon, as it seemed his plan to create divine avatars in other timelines was not as feasible as hoped.
However, after several attempts, Garon discovers that by focusing his mind and using the power of time as a medium, he can cross into the alternate dimension and sense the divine Garon again, though he cannot maintain a constant synchronization of thoughts.
"This way, although there are certain limitations, I can still draw upon some of the divine Garon's power from the alternate dimension when needed."
Garon exhales slowly.
Overall, he is satisfied with this outcome, though it is somewhat reluctantly accepted.
"I need to open more portals through time in the future."
"To obtain more divine avatars or simply to acquire divinities, I need to find timelines where the flow of time is significantly different."
Garon's experiences in alternate dimensions are relatively few so far.
Before he ascended to near-lesser divine power, traversing alternate dimensions was not entirely safe. Even when Garon was a demigod, he still needed the power of the Imaskar artifact to safely open portals through time.
For these reasons, Garon's visits to alternate dimensions have been limited.
However, once Garon advanced to near-lesser divine power and his connection to the River of Time deepened, even allowing him to control small sections of it, he could open portals through time on his own, significantly reducing the difficulty of traversing alternate dimensions.
"The Alpha Tyrian Empire may have been destroyed."
"But I remember that the flow rate difference between that timeline and the main timeline was quite substantial."
"I could go there in the future to establish another Time Dragon Church."
"It's just uncertain what the end will be for Imaskar and the Netheril Empire in that alternate dimension with Isaac and Chris causing troubles."
Garon ponders and guesses that the likely outcome would be a faster collapse than the established history in the main timeline.
After all, the preference of the two prismatic dragons was to witness the fall of magical empires.
"And then there's Valoran."
"The Four Pillars Religion of Valoran includes me. Even if I'm not there, my brothers wouldn't remove my temples. Could it be that an 'Eternal Dragon' has already formed there?"
Thinking this, Garon muses for a moment and then shakes his head slightly.
"It's unlikely."
"The flow of time in Valoran is basically consistent with the main timeline."
"It's been about fifty years, which is too short a time for a faith-based deity to form unless it's supported by a massive congregation."
Meanwhile, the silver dragon looks contemplatively at himself.
"Fifty years have passed unnoticed. I am now eighty-one years old in the main timeline, in the young dragon stage, and less than twenty years from reaching full maturity."
Garon lowers his head to look at Una, who he has buried at the bottom of his dragon's nest.
Inside the young power dragon's body, the energy has become more docile and stable over time. As it becomes fully assimilated, Garon is certain that Una will reach near-lesser divine power.
"However, it looks like she'll need to sleep for another year or so."
Garon analyzes Una's condition and reflects silently.
The time ratio in the Faerûn alternate dimension to the main timeline is as high as a hundred to one. Garon spent a hundred years studying magic and exploring mysteries, but only a year has passed in the main timeline.
During this year, no significant events have occurred.
Indeed, just one year is like a mere moment for immortal beings like gods or demon lords.
In the Fuming Hell, the dragon god system is still deploying its power in secret, searching for the lair of the Lord of Terror, but to no avail.
The mysterious Moon City mentioned by the Grandmaster of Machines has also not reappeared during this period.
Garon is curious but does not focus too much on it.
As for the Abyss, the most unfathomable plane remains chaotic, but oddly enough, it maintains a peculiar form of stability.
This is because Dimgaorgon continues to hide very effectively.
Despite relentless searches by numerous demon lords, including the Lord of Worms, the Queen of Chaos, and the Wolf Spider, and even some archdevils, they still can't locate Dimgaorgon.
Even for the native inhabitants of
the lower planes, the Abyss is too vast.
Additionally, Dimgaorgon himself is very adept at stealth.
Many intelligent beings have an impression of this demon prince as fierce, cruel, bloodthirsty, and extravagant. However, they forget that before becoming a demon prince, Dimgaorgon was very reticent, possessing great power yet remaining inconspicuous until he suddenly killed more than a dozen demon lords, including the Lord of Worms, which dramatically established his status as a demon prince.
During this period.
The only thing that catches Garon's attention is:
"The Lord of Wrath, Kostchtchie."
"A deep abyss demon lord with frost giant lineage and also a giant deity of lesser divine power."
"He has actually issued a formal challenge to me, intriguing."
Garon's eyes narrow as he contemplates.
After the war between chaos and order, many deities realized that the Abyss is the most dangerous plane in the multiverse, also containing unimaginable evil powers.
As a result, some malevolent gods began to reside in the Abyss, leveraging their powerful authorities and divine powers to occupy specific layers.
For example, the major mother of the eye demons and the Abyssal Spider Queen, the fallen elf deity.
These deities, partly to better adapt to the Abyss, transformed themselves into tanar'ri demons. The Abyssal Spider Queen is one among them, and the Lord of Wrath from the giant deities is also of this type.
The Lord of Wrath is a frost giant.
Characterized by brutality, evil, and belligerence, he has conquered many frost giants who are equally keen on violence. He has a small but growing church among the overall giant race, which has earned him lesser divine power.
However.
According to information from the Frost Maiden, Garon knows that the situation of the Lord of Wrath has always been challenging.
Because the deity traditionally worshiped by the frost giant race has always been the frost giant god Thrym, a medium-powered giant deity.
As the Lord of Wrath's church grew, and since most of his followers are extremely violent individuals who even attack the church of Thrym, this has provoked the frost giant god to lash out more than once.
Although both are giant deities, they are in a hostile state.
After all, it's a conflict over faith, which is fundamental for a deity.
Moreover, the Lord of Wrath is at a disadvantage.
The desire to convert more frost giants to his church and expand his influence, balanced against caution and fear of provoking a severe retaliation from Thrym, puts Kostchtchie in a difficult position.
"It's interesting that, due to his belligerent nature, he has even challenged Thrym in the past, demanding Thrym come to his divine realm for a battle."
A lesser-powered Lord of Wrath fighting in his divine realm against a medium-powered frost giant god might indeed have an uncertain outcome.
Regarding the Lord of Wrath's provocations, Thrym does not respond, as there is little to gain regardless of the outcome.
Winning, the opponent might claim he took advantage of his divine power; losing would be even worse, becoming a stepping stone.
What Thrym does is brutally suppress the Lord of Wrath's church. Once he discovers followers of the Lord of Wrath, he mercilessly slaughters them, even though they are also his frost giant kin.
"This time he has provoked me again, and after learning that the Mechanical Legion is loyal to me, he even sent his forces in the Abyss to target my Mechanical Legion on the Bloodied Battlefields."
The commotion caused when Garon captured the Lord of the Shadow Shoals alerted the demon lords to the owner of the Mechanical Legion.
Based on their speculation, even if Garon is not the master of the Mechanical Legion, he is certainly connected.
"What does he want to do?"
Garon wonders internally.
Do not think that all gods are full of wisdom.
Especially evil gods and malevolent gods, some of them are as chaotic and mad as demons.
The Lord of Wrath is a violent, bloodthirsty evil god who has even transformed himself into a demon. If he goes mad without any reason and just wants to fight Garon, it wouldn't be out of character.
"However, the giant god system has the Storm Lord as its new chief god now, and things are a bit different."
"Whether the Lord of Wrath is challenging me on his own crazy whim or at the behest of the Storm Lord is hard to say."
"The situation is sensitive now; I should be cautious."
The multiverse is generally still peaceful overall, but the undercurrents beneath this calm, especially concerning the rival giant god system, require careful handling.
The giant god system is currently quiet, but no one has forgotten the big moves made by the Storm Lord.
Garon strokes the scales around his chin, deep in thought.
"The repeated provocations and targeting from the other side, should I accept the challenge?"
In Garon's mind
, the most likely reason for the Lord of Wrath's challenge is to make a spectacle.
After all, this isn't the first time he's done this.
Challenging the frost giant god Thrym, although he was more brutally suppressed, also garnered him followers who recognized him, and since the Lord of Wrath's church was already being suppressed, he ended up gaining some faith overall.
Now, if an investigation were launched within the giant race.
Asking all giants which deity they feel poses the greatest threat to their race.
Undoubtedly, the name of Garon Orellian, the Eternal and Temporal Dragon, would top the list.
It can't be helped. Garon was too prominent during the War of Glories. It's said that now some elves even suffer from post-war syndrome, feeling tense and fearful at the sight of silver.
Under such circumstances, the Lord of Wrath challenging Garon could earn a lot of favor among giants.
If Garon accepts the challenge and is defeated by the Lord of Wrath, the faith the latter could gather would definitely be abundant, significantly elevating his divine rank, at least reaching a medium divine power level comparable to Thrym.
The above assumes Garon is defeated, a highly unlikely scenario.
But even if Garon wins.
As long as the Lord of Wrath doesn't die, he could still gain some faith because losing to Garon wouldn't be a disgrace, given Garon's demonstrated combat prowess.
Right after the War of Glories ended, some intelligent beings were curious about how the powerful Temporal Dragon would fare in a battle against a strong divine power entity in the prime material world, whether he could still display overwhelming strength.
Now, that question has an answer.
Garon's battle against the Queen of Chaos in Aiguil has gradually become known.
Even a being like the Queen of Chaos, an ancient near-strong divine power entity, couldn't handle Garon at the same level and nearly capsized in the gutter.
In contrast, the Lord of Wrath losing wouldn't be looked down upon by his followers; they would even admire his bravery.
After carefully considering, Garon's will arrives at Lunia Paradise, merging with the divine Garon.
"The Lord of Wrath, Kostchtchie, has challenged me to a battle, as you probably know."
"Olrun, what do you think?"
Within his divine realm, amidst a mountain range of eternal winter, the divine Garon's form materializes, asking amid the swirling snow.
The snow whirls and solidifies, forming a sanctified figure belonging to the goddess of cold.
Olrun still looks pitiable, her pure and icy face also bearing seductive eyes.
"My lord, it's been a while since you sought me out. Don't you miss me?"
Olrun positions herself very lowly, speaking pitifully.
This sanctified figure hides within the divine Garon's divine realm, usually sleeping within an ice mountain, and only appears when the divine Garon visits.
The divine Garon smiles slightly, saying, "How could I forget you? But as a dragon god, at a time when the dragon race is thriving, I have too many things to handle, and very little free time."
Indeed, including maintaining a good relationship with the Wind Elemental Queen for the sake of the dragon race's grand plans.
In this regard, the divine Garon particularly values it.
"I thought you might have forgotten me."
Olrun's eyes shimmer, she says.
The cold wind howls. After a deep conversation, Olrun shares what she knows with the divine Garon.
"The challenge should be Kostchtchie acting on his own."
"Because just recently, Thrym was very angry and wanted to go to the Abyss to discipline Kostchtchie."
"I asked Thrym why, and he said that now is not the time for the giant god system to have a direct conflict with the dragon god system."
"Moreover, Kostchtchie lives in the Abyss and has turned himself into a demon, so he has never listened much to other giant deities, including the Storm Lord."
Hearing Olrun's words, the divine Garon contemplates.
He does not fully trust Olrun's words. Her true body is in the frost giant god's divine realm, and flipping again is possible, as there is a precedent, making it difficult for the divine Garon to truly trust her.
However, the giant god system's current behavior is indeed one of actively avoiding conflict and biding its time.
Before the Storm Lord fully integrates the giant god system, it's unlikely that they would seek conflict with the dragon god system.
___________________
(Support with power stones, comments or reviews)
If you guys enjoy this story, In support me on Patreon and get access to +200 advance Chapters
Read Ahead
Patreon.com/INNIT