Seeing Aaron holding his sister and using his golden throne to enjoy the glory and attention that should have been his, Zeus grew increasingly angrier. The more he thought about it, the more unsettled he became.
If only he had known that things would unfold this way, he never should have invited Aaron to join the gods.
On stage, Aaron continued communicating with the gods, completely ignoring Zeus, the previous host. To both Aaron and the gods, Zeus no longer held any significance. At least for now—and likely for a long time in the future—it didn't matter.
As long as this magic net "deal" could be successfully concluded, Almighty City might lose its former prosperity and excitement in the future.
Definitely.
Once the gods have a way to enhance their strength, they'll be more inclined to invest their time and energy in cultivating believers. The believers they once discarded will become prized assets. No god would refuse more followers. In the future, the more believers, the better. This might even spark a new wave of competition for faith.
"God of Magic, if we connect to the magic net, does it mean that you'll have the ability to control our power? Can you control us through the magic net, and can we unilaterally neutralize it?"
Mataoyunka, the Maori god of war and human activity, rose to ask a probing question.
As soon as this question was raised, the gods in attendance became even more attentive. It was a concern that many of them shared.
After all, they could not control the magic net, and Aaron was the one weaving and controlling it. If they connected to the net, and he had a way to use it to control their lives, deaths, and powers, that would be catastrophic.
They sought true power but couldn't risk having their fate fall into someone else's hands.
Aaron had anticipated this. It would be strange if no one raised this issue; after all, none of them were fools.
"Please don't worry about that. The magic net is simply a tool for energy and magic communication. What you give and what you receive is clearly outlined in the contract. Don't worry about me using the magic net to control your freedom," Aaron reassured them. "As for disabling the magic net... that's your right. I won't stop you, and I can't stop you."
Naturally, Aaron did not explain all the functions of the magic net. While he couldn't use it to control the life and death of others, he still had ways to influence them. He could also track their location at any time.
But Aaron was confident that even if the gods were fully aware of this, they would still accept the deal. After all, when faced with power, some things were easily overlooked.
Hearing Aaron's reassurance, Mataoyunka nodded and sat back down. As a god of war, her concerns were naturally biased toward combat and control, but in reality, there was no need to worry. However, she dared not ask further questions.
Shortly after she sat down, another deity dressed in a unique kimono stood up. His costume was distinctive, and his eyes looked fierce.
This was an evil god!
In the gathering of gods, his presence was somewhat out of place. However, the Council of the Gods didn't focus on the gods' original positions. As long as a god was qualified, they could participate after being invited.
Although Aaron didn't know much about the gods, he recognized the identity of this one.
It was the god who had a prosperous life—Amatsu-Mikaboshi!
"God of Magic, I have a question!"
"Is there an upper limit to the power we can receive through the magic net? How much energy can we acquire at most?"
Aaron gave him an extra glance.
This question… interesting!
"No upper limit!" Aaron replied. "The amount of energy you can gain depends on the number of subordinates you can channel and how much energy you can absorb. As long as you're willing, you can absorb it infinitely!"
"But be cautious," he continued. "It's best to take what you can handle. The body is like a container—too much energy is not good."
"Here's a suggestion: If your energy absorption reaches its limit, it can be converted into authority or exchanged for other magical powers, which will indirectly improve your strength. If necessary, you can use your authority to replenish energy and maintain combat effectiveness."
The other gods expressed their understanding, many nodding in agreement.
Amatsu-Mikaboshi, however, said nothing. There seemed to be no concern in his demeanor at all.
"I still have a question," he said, his deep voice cutting through the silence. "How do you carry so much energy?"
Amatsu-Mikaboshi's searching gaze fell on Aaron.
Aaron didn't hesitate in his response. "Forgive me, but I cannot answer that question. I have my own methods."
At this point, Aaron became wary of Amatsu-Mikaboshi. Something felt off about him. Was he simply naïve or fearless?
Aaron recalled a possibility—one that was troubling.
The Battle of Chaos.
In this legendary event, Amatsu-Mikaboshi was the incarnation of the King of Chaos.
For a long time, he had walked in the guise of Amatsu-Mikaboshi, even turning into a hero of justice who had helped defeat external gods. Though he was a god of the planet, he was also the King of Chaos.
Amatsu-Mikaboshi had the ability to absorb any form of substance by touch, using it to strengthen himself. The more he devoured, the larger his body became, and his strength grew exponentially.
When he absorbed enough energy, he would break free from his identity as Amatsu-Mikaboshi and become the pure embodiment of Chaos and nothingness—the King of Chaos!
A powerful and evil conceptual deity.
His role was to restore the multi-universe to its state of nothingness by destroying all universes and returning everything to oblivion. Once that was achieved, he would become the sole being in existence.
During this process, the more worlds he destroyed, the stronger he became.
Aaron's mind raced as he speculated: if Amatsu-Mikaboshi truly was the incarnation of Chaos, this would present a serious problem.
He remembered the War of Chaos, when the Lord of Chaos had destroyed over 90% of the universe. Aaron suspected that this might be a world within a multi-universe. After all, the King of Chaos was merely an annihilation duplicate, not the original entity.
His strength was not yet on the level of the true abstract entities like Galactus. Still, he was a potential threat.
Despite this, Aaron wasn't overly concerned. Amatsu-Mikaboshi hadn't grown to his full potential, nor had he gained the power of Nightmare. Moreover, there was an upper limit to his strength.
No matter how impressive his record, it didn't compare to the true master of the universe.
Besides, the gods were now connected to the magic net, and Aaron would be able to detect any movement from Amatsu-Mikaboshi as soon as he started to make trouble.
Trying to become the King of Chaos with just the magic net? It would depend on his own strength.
Being watched by Aaron at all times, what could Amatsu-Mikaboshi use to oppose him?
Unless he targeted Aaron first.
If that happened, then Amatsu-Mikaboshi might gain enough energy to complete the first step of his transformation and become the King of Chaos in one fell swoop. Then, he could begin slaughtering the gods, triggering the Battle of Chaos prematurely.
But was that possible?
Aaron studied Amatsu-Mikaboshi carefully. After hearing Aaron's refusal to answer, the god's eyes briefly flashed with a strange light.
Was this really a direct threat?
Aaron felt a strange unease. Could Amatsu-Mikaboshi be targeting him?
For now, these were just speculations. No one could know for certain whether he was truly the King of Chaos.
Merely coveting one's energy didn't prove anything.
It was important to note that while the gods present still treated Amatsu-Mikaboshi with respect, many were secretly plotting against him.
If it weren't for his confidence, which made him appear to have already reached the level of a god king, some of the gods would have already caused trouble for him.
As long as Aaron kept up his aura of mystery, the gods would continue to accommodate him. But if he ever showed weakness, they would be quick to strike.
Such was the truth of the situation.
In the midst of this feigned peace, the discussion on the magic net was nearing its end.
Most of the gods present had signed the contract and were getting familiar with the functions of the magic net.
However, some god kings—like the Jade Emperor, the God of Carpentry, Zeus, and other top god kings—had not connected to the magic net.
These beings stood at the pinnacle of the divine hierarchy, with the strongest power and highest status. Their energy had long been difficult to increase.
Though Zeus had lost some of his former strength, just like Thor, his pride as a top god king remained unshaken. He refused to connect to the magic net. It would be an insult to rely on the magic of another god to improve himself.
The Jade Emperor and Jesus shared similar views, though they were not as dismissive as Zeus.
Though they hadn't connected yet, they would observe for a while to ensure the magic net was truly beneficial. If it proved advantageous, they had no objection to connecting.
With the discussion on the magic net concluded, Aaron did not continue to preside over the meeting but instead handed the floor back to Zeus.
Zeus returned to the golden throne, lifted his head high, cleared his throat twice, and said, "That's the end of the magic net discussion. Let's move on."
Zeus, hoping to continue the meeting, was shocked to find that none of the gods, who should have been applauding and cheering, were paying attention to him.
They had all settled into their own discussions.
As for his expected position as the center of attention? Ignored.
"Everyone, back to the topic!" Zeus tried again, struggling to regain control.
"We have many exciting topics ahead…"
"Don't you all want to continue the party and celebration?"
Despite his efforts to revive the atmosphere, Zeus quickly realized that the gods weren't even interested in such trivial matters anymore. Wine, grapes—both abandoned.
"Damn it! I should never have invited the God of Magic!" Zeus glared fiercely at Aaron.
At this point, Aaron and Wanda returned to their seats, whispering to each other, completely oblivious to the solemnity of the meeting.
Aaron still wore a slight smile.
Sitting up in shock, he realized: Joker is actually me?!
Zeus' smile disappeared.
This year's meeting of the gods had lost all its previous joy.
It seemed that Zeus had no choice but to unleash a big move to regain control.
"Everyone!" Zeus announced, his voice rising. "Why don't we discuss the God Slayer Geer first?"
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