Additional Chapter for Today! Thank Tidraus, Me, kingoftheworld, sirMakmak and Karfin2422 for this additonal chapter.
Enjoy!
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"…I'm curious. If I'm just a bonus, what exactly did you sell to the Lord?" Medici suddenly dialed back the dangerous glint in his eyes. His expression was unreadable, neither angry nor amused, as he gave a playful smirk.
"My deal with the True Creator is simple: 'Bring the Ancient Son God back to this era.' That's the whole transaction," Evah said with a smile, getting the reaction he wanted as Medici's pupils dilated in shock.
"Do you realize what you're saying?" Medici stared at Evah, all traces of his earlier nonchalance gone.
"I know exactly what I'm saying, Mr. Medici," Evah said with a chuckle. In that moment, he released his summoning of Azik and, using Medici as a medium, performed another summoning.
A familiar figure coalesced once more. The Ancient Sun God opened His eyes, descending upon this era again.
Unlike the first summoning, where He was wholly disoriented, this time the Ancient Sun God clearly understood the situation upon seeing Evah.
His gaze swept the surroundings, landing on Medici nearby. The Ancient Sun God froze. The gentle smile that always graced His face vanished for the first time, replaced by a flicker of sorrow in His golden eyes.
The Ancient Sun God seemed to sigh. In that moment, Backlund's rare clear sky was suddenly shrouded in dark clouds. A light drizzle began to fall, soaking every corner of the city.
In the underground structure, the long-departed Ancient Sun God looked at His former War Angel, His voice heavy with compassion. "Who did this to you, Medici?"
Medici couldn't quite describe his feelings in that moment. It had been millennia since he'd seen the Ancient Sun God like this. After the divine war at the end of the Third Epoch, the Ancient Sun God had fallen, replaced by the True Creator born from His remains.
Though Medici, unlike Amon or Adam, didn't reject the True Creator as the Ancient Sun God and still viewed Him as such, he knew deep down that the Lord had changed. He clung to a faint hope that the True Creator might one day revert to His old self, but as the War Angel, Medici knew that was unlikely.
A god who had fallen might never return.
Medici could honestly say he'd never dreamed he'd see the familiar Ancient Sun God again.
As a master conspirator, Medici should've been analyzing this kid who summoned the Ancient Sun God—what he was, what his motives were, what schemes lay behind it all.
But as the War Angel, Medici could only stare at the Ancient Sun God, his mouth opening to utter a title he often used but, in this moment, felt strangely foreign. "…Lord!"
"I'm here," the Ancient Sun God replied gently. He sighed, stepped forward, and patted Medici's shoulder. "You've endured much these years, Medici. I'm so sorry."
"…You don't need to apologize," Medici said, lips pressed tightly. The usually sharp-tongued War Angel seemed at a loss for words, managing only a dry response.
"So, who did this to you? Can you tell me?" the Ancient Sun God asked again.
Medici's body stiffened, a struggle evident within him. But he looked at the Ancient Sun God and said, "Adam. It was Adam who betrayed me."
The Ancient Sun God visibly paused, clearly shocked, a trace of pain crossing His brow.
Looking at Medici, He closed His eyes briefly. "I'm so sorry, Medici. I'm so sorry."
Medici seemed puzzled by the Ancient Sun God's reaction, but before he could dwell on it, Evah coughed lightly nearby.
"Ahem, friendly reminder: you've got 45 seconds left. Might not be enough time for catching up!" Evah said with a smile. Watching the heartfelt scene, he thought of the truth behind Medici's "hotpot incident" and the future where Medici would ally with the Eternal Blazing Sun against the True Creator, feeling like he was witnessing dark comedy unfold. The emotions are real, the loyalty is real, the betrayal is real, and the conflict is real… Gotta say, the gods sure know how to mess things up.
Evah mused inwardly, only to see the Ancient Sun God turn to him.
"We meet again, Mr. Evah."
"We meet again, Mr. Gri—жиж. I made a deal with your present-day self. Are you satisfied?" Evah said, smiling. He noticed the Ancient Sun God tilt His head slightly, as if listening to something.
Clearly, the Ancient Sun God had already connected with the True Creator of this era.
"I'm very satisfied," the Ancient Sun God said, having exchanged information with the True Creator remotely. He looked at Evah. "So, one minute this time, correct?"
"The first deal was a trial run, of course. If you're pleased, Mr. Sun God, deepen our cooperation, and I'll naturally let you stay longer in this era," Evah said, embodying the perfect merchant with a smile.
He was telling the truth. For the True Creator's price, summoning the Ancient Sun God for a minute—plus throwing in the Red Angel as a bonus—was already a generous deal.
Though, with Evah's current spirituality, even going all out, he couldn't summon the Ancient Sun God for more than a few minutes.
"I look forward to it," the Ancient Sun God said, giving Evah a deep look. Then He added, "I'm curious, Mr. Evah. Aren't you afraid I'll alter the established past?"
Evah grinned, his smile bright and expectant. "Actually, I'm hoping you'll change something."
In his previous world, Evah had experimented countless times to see if a summoned Shadow of Time, aware of the future, could alter the past. The results were consistent: the past could be changed, but the more significant the impact on key events, the harder it was to shift.
Now in a new world, Evah was curious if the rules had changed and whether the Ancient Sun God, once Earth's mightiest, could achieve what others couldn't.
The Ancient Sun God clearly understood Evah's meaning, a thoughtful glint in His eyes. But then He suddenly looked in a certain direction.
Evah followed His gaze. There, unnoticed until now, stood a golden-haired priest in a white robe, a beard framing his face. His golden eyes seemed to hold infinite compassion at first glance, but a closer look revealed… nothing at all.
The Visionary, Adam!
(End of Chapter)