Chapter 66.2

Perhaps due to his nature as the God of War, Kevin was one of the few warm and spirited gods who believed in strict discipline. He believed that teaching the practical aspects of life would genuinely benefit Melo in the future.

This led Melo to both fear and desire Kevin from a young age.

This small entity initially garnered a great deal of admiration from being in close proximity to Kevin. He would unconsciously imitate Kevin's every move, which made Kevin slightly uncomfortable and perplexed.

During that time, Melo was obsessed with gaining Kevin's approval. If Kevin praised him, it would bring him happiness for a long time. If Kevin gifted him something, he would be incredibly satisfied.

Kevin couldn't change his nature to constantly whisper to this small entity all day long, nor could he blindly praise it regardless of the truth. However, he didn't mind teasing Melo and making the young boy happy in other ways.

Once, when Melo visited the Temple of Light, he kept fixating on Kevin's devil tiger. It was unclear if he viewed it as a large cat or something else, as he appeared both eager and hesitant to touch it.

Upon seeing this, Kevin knelt down, held one of the devil tiger's claws, and shook it in front of Melo, asking, "Little one, would you like to touch it?"

As a result, the young boy blushed as his thoughts were exposed, and he quickly turned his head and ran away.

This left Kevin dumbfounded.

During that moment, he had gained insight into Melo's personality. This small entity had a clear distinction between "mine" and "others."

It was more carefree with things it considered its own, while it seemed restrained and timid with "others" belongings.

However, at the time, Kevin didn't anticipate that this personality trait would cause any problems. He simply presumed that the reason Melo was embarrassed to touch the magic tiger was because it wasn't his own.

So, a day later, when Kevin passed through Bass Valley, he brought back a magic tiger even more majestic and beautiful than his own, and he generously presented it to Melo as a gift in front of the holy lake of Ana.

"This one is for you. Feel free to touch it," Kevin said, leaning against a tree.

The devil tiger, three times the size of an adult, was delighted to see the small Melo. To express its excitement towards its new companion, it let out a loud roar that caused the vegetation around Anasac Lake to tremble.

The young boy Melo was even more dumbfounded.

Then, the great and generous God of Light, His Highness, was scolded and kicked out by Thenis upon hearing the news.

However, Melo later brought the devil tiger with him everywhere he went and kept it for hundreds of years.

If Melo and the gods had continued to interact in this harmonious manner, life would have remained beautiful and peaceful.

The change in Melo's thinking and personality was subtle, and by the time the gods became aware of the transformation and realized the problems it caused, it was already too late.

Kevin later realized that Melo's true change likely began when Feisa and Thenis created a multitude of mortals.

Initially, he believed it to be petty jealousy stemming from possessiveness, as Melo didn't appreciate the gods' attention being diverted to the mortal realm.

However, upon reflection, Kevin understood it wasn't the case. Melo, being the only one who truly lived among the gods, was different from all other mortals. The gods' love for him hadn't diminished.

During that time, mortals would occasionally encounter gods by chance. The most grand occasion was when Thenis took Melo to the Butterfly Snowfield and helped block a blizzard for the migrating mortals.

Witnessing this miracle, the mortals knelt down in reverence before the gods.

Thenis shared this experience with Kevin after returning to the Holy Lake of Ana. For several days, Melo seemed lost in thought. When asked what he was pondering, he would smile shyly, shake his head, and reply with silence.

Looking back, Kevin believed this incident was likely the turning point.

From then on, Melo's thoughts grew deeper, and glimpses of hidden emotions could be seen in his eyes. Yet, he seldom expressed his feelings through his gaze.

Thenis also discussed this matter with Kevin. However, since Melo had behaved obediently and politely for hundreds of thousands of years without causing any trouble, none of the gods, including Kevin, could have imagined he would one day annihilate all the deities...

Reflecting on the past and observing the present, the immense changes were filled with emotions and irony, as if something thousands of miles away had suddenly collapsed, yet everything seemed interconnected...

"Time is both astonishingly fast and agonizingly slow. The last time we met face-to-face was thousands of years ago, and the memory of that moment remains vivid in my mind," the figure in the temple spoke coolly. "I presume you feel the same."

Kevin responded honestly, "Really? What moment? I don't recall it clearly."

Oswald turned his head away, picturing the anger simmering within the other party's heart.

As expected, the Empress God remained silent for a while before finally turning to face Kevin.

His face was concealed behind a mask made of ice and snow, and he donned a pristine white robe. The robe draped on the ground, forming slight creases. Barefoot in the icy, snowy location, even his breath seemed to emanate a frosty chill.

"I don't remember either," he softly repeated, then burst into laughter suddenly.

He raised his hand, and figures appeared on the enormous pillars crafted from frozen ice and snow within the temple.

Melo intertwined his two fingers, causing the black figures behind Kevin to kneel with a "plop." Following Melo's gestures, their foreheads touched the icy ground as they submitted completely.

"I don't remember... but I will grant you a reunion," Melo remarked, surveying the towering pillars. "How long has it been since you last encountered these gods who once towered above you? Behold... these mortals."