Realm Wars.

With the tides changing on Vaustaris, the scope of the four realms changed as well. It was like a server-wide announcement to all the gods both Known and Unknown that a fourth realm existed.

No one understood the news well though. That was until a rift opened in Torheim on the Field of Immortals spilling out demons in waves, a dark tide led by various devils.

In Feyryire another rift appeared over a blue mountain from which demons poured with devils in tow.

Torheim and Feyryire found themselves defending as demons invaded scarcely protected god territories. Gods at war found themselves calling truces and aligning to beat back the invaders.

All through this, the true perpetrator sat on her stalagmites throne with a frown. Hilde didn't like this. She didn't like this one bit. A glare at Cole was enough to send out her feeling on the matter. Yet all the male had to say was.

"It is necessary I assure you".

So she sighed and watched. Her eyes took in the details of those who would be exceptional. Whether she liked it or not it was a good way to know how far the gods both Known and unknown had come.

It was time to unlock the new zone for them. Given that Taursa was a new zone it was somewhere they would never actually take over. She wondered who would strike first. In the Tartarean Rfts, anything was possible. Maybe they could find new cities for her to claim. Then maybe she could finally get this boy's toys and get him to stop breathing down her neck.

Also, have time to sit and learn what he had to teach too.

She frowned at how she kept sidelining it. She didn't have a reason to not learn what he had to teach but she just hesitated to follow through. Hilde shook her head.

For today she had to seat and watch the chaos she had orchestrated in all her realms. She would have gone down to probably help but with the streaming ongoing, she had to play her goddess role. As did all her children.

Each child was seated at their place of power. Haero on his throne in Sol, Ozai on the Memory Throne, Tora in The Silver Temple, Freyja at the Soul Temple, and Freyr on his Bridge of Burdens.

Each one a symbol of the various points of the Star Ring universe. Even Ayarat was sitting on her Black Throne the Black sun burning above her.

She stood walking down to the window. The exact window she had stood a time ago to tell Haero a story. Her eyes drifted down to pierce the nothing as she watched the explosions of perks and abilities on the two realms.

Once she thought of them as players. Now all she saw with a glance were gods, all her children. It was both amusing and unnerving.

" You've come a long way haven't you?" she turned to the boy now sitting a few feet apart from her casually while flipping a dagger over and over

"I remember a time when you would faint from being just in the same room with me all alone". Cole added.

" I am not alone. The Lunals are here" she argued her mind going to the other her in the room but unseen. She was always present. She was the castle now, the will behind the Lunals.

"Are they?" a glance around confirmed that none of the armors were there. She sent him a look with a sigh yet she was unbothered.

Even without the other her, one that she hadn't accepted yet she was no more bothered by the boy. Why she could not tell but it gladdened her a bit. Still, she humored the boy.

"Where?"

"Even confirming that you have no fear in your eyes Helen." she frowned at the name but simply nodded. Why was everything and everyone dredging up times past she frowned.

"I guess you are right," she muttered. "Do you ever miss them?" she didn't turn to look still staring down the nothingness at the fight. Hoping he would take the bait and change the topic.

"By them, you mean.?"

"Your father, mother. " she looked at him noting his pondering face before he sighed.

"I've had a long time to get used to it. I do miss the man and his stubbornness. " He chuckled. "But in a more nostalgic way than a tears-flowing way. ".

" And your mother?" he frowned looking to the side blocking his face from view.

"I miss what she was."

Hilde nodded, while not quite understanding she knew to not push.

"But you do not need to ponder certain things. I can answer that for you. Yes". Cole was standing by her side this time. She looked at him confused.

" You've been in a rush trying to get over your fear. Throwing yourself into battles that..." Hilde tried to argue but the boy just set a finger to her lip making her eye widen while he continued.

"...while you make yourself believe you dislike, you relish them. You relish your victory and your sense of conquest, your might to overcome. Because you Hildelith wish to overcome. You have done well to stand above your fears but you are yet to truly overcome it all. Mentally you still feel the need to jump into the next battle and the next completely forgetting what you have here".

His finger left her lips leaving her like fish out of the water before she frowned and glared.

" Your point being."

"You Hilde, are not weak. Not in any of the one hundred universes. Not in the entirety of this multiverse. I would know."

"But the other creator players..."

"The other creator players can't compare. And this is not about the creator players."

" That's because I'm just ahead in levels. They will catch up and when they do.." she tried to avoid it.

A hand on her shoulder shut her up again. Cole sighed.

"Let's clear something up real quick. You are not ahead because this multiverse put you ahead. You are ahead because you created something that defied normal logic. Created a being that could stand on equal terms with a creator."

Hilde frowned at the memory of the announcement.

"Other players might have had to face their Void wolf later as set by the multiverse but it didn't make it any easier for you. If anything they offset your speed with the difficulty of facing a level 5 as a level 0. You did that all on your own. A supposed weak girl"

Hilde sighed. "Look I get you trying to encourage me and I appreciate..." she paused as she noted the boy take a deep breath as if trying to hold himself.

"Girl. When someone who can move through the void and watch all one hundred of you says you're not weak then you're goddamned, not weak ".

"But they will come.."

"And your universe would fall. But not because you're weak. But because your children and gods are weak. As powerful as you are, not even you can face ninety-nine armies without backup. Especially with how weak AUM is". he ignored her surprised look at his knowledge of the skill.

" At later stages maybe yes you can one-shot a universe but that time is far off. So you have to get them.." he turned her shoulder to face out the window. " ...in shape".

"And this is the best way?".

" Well if you want to risk them dying in the void without a chance of getting their souls then be my guest. At least you can reincarnate your mortals who fall during this and gift them perks for their next lives as a sorry or something else. Your gods will respawn indefinitely and your children will grow from the experience and conflict. Plus your Fearghal benefit. ".

He patted her head making her shrink back. " You're getting too bold " she hissed making him take back his hand with a cough.

"They won't have such a chance with real enemies." She nodded with a sigh.

"So now what?" she asked. "I mean if I can't hurry then what do I do now".

"Now. We seat back and watch. You answer prayers here and there and get your mortals to trust you. Not all power is personal. You have just over five millennials to get your people whipped into shape. Which is hardly slow considering the time discrepancy"

"How did.." she stopped and shook her head. Asking how he knew was useless. He was Cole.

"Thanks," she whispered. The boy just smirked with a nod. Both knew what she was thanking him for "That's what court mages are for eh". he sassed.

"How do I receive the prayers here though. I barely hear them?"

"Out here you subconsciously block them. Just will to hear. Responding is troublesome though. You'd have to be on your world to do so". he added.

"I actually don't. I mean what's the point of my messengers if I have to be there always".

"Right." he nodded.

"For the talk,, thanks. Plus. I doubt I should be here for this. Might be tempted to jump into the fray" she smiled hesitantly again before shutting her eyes to focus. Gulping the boy turned away and faced the sight of the battle below while waiting.

'Just a few more things to set and it's a go' he pondered. He stole a glance back at her. 'I wonder how she will handle it.' Then he paused and shook his head.

'She's Hilde. She'll do what she does best." he chuckled. "Still I worry for the other matter," His eyes moved to the side of room before drifting back as he noted that the girl had logged herself off.

Without a word he princess carried the female back to her throne. It wasn't till he set her down on it that it hit Cole.

'She trusts me enough to leave her avatar here while exiting the game even with me here'. A smile graced his lips.

"Guess I'll have to work to regain the trust." he then groaned and shook his head while still smiling. "Especially after this. Hopefully she understands". he was gone leaving the goddess. Around the walls of the Lunsr Castle hall the darkness receded revealing the glorified selves of the Lunals.

From one corner the younger Hilde materialized, her form more solid than before. Her eyes locked on the original as she sat there sleeping.

Then she walked to the window and stood looking out to the realm below. Casting a gaze back to herself seated on the stalagmites she spoke.

"We never did get to rest back then did we?"