Chapter 473: The First Giant Lord, Creator Annan, Appears

"It's finally over."

"The Lord of Storms is dead. It seems the Dragon Pantheon will achieve ultimate victory in this war."

When the world sphere was crushed by Iron Garon and the exhausted Lord of Storms was subsequently killed, preventing the worst from happening to the Heroic Realm, the gods of the Heroic Realm let out a collective sigh of relief. Their hearts filled with a sense of hard-won relief.

Although they had not personally participated in the battle and merely observed, the constant turmoil in the Heroic Realm, which was closely linked to their existence, had shaken their resolve. Especially at the end, when the Heroic Realm was on the brink of destruction, even their hardened divine wills trembled madly.

Meanwhile, the gods' minds were still uneasy as they cast their gaze upon the Firelands, looking at the silver dragon, not very conspicuous among the Dragon Gods but surrounded by them. Their expressions were complex—filled with dread, fear, or envy.

"The black time dragon that appeared at the end... it easily neutralized the Lord of Storms' final, all-out strike."

"The Lord of Storms was a top-tier deity; what level of existence is this dragon?"

As the gods pondered this, in the labyrinth castle of a layer of the Abyss, Baphomet opened his eyes, his bovine face filled with suspicion.

"What's going on?"

"The black time dragon seemed to carry an Abyssal aura almost ten times more potent than a demon prince."

"Could it be..."

Baphomet's heart pounded heavily as a bold guess formed in his mind. Simultaneously, witnessing Iron Garon's overwhelming power, a deep desire for the position of demon king emerged within him.

"If I win the battle for the throne, will I also gain such power?"

"Then, I could sweep the Abyss, ascend to Heaven, cleanse all worlds, and become the master of the multiverse."

Standing in the castle among the peaks, excited mooing echoed, attracting the curious gaze of countless minotaur demons in that layer of the Abyss.

In the first layer of the Heroic Realm, in the divine kingdom nearly overlapping with the Hall of Heroes, the God of Strength and Courage's eyes shone with divine light, reflecting the image of the Spirit King crowned with thorns and flowers. His thoughts raced.

"The Hero's Crown has appeared. When the Dragon Gods leave, I must seize the Hero's Crown with all my might."

"If successful, becoming the Lord of the Spirits, I might ascend to a higher tier of divine power! Perhaps even gain the authority to control this Spirit King."

With the Lord of Storms dead, the God of Strength and Courage was now the strongest deity among the gods of the Heroic Realm. Therefore, he harbored great expectations.

Because of his elation, holy light blossomed in his divine kingdom like flowers, bestowing comforting miracles upon its inhabitants.

In the second layer of the Heroic Realm, the Firelands.

The destruction of the world sphere, the death of the Lord of Storms, and the departure of the black time dragon—all happened so quickly that the dragons and giants still in the Firelands were left reeling.

"Garon, it seems I underestimated you," the Metal Dragon God said, looking at Garon.

Neither he nor the Undying Dragon Queen had anticipated that this iteration of Iron Garon, crossing time and space, would be so powerful. His mere appearance had decisively turned the tide without an intense battle, as simple and effortless as drinking water.

In their initial plan, they had thought even a quasi-divine time dragon would struggle against the Lord of Storms, requiring a fierce battle. They would then seize the opportunity to deliver a decisive blow for victory.

But the reality was different.

"Yes... I can't precisely control Time Reversal, and I didn't expect such a formidable time dragon this time," Garon said, his tail swishing with excitement. "But it's something to look forward to."

This meant he had the potential to reach such a level of power himself.

The Undying Dragon Queen smiled at Garon, saying, "It seems my initial choice and investment were right."

She candidly added, "Garon, when I first noticed you, I considered taking your body. But after thinking it over, I found it unwise and instead chose to form an alliance with you."

Garon: ...

The silver dragon rolled his eyes dramatically at the Undying Dragon Queen. "So, should I thank you for that?"

The merged five-headed dragon queen swayed her heads, her voice lazy and mature. "Yes, I accept your gratitude."

Then, her gaze shifted to the remaining giant gods. The Stone Giant God, who had retreated but not left the Firelands, and the Hill Giant God and Trickster Giant God, who were severely injured and exhausted from being besieged by six dragon gods.

And there was still the Love Goddess Elanis, who remained inside Carrikas, not yet released by him.

Simultaneously, a dark halo spread as the first Iron Dragon King and the God of Nature and Hunting, Xiati, emerged from the steel domain, both gravely injured.

The first Iron Dragon King was riddled with bloody holes, covered with green vines and blooming flowers. The God of Nature and Hunting had half his body bitten off, his divine form severely incomplete, struggling to regenerate.

At the same time, emerging from the steel domain, Xiati sensed the end of the chaotic divine battle and felt the dangerous gazes of the dragon gods upon her.

"Brother?"

Xiati's heart sank as she instinctively searched for the Lord of Storms' presence. Following his aura, she saw the fragmented landscape of the Firelands, where his presence was dispersed.

"Brother! How... how could this..."

Momentarily stunned, Xiati covered her mouth, her expression filled with disbelief.

She saw the Lord of Storms, cut into countless pieces, his divine flesh like beautiful crystals, still radiating faint divine power, scattered everywhere.

"Xiati, it's over," the Metal Dragon God said, flapping his wings, his golden body like the sun, darting towards Xiati.

Already severely wounded from fighting the first Iron Dragon King and vastly inferior to the Metal Dragon God, Xiati struggled to resist but was quickly seized by the dragon god's claws.

She struggled, but the Metal Dragon God's grip was unyielding as a mountain.

Whoosh!

A golden flame blossomed, burning Xiati's divine form, eroding her divine power.

The Metal Dragon God showed no mercy, his face stern as he listened to Xiati's wails, unmoved.

A higher deity posed a significant danger; the dragon gods couldn't afford to spare her.

At this moment, an unexpected event occurred.

The crystal-like flesh of the Lord of Storms, scattered and emitting a faint divine aura, began to tremble and ascend, converging towards a single point.

"Oh? Not dead yet, huh? Left a breath," the dragon gods thought, growing vigilant.

The giant gods saw this and felt a surge of hope.

"Lord God! I knew you couldn't die," the Hill Giant God shouted.

The Metal Dragon God paused in killing Xiati, gathering power. With a solemn expression, he breathed a golden, radiant dragon breath towards the gathering flesh.

The Undying Dragon Queen was not to be outdone, her five heads spewing five different dragon breaths, surging like a tide.

However, facing the two quasi-divine dragon gods' assault, the yet-to-form divine remnants seemed to turn into a dreamlike illusion, rippling but letting the dragon breaths pass through.

It should be noted that the dragon breaths could obliterate any real entity, phantom, or unseen presence.

"Something's off," the two dragon gods said, their faces serious as they halted their attack.

Dragons, giants, and the observing gods all focused their gaze on the coalescing divine form.

Garon's eyes narrowed as he intently watched.

In the Abyss, Baphomet's bovine eyes widened in realization.

"I thought so. Annan, that old fellow, wouldn't die so easily."

The next second, under the gods' focused gaze, the divine form took shape.

The head, torso, and limbs were of a giant deity.

But he bore no resemblance to the Lord of Storms; he was a giant god unknown to the gods.

His face had a primitive ruggedness, an expression of indifference to all creation. His body bore a myriad of stars, symbolizing the fundamental order of the multiverse's workings. His deep, wise eyes shone like suns, impossible to look at directly.

"The Giant Lord... Annan..."

Recognizing the giant deity, the gods in their divine kingdoms whispered.

Giant Lord, Father of All, Creator, a being of true might and great creation—these were all titles of reverence for Annan.

The Giant Lord Annan was an entity on par with the Dragon Lord, the Nine-Faced Dragon God.

If one were to rank the gods beneath the mythical God of Gods, Ao, Annan would undoubtedly be among the foremost terrifying deities. Such a god, disappointed in the Giant Pantheon, had retreated to the outer realms, observing the infinite multiverse without interference.

Seeing Annan appear, all the dragon gods were on edge, their faces changing drastically.

The Dragon Pantheon had no deity that could contend with Annan. The Nine-Faced Dragon God had not yet resurrected. If Annan developed hostility toward the Dragon Pantheon upon seeing the impending demise of the Giant Pantheon, it would be disastrous.

"Will I have to use Time Reversal again, unprecedentedly twice in a row?" Garon thought, swallowing nervously.

In reality, Annan emitted no oppressive divine aura, his presence harmless in the gods' perception. But his mere identity was enough to intimidate the gods.

"Father God!"

"I'm so glad you're not dead. Please save the Giant Pantheon," Xiati, weak and helpless in the Metal Dragon God's grasp, said softly.

Annan turned his head towards her.

Under his calm gaze, the Metal Dragon God felt immense pressure, not from divine might but from psychological tension.

As part of the Nine-Faced Dragon God, the Metal Dragon God understood how powerful Annan was.

While the Metal Dragon God and the Undying Dragon Queen together could contend with the Lord of Storms, facing Annan was a different story.

The power the Lord of Storms had inherited from Annan had never been fully realized.

Simultaneously, the Hill Giant God and the Trickster Giant God pleaded with Annan, "Father God, as your offspring, we have failed. We cannot defeat the Dragon Pantheon. Please, help us."

Under the tense gazes of the dragon and giant gods, Annan shook his head, his voice calm and devoid of concern for the Giant Pantheon. "I gave up the Giant Pantheon and my position as the chief god long ago."

"Whether the Giant Pantheon flourishes or declines does not concern me."

"Moreover, Xiati, Gloronto, and Dianca, my children, have you forgotten the genuine smiles on your faces when you ambushed me in the Beastlands?"

Mentioning the ambush by his offspring, Annan's tone remained tranquil, like an unfathomable deep well.

Ignoring the giants' explanations, Annan's arm detached and reformed into a bewildered Lord of Storms.

A new arm regrew, and Annan gently patted the Lord of Storms' head.

"Stromoltz, do you see now?"

"This is the Giant Pantheon you sought to unify and save."

"The truth is, your siblings never deserved your sacrifices."

"Tell me, do you realize your mistake now?"

Annan sighed, his expression softening.

At that moment, he seemed more like a compassionate father than a god.

The Lord of Storms lowered his head, feeling the warmth of his father's hand, like a child realizing his mistake, and said in a weak voice, "I understand now, Father."

Annan smiled reassuringly.

"Very good, my child."

"Come with me away from the chaos and disorder. Let's create a new world and a new race, according to our will."

"Yes, Father."

The Lord of Storms nodded obediently.

"I'll send you away first."

Annan patted the Lord of Storms' shoulder, and in a flash of white light, the Lord of Storms disappeared, destination unknown.

Annan then swept his gaze over the dragon gods, lingering on Garon for a few seconds before addressing the Metal Dragon God and the Undying Dragon Queen. "Bahamut, Tiamat."

"Thank you for helping my wayward son see the true nature of the Giant Pantheon."

"His actions caused unnecessary losses for you. I apologize on his behalf."

The two dragon gods exchanged a glance and replied slowly, "It's said you were on good terms with the Nine-Faced Dragon God in the past. It's just some losses; you need not apologize."

It was hard to imagine that, despite being mortal enemies, the Dragon Lord and the Giant Lord had once had a mutual respect for each other's strength, akin to kindred spirits.

During the Dragonfall War, Annan had retreated and not intervened. Had he targeted the dragons in the absence of their god, the situation would have been dire.

"I regret not being able to assist Ao when he perished."

"If Ao were still alive, the relationship between dragons and giants might not have devolved into this endless enmity."

Annan spoke softly.

He then smiled faintly. "Though you do not accept my apology, I cannot ignore Stromoltz's wrongdoings."

Annan reached out, and the Hero's Crown atop the Spirit King's head suddenly flew off, separating from its body.

In an instant, the Spirit King's body collapsed, dispersing into countless life energies and spirits, returning to their layers in the Heroic Realm.

"This Hero's Crown is valuable. Consider it my compensation to you."

Ah!

My Hero's Crown!

The God of Strength and Courage's vision darkened, but he dared not utter a word of complaint.

The Hero's Crown flew out, glowing faintly, and landed before Garon.

The silver dragon blinked, curiously examining the Hero's Crown. As he picked it up, he felt its resistance and sealed it in time amber.

"The war is over. I won't interfere with how you handle the giants."

"I will take Stromoltz away from the world's troubles. I hope you won't disturb our peace."

Annan stated.

"Of course not."

The dragon gods gave a verbal guarantee.

Annan nodded lightly, not demanding a contract, and his form gradually faded, disappearing from the gods' sight.

Only now did the dragon gods breathe a sigh of relief.

Though it was clear Annan had no interest in the giants, his presence still exerted a subtle pressure on them, keeping them tense.

"It seems Annan didn't perish in the Beastlands. He must have used some method to fool the gods."

"No wonder the Lord of Storms could inherit Annan's power so quickly. It was likely Annan's intent to show him that his firm beliefs were but illusions."

The dragon gods now understood.

Without Annan's cooperation, the Lord of Storms couldn't have grown so powerful so quickly.

"This Creator's character is peculiar. The records depict him as extremely stubborn, but he doesn't seem that way."

The Life Dragon, Tamara, commented.

The title of Creator was because Annan wielded the authority of creation, having created countless material worlds. As long as these worlds existed, he didn't need faith to maintain his power.

Therefore, he didn't care about the giants' faith.

Due to his indifference, the giants' faith in him had long waned, yet it didn't trouble Annan.

The Destruction Dragon God laughed, "Isn't this stubbornness?"

"To change the Lord of Storms' mind, he risked himself to show him the futility of his efforts."

"No matter how strong he is, entering the Lord of Storms' divine realm and facing the pantheon's ambush must have been tough."

The Destruction Dragon God's simple mind saw through the facade.

At that moment, the Metal Dragon God released golden flames, burning Xiati's divine form.

Having been abandoned by Annan, Xiati was despondent, not resisting and even welcoming death. She was soon completely killed.

Simultaneously, the other dragon gods exerted their power, killing the Hill Giant God and the Trickster Giant God.

They resisted fiercely, but in the current situation, it was futile.

During the battle, the Trickster Giant God begged for mercy, offering to become a vassal of the Dragon Pantheon, but the dragon gods ignored him, killing him decisively.

In the Giant Pantheon, only the Stone Giant God could be spared.

The other giant gods were mortal enemies of the dragons, with deep-seated grudges.

Soon, the remaining giant gods were all slain.

Thus, among the giants, only the Lord of Storms, taken by Annan, the Stone Giant God who withdrew in time, and the Love Goddess Elanis, held by the Destruction Dragon God, survived.

Elanis remained in Carrikas's stomach, not released to avoid witnessing the slaughter of her kin.

So, in the Firelands, the only exposed giant god was the Stone Giant God, under the dragon gods' watchful eyes.

"Dragon Queen, I left the Giant Pantheon as you asked."

"I hope the Dragon Pantheon will honor its promise."

The Stone Giant God said uneasily.

"Scorius, the Giant Pantheon has many enemies. Even if you betrayed them, you can't change your identity as a giant god."

"Afterwards, you and your stone giants will continually face trouble."

The Undying Dragon Queen said softly.

Scorius frowned. "What do you mean?"

The Undying Dragon Queen pondered, "I recall that stone giants are not flesh and blood beings. They can reshape their bodies and don't have to maintain human form."

Scorius nodded.

The Undying Dragon Queen smiled, "Our dragon gods can bestow dragon heritage upon the stone giants, renaming them as stone dragons. With your assistance, the stone giants can become the stone dragon race, joining the Dragon Pantheon."

"You will then be the Stone Dragon God, gaining the protection of the Dragon Pantheon."

"However, since you have a history of betrayal, you must swear binding contracts according to my terms."

Stone giants, tireless and silent, were excellent laborers.

Scorius shook his head. "Sorry, I don't plan to join the Dragon Pantheon."

The Undying Dragon Queen grinned, revealing sharp dragon teeth. "Do you think you have a choice?"

Never forget: the Undying Dragon Queen was a malicious god from Hell, loving deceit and trickery.

She wouldn't strictly adhere to promises.

Even the strongest River Styx contracts would have loopholes and traps she would instinctively set, even if unnecessary.

After a moment of silence, the Stone Giant God, or soon-to-be Stone Dragon God, nodded slowly.

The Undying Dragon Queen, having succeeded in her plot, felt elated.

"Tsk, Scorius is in trouble."

Seeing Scorius nod, Garon thought silently.

The giants lacked heritage and might not understand dragon heritage. But Garon knew it was both a gift and a restriction, steering those who accepted it onto a predetermined path.

Even Garon had been influenced, initially behaving like a typical evil dragon until he grew strong enough to revert to his true nature.

Accepting the heritage and becoming stone dragons

, their faith would erode, no longer unwavering.

Eventually, influenced by the heritage, stone dragons would integrate into the dragon race. If the Stone Dragon God betrayed the Dragon Pantheon, his followers wouldn't remain loyal.

True dragons would never revere a god who betrayed their pantheon.

When the Metal Dragon God and the Undying Dragon Queen waged war, causing many dragon deaths, true dragons rejected dragon gods. Even erasing memories couldn't stop the instinctive resistance, leading to painstaking efforts to rebuild faith.

"Fellow kin, the Giant Pantheon has collapsed, but countless giants still roam the worlds."

"Without their gods, their fate is sealed."

"Unleash your divine power and cleanse the giants. Leave none alive!"

Though enemies, the dragon gods respected the giants as formidable foes. Even without gods, they remained a potential threat.

In the dragons' view, acknowledging a powerful foe meant exterminating them completely.

The elven pantheon didn't receive such recognition.

___________________

(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