Earth's Core

The Crimson King had been successfully absorbed by Edward's body, turning him back into a human, but with a strange anomaly that made him appear very stocky and bigger than before. His face was no longer an ordinary human face; the eyes were a fiery red and the face was decorated with stars and celestial bodies.

Khul-Yog looked at Edward from a distance, not needing to find out as he was the power that existed within Edward. With wonder, Khul-Yog asked, "What's wrong with you?"

"I'm fine," Edward replied in a voice that sounded disappointed. "I don't want to be selfish anymore. I will become a conventional being."

Khul-Yog continued to probe, "What is it, Edward? Why are you like this? You've never been like this before."

"I just want to be an ordinary human, not the strongest, not the best. It only brings me burden and pain," Edward replied to Khul-Yog in a sincere tone.

"Wait, what's wrong with you? Your answer doesn't answer my question at all," Khul-Yog asked seriously, showing dissatisfaction with the inappropriate answer.

"I cannot protect Athena to the best of my ability. She is now in a very vulnerable state," said Edward seriously, and in such a state, he even shed tears.

"Don't overdo it, Edward. All creatures will inevitably face death. However, I am sure you will not fall into nihilistic thinking just because of one incident like this. Rise up," Khul-Yog counseled in an understanding tone, trying to encourage the despair-stricken Edward.

Edward gazed up at Khul-Yog with eyes burning red, trying to absorb the words of wisdom spoken by this extraordinary entity. Khul-Yog, who had a deep understanding of the balance in existence, tried to give a new perspective to Edward's suffering. Despite the bleakness of the situation, Khul-Yog was confident that Edward could make it through without losing his identity.

Edward flew through the skies with unwavering determination, unleashing a power that had never existed before. This power was able to resurrect Athena who was lying hopelessly. With great caution, he began to investigate the cause of Athena's previous death. Following a trail that shows signs of poison, Edward discovers a substance similar to snake venom but far more deadly.

Determined to uncover the mystery behind Athena's death, Edward uses the Time and Space Devourer to turn back time. The earth's sky appears to be dotted with the shadow of a giant, sprawling snake. As it approached, Edward noticed strange body features: multiple eyes and smooth-looking teeth, giving it a sense of awesomeness.

Without hesitation, Edward flew towards the snake. However, when he was about to strike, the snake seemed to merge with the air, disappearing instantly as if camouflaged with its surroundings. Edward, confused, did not know exactly what kind of creature he had encountered.

Suddenly, Edward felt the presence of an entity behind him, and it turned out to be the same snake. Edward asked, "Who are you? And why are you here?"

"I am Nehebkau," the serpent replied in an echoing voice. "I want all the gods to vanish, for my long sleep that has been uninterrupted for thousands of years has finally been disturbed by your presence!"

"Oh, really?" said Edward. "By the way, I'm just a human, why do you think I'm a god? How pathetic."

Nehebkau, a sturdy serpentine entity, seemed to stare at Edward with a sharp gaze. "Although you are human, your presence creates a surge of power that disturbs me. What is your purpose here?"

Edward, with his calm demeanor, replied, "I have no intention of breaking your peace. I am trying to understand what happened, uncover the mystery behind Athena's death."

Nehebkau responded to Edward with a skeptical tone, "I'm not sure you're really human. If you really want to defeat the one who killed Athena, fight me, come here."

Without hesitation, Edward accepted the challenge with a casual attitude, "Very well, come here, viper. Come, fight this Dark Sword before you!"

Determined to avenge Athena's death, even though Athena had already come back to life, Edward advanced and unleashed his first attack. "Let's begin, strange snake."

Nehebkau, who had awakened from his disturbed sleep, stepped forward to test Edward's strength that had managed to disrupt his millennia-long slumber. Their battle gave rise to a wave of energy that heated the atmosphere, turning the earth's air hotter.

Suddenly, however, Nehebkau seemed to disappear from sight, as if he had managed to camouflage himself perfectly. Edward, on the fly, transformed his form into a black aura to sense the energy Nehebkau was hiding behind the clouds. However, before Edward could see clearly, he was bounced off by an all-powerful invisible force.

Edward was stunned for a moment, then let out an amazed voice, "Wow, it turns out that such an old snake can play around. Interesting."

Using the Time and Space Devourer, Edward analyzed the gathered information. He discovered that Nehebkau was an extradimensional entity that had resided in the deepest layers of the earth for thousands of years. The extreme changes Edward had made to its existence had disrupted the tranquility Nehebkau had been enjoying.

As the atmosphere became increasingly filled with the tension of battle, Edward tried to contact Nehebkau, "Why do you keep hidden, Nehebkau? Let's end this with clarity."

Nehebkau, with a tangible presence, replied, "You try to outwit me, human. However, you seem to forget that I am an entity that has witnessed the rise and fall of the universe."

Edward smiled, "No, I just want to settle this fight fairly. Without camouflage or obfuscation."

Their battle continued, creating a storm of energy that involved relentless offense and defense. Nehebkau, despite being in the deepest layers of the earth, was able to control the elements and dimensional forces that made him a formidable opponent. Edward, with courage and desperation, continues to fight back, using all the power at his disposal.

Meanwhile, Athena, who watched the fight from a distance, was worried. Despite coming back to life, she could not overcome the growing anxiety within her. She hoped that Edward could overcome this test and bring peace back to the disturbed universe.

Edward, drained of energy, bounced and fell in Athena's lap. His unusual condition made her ask worriedly, "Are you okay?"

Athena replied with a sob, "I'm fine, I should have asked you that."

"Let the damn snake go back to earth, my energy is gone," Edward told Athena in an attempt to calm her down. "You don't need to panic, I returned to this time right before you were poisoned by Nehebkau's venom."

After explaining to Athena, Edward entered Olympus, occupying a throne like a king. There, he mused about the words of Diogenes that brought his memory back to the past, "Losers do exist, but only fools exist only in defeat."

These words inspired Edward. He decided to do some physical exercise that was still very humane, even though he had exhausted a lot of energy. Determined, he performed five hundred diamond push-ups and lifted the few heavy weights available as a temporary exercise.

Then, Edward prayed to Bondye who had now returned to a single form. "My Lord, I ask you, whatever I want is only to protect humanity from harm. Please grant me the power of darkness."

Edward did not seek the evil power of darkness, but rather the power of night that allowed him to master all things related to darkness. With this power, he can turn light into darkness in a wide radius, creating a dark and safe environment.

Meanwhile, Athena, who was still feeling anxious, continued to watch Edward from a distance. She was relieved to see Edward trying to get back on his feet after the fierce battle against Nehebkau. Although her feelings of anxiety had not completely subsided, there was hope that the new power Edward was invoking could bring peace back to the disturbed universe.

Bondye granted Edward's prayer by sending down a winged angel of light without any strange illustrations. The angel placed a stone on Edward's chest, and the two merged.

"Remember, this power cannot be used forever; you must also train it," the angel said seriously. "You should not fight, let the snake roam, because I have locked him up in a different world."

Edward felt powerful with this new power. The angel gave him a hint that the use of this power had limits, and training it was important. Although the system that sustained Edward's powers had collapsed due to its inability to contain Edward's physical and mental strength, he was still determined to utilize these powers wisely.

In his first attempt, Edward succeeded in controlling the darkness. The room dimmed by about fifty percent, reducing its captions without sacrificing clarity. Even the speed of light seemed to respond to this change with a corresponding decrease.

However, Edward felt the need for more training to optimize this new power of his. He vowed to understand every aspect of the dark abilities he had been given and use them wisely.

"What's going on, Edward?" asked Athena via quantum communication. "What is the new power?"

Edward replied sincerely, "It's the power of darkness, Athena. I got it from Bondye to protect us and the universe."

Athena took the news to heart. "May it bring peace and justice, Edward. I believe in you."

Edward, with growing determination, said, "I will make sure that happens, Athena. Together, we will keep this world in balance."

Without hesitation, Edward re-entered his burly body, attempting to channel 1% of his power. Despite his strong determination, his power seemed unable to contain the 1%, creating a new challenge for him to overcome.

As this process progressed, the ground began to give off some mysterious animals. Not Dabbah, but fantasy creatures that appeared according to people's thoughts. They had varied shapes, adapting themselves to the images that crossed anyone's or the creature's mind, creating a stunning illusion.

Athena, who watched these events with anxiety, asked Edward, "What is going on? Is this Nehebkau's doing?"

Edward replied with confidence, "No, it is my doing. I used the State of Will, creating effects throughout the universe. With the State of Will, I can realize things beyond reason, including creating these creatures."

In a firm tone, Edward continued, "Now, I am the darkness that encompasses evil, being the only darkness that sympathizes with the light."

Athena digested the information carefully, trying to understand the implications of Edward's profound change. "So, this power allows you to control the surrounding reality?"

Edward nodded, "Yes, the State of Will gives me the ability to manipulate reality as I wish. However, it also requires a fine balance, as its use can affect not only our world, but the entire universe."

"What are your plans next?" asked Athena with curiosity.

Edward looked up at the sky, his red eyes sparkling. "I will use this power wisely, maintaining a balance between darkness and light. There will be no arbitrary actions. Our goal remains to protect the universe from threats."

Athena nodded, "I believe in your good intentions, Edward. We will face this challenge together."

Meanwhile, the fantasy animals created by Edward continued their amazing performances, spreading wonder and beauty throughout the universe. Great changes have begun, and the future of the universe is in the grasp of the new powers possessed by Edward.

Now, Edward has metamorphosed into Shiva, not as a godlike or divine entity, but as an extraterrestrial being created by God with the purpose of bringing peace into the universe. Although he is not omnipotent as in Paganism, Shiva only has power granted with God's permission.

"Within me, there is the personification of nothingness," Edward said in a voice that sounded like the vibration of the universe. "I am Shiva, capable of splitting fission into atoms, into something and not something, human and not human."

This description made Athena feel confused. "What do these words mean?"

Shiva, with a presence that reflected balance and wisdom, explained, "I am the Enlightened One, who never condemns the truth. I am here to fulfill my God-given duty, guiding the universe towards balance and salvation."

Athena tried to understand the essence of this change. "So, God created you to be a protector and guardian of peace?"

"Yes," Shiva replied. "I am an extension of His will, not an entity imposing its own. This duty includes maintaining Will of God between the forces that exist in the universe, preventing potential destruction, and supporting the development of His creatures."

Athena nodded, beginning to understand Shiva's new role. "What should we do next?"

Shiva gazed into the distance, his red eyes shining with understanding. "We must ensure that the universe runs according to His design. The challenges will not be easy, but together, we can achieve balance and peace."

Athena realized that this change had huge implications for their journey. "We have a great responsibility. How can we ensure that we carry out this task well?"

Shiva replied with determination, "We will work together, combining our strength and wisdom. Through cooperation, we can face every challenge and keep what God promised or intended in His creation."

To be continued...