Chapter 3144 — Chapter 3144 The Gathering of Demigods

On a day unlike any other in the history of mankind, the Ivory Island descended from the sky and landed on the misty waters of the Stormsea. It had traveled far from its usual place above the Mirror Lake, moving halfway between Bastion and the rapidly growing city in the delta of the River of Tears.

Silver Web, the city of the River People, was not too far either. So was the Night Garden, moving among the waves like a towering wall on the horizon.

Two smaller ships could be seen, as well, sailing across the sky — they were the Chain Breaker and the Time Slayer, the storied vessels capable of braving the heavens. These ships were bringing exalted guests to the Tower of Hope. Today, the great pagoda was meant to serve as a meeting place for the demigods of humanity, so no mere mortal would find themselves under its roof.

The meeting had taken some time to arrange, but it was happening mere days after the new Sovereigns conquered their Nightmare. They had received time to reunite with their families and explore their new powers, albeit just barely.

Now, the demigods had to make arrangements among themselves, deciding which lands would be ruled by whom, how they would share the burdens of protecting humanity, how they would divide it among themselves so that their authorities did not clash.

How they would stave off the apocalypse until true deities were born from their ranks.

The vast meeting chamber was bathed in light, with a large wooden table occupying most of its great width.

The host of the meeting, the current ruler of humanity, entered first. With her alabaster skin and silver hair, sparks of white flame dancing in her eyes, she looked like a radiant spirit of light — a messenger sent by the heavens down to the mortal world. Her gaze was steadfast and heavy, though, giving her radiance a stark and awe-inspiring edge.

She was Changing Star, Nephis of Immortal Flame.

Next was her companion, a being so fearsome that even his existence was a forbidden secret. An exquisitely beautiful man with porcelain skin, raven-black hair, and eyes that were like onyx jewels rose from her shadow. It was as if a sea of darkness was given form. There was something serpentine about his elegant movements, and the shadows across the chamber grew deeper as he appeared.

He was Sunless, Lost from Light — the Lord of Shadows.

The third to arrive was the dreaded King of Nothing, Mordret of Nowhere. He came out of reflections, gazing upon the world with his strange, mirror-like eyes. The world reflected in them was the perfect copy of itself, and yet eerily different. Wearing an aloof expression, the King of Nothing spared his peers a curt nod in greeting and took a seat in silence.

A petite woman wearing a white tunic and a seawave cloak entered next, her delicate beauty so stunningly breathtaking that it escaped description. Her hair was like a waterfall of pale gold, and her eyes were hidden behind a blindfold. There was an air of solemn mystery about her, and her presence was easily forgotten.

She was Cassia, Song of the Fallen, the blind prophet who had broken fate.

Next came a young woman with tantalizing features, wearing a nebulous black mantle. She had an elegant figure and glistening ebony hair, her skin dusky, her eyes piercing blue. Illuminating the world with a captivating smile, she bowed gracefully to the others and took her seat, greeting them in a melodious voice.

She was Ananke, the Silk Weaver, the sorceress who ruled the River People and the Twilight Sea.

Not long after Ananke took her seat, finally, the new Supremes arrived.

The first to enter was a fetching man who looked younger than the others gathered in the chamber, but was actually older than all of them instead. He had strange, nebulous silver eyes that seemed to gleam with distant starlight, flawless dark skin, and a dashing smile.

When he appeared, a cold breeze seemed to blow from the sea, bringing with it the smell of salt, distant lands, and wanderlust.

He was Nightwalker, the last legend of the First Generation, and the founder of the House of Night. As for a regal title... he had only been Supreme for a few days, so people had not had the chance to come up with one yet.

Following Nightwalker, a woman of exotic and riveting beauty entered, her dress a darkly crimson hue. Her supple skin was grey like stormy clouds, smooth like silk, and devoid of any imperfections. That gave her an exotic and tantalizing, but outwardly inhuman look.

She was poised, reserved, graceful, and exquisite, like the embodiment of nobility and regal elegance. Her inhuman beauty was of the kind that put both longing and fear in a person's heart, and when she entered, everyone who looked at her felt soothed and at ease.

That ease, however, hid a darker side — it was the ease of prey bewitched into lowering its guard by a predator.

She was Seishan, the Lost Princess of Song, the most tenacious daughter of the Queen of Worms.

Following the princess of fallen Song, the princess of fallen Valor arrived. She was a striking woman with dark wavy hair and alabaster skin, her eyes as cold as the sharpest of swords. More arresting than their sharpness, however, was their vibrant color — they were as red as freshly spilled blood, the same as her scarlet lips.

With her pale skin, raven-black hair, and austere elegance, she looked both beautiful and daunting. When she entered, the world was suddenly permeated by a lethal sense of clarity and sharpness... unlike before, however, that sharpness did not radiate outward. Instead, it was reserved and focused inward, making it seem that she could cut the world with one graceful movement of her finger.

She was Morgan of Valor, the Princess of War... although now that she had become Supreme, calling her a queen would likely be more appropriate.

A man so handsome that his beauty could become a deadly weapon entered next, following Morgan closely. With auburn hair and sparks glinting in his green eyes, he greeted everyone with a radiant smile. Even demigods could not resist the devastating force of that smile — some responded with their own before knowing what they were doing, some looked away with strained expressions.

His presence was light and effervescent, but also carried a hint of melancholy, making every emotion seem more poignant and precious. His voice was pleasant and impossible to ignore, as well, making them want to listen to it forever.

He was Kai, also known as Nightingale — the Dragonslayer.

Soon after his radiant smile seemed to warm the world, a sense of chill permeated the air. A woman of ravishing beauty entered the chamber, her icy blue eyes glowing with cold light in the shadows of the doorway. Her figure was riveting, her flawless skin was smooth and white as snow, and her raven-black hair was cut short.

She carried herself with a relaxed grace, and her subtle presence filled the chamber with the feeling of otherworldly cold. Despite its subtlety, however, she was impossible to look away from.

She was Jet, the Soul Reaper — a woman who was neither dead nor alive, and who inspired fear and reverence in equal measure.

Finally, a tall woman with a stunning, alluring figure entered the chamber. She was tall and athletic, with perfectly defined, lean muscles rolling under her dewy olive skin and an air of infectious vitality about her. Everything about her screamed of strength and vigor, and it was hard not to feel your blood flowing faster in her presence.

That alluring presence filled the air with liveliness and energy, causing a certain primal intensity to permeate her surroundings, infusing them with stimulating, spirited force. Now that she was Supreme, that energy had only become stronger, threatening to feel overwhelming. She was Athena, Raised by Wolves, known by many as War Beast.

Since the others were already seated, Effie looked around with a confused expression, lingered for a few moments, and then asked:

“What? There are no snacks?"

Sunny sighed deeply and covered his face with a palm.

There was not one, not two, not three, but eleven — eleven! — Supremes in the room. More than there had ever been, and for once, they were not at each other's throats. Instead, by some miracle, they had all gathered together to discuss how they were going to coexist peacefully.

Sunny groaned inwardly and mumbled:

“Still, it's too many Sovereigns, damn it..."

Then, he looked at Effie, glared at her for a couple of moments, and said:

“Of course there will be snacks! Who do you take me for?"