It had taken roughly one week for the invasion to end. However, the results of the attack would undoubtedly be felt for quite a while to come. The concept of being attacked by hostile forces was nothing new to the people of the world, as they had been through it throughout the generations. Naturally, this was the first time that they experienced it personally, but there were still records and stories from their ancestors.
And that had been all that it was, stories told of an age long past. Most invasions passed without the public becoming aware of them, while those that were truly felt could mostly be passed off as monster attacks. Aside from a select few groups of people, most were unaware that these foes had come from another world entirely.
Thus, this was only the third true attack that the people felt strongly. The first was long ago, back when the Keeper had only just made his name known to the world. In that instance, a few villages had been lost. People mourned for the unfortunate souls that had been consumed by the monsters which had appeared with barely any warning.
The second ‘attack’ was far more recent, but was from no external force in that sense. Rather, it was the great golem fleet that had aimed to destroy the world of Deckan. This could hardly qualify, as it passed without significant loss of life, but it was still an event that had shaken the world.
Now, finally, a true disaster had swept over the people. Two billion, eight hundred seventeen million, five thousand and thirty-eight people… that was the population as it was estimated to be residing within Harvus Prime at the time of the attack. It was expected that that number was not entirely accurate, as there would be people who had either been visiting the planet or traveling away from it, but the exact count was still being tallied.
Those who had been abroad when the planet was destroyed were fortunate in that their lives had been spared, but were now left without a home. Some of them had families to rely on, others had friends, but several had lost everything. For those individuals, the Boundless Caravan had extended a helping hand. Basic necessities were being bought at a high price, only to be freely given to those who had been deprived of their homes.
Elsewhere on Earth, a grand construction was underway just outside of Gandor, the capital city of the elven kingdom by the same name. Two hundred obsidian pillars were being erected within a newly fortified area, dedicated as a memorial to the lives that had been lost. Once the pillars were fully formed, it was planned to write the names of the deceased along their lengths. Still, even with the writing being fairly small and across two hundred pillars, it was calculated that each pillar would have to be over a kilometer tall in order to fit every name.
This memorial would be seen from far away, a monument to the lost souls. Numerous magical reinforcements had to be applied to the stone pillars, ensuring that they would not topple under either their own weight or from external forces such as heavy weather. Once the project was completed, it would become a landmark of Earth, a constant reminder that there were dangers lurking beyond the depths of space.
Julia Hart stood in front of her new home, a large wooden building she had personally made with her divine powers. In her hands, she carried several bulging bags. Walking inside, she set the bags down on a smooth wooden counter, looking around with a smile on her face. “I’m back from Ashley’s store!” She called out, before hearing the pitter-pattering of small feet running downstairs.
“Really? She didn’t give you any trouble?” Aurivy called out as she ran into the foyer, eyes wide with excitement. At present, there were too few people within Sanctum, namely the members of the Greater Pantheon and Julia herself. That meant that there was quite a large distance between any two buildings, and divine powers had to be used to hasten the travel.
Due to the fact that there was no electrical foundation, or even a mage tower on this planet, the only way to use electronics was to have them specially made by a relevant deity. In this situation, that meant that Ashley was the only option, causing the demonic goddess to set up a store within the Night City she had established. Though, calling it a city was a bit much, as she was the only occupant of the eternally dark territory with sprawling buildings made of a stone-like black material.
Borrowing the power of the God of Games, Ashley had established a unique currency system within Sanctum, one that only operated in the vicinity of its divine power. Removing this limit would have undoubtedly drained her far too much, after all. Regardless, this currency was known as Faith, but was truly the power of divine energy itself.
Within Sanctum, items could be bought or sold for divine energy, which would filter itself into a pure form to empower the seller. Such a thing was only possible in an area where divine power flowed as smoothly as it did in this region.
“It was fine. She even gave me a ‘first customer’ discount.” Julia said with a playful smile, rifling through the bags. “Have you finished setting up the network connection between here and Desbar?”
“Yup!” Aurivy nodded her head quickly. “Well, the connection goes to Earth, but close enough.” She stuck her tongue out playfully as she said that, earning a confused look from Julia.
“I thought the plan was to connect it directly to the main server hub in Desbar?” As she said that, she pulled out two crystal spheres from the bag, handing one to the halfling goddess.
Aurivy thought about how to explain it for a moment, taking the sphere and leading Julia to the living room. “That’s what I was planning, too! But, I found something out lately that made me change my mind.” Seeing the curious look on Julia’s face, she explained it as she installed the crystal sphere on the entertainment stand.
“The portals connecting the internet cables from one world to another have to pass through the void, you see? We’ve never really thought much about that, because it didn’t pose any problems to us. Void monsters rarely interfere with the transit, and if they do the effects are too minor to really notice. At most a slight disorientation or network lag.”
“But still, that means that the signal stability won’t be as good as if we were connecting to a local server! Although I’m using the same method, the connection doesn’t extend past the outer layer of the universe’s barrier in the void. While the other connections might seem like thin threads tying the worlds together, this thread won’t go anywhere that could be affected by those monsters. Plus, I managed to find a really good server hub in the dwarven kingdom, and got them to agree to let us connect through there.”
Julia thought about that, before nodding her head in agreement. “Alright, as long as you think it’s for the best. Anyways, I managed to get these crystal displays, as well a pair of high-end virtual reality devices from her. She said that they were the best she can make right now, and she wanted your feedback once you tried it out.”
“Got it!” Aurivy nodded, running over to sit on the wooden couch. Unfortunately, there was no deity present that could make them softer furniture, but she had plans for that to change in time. The groundwork had already been laid for Sanctum to become a fully functioning divine community. And thanks to the currency system Ashley set up, the others had all donated enough faith for Aurivy to establish the two commands. “Ready for my press conference?” She asked with a small smile, to which Julia nodded.
“My name is Lindsey Low, and I’m coming to you with an important announcement.” A human woman spoke up from within a small broadcasting studio. Within the studio, there were a few different couches and chairs, all red and comfortable looking, and a single table positioned in the center. Lindsey herself sat in one of the chairs to the side, facing the broadcasting gem embedded in the center of the table.
This segment was being broadcast over every major news channel, making it undoubtedly the biggest audience Lindsey had ever received. However, that was only natural, given the content of the message. “Earlier today, a member of the Greater Pantheon, the Goddess of Love herself, contacted our studio. She said that she had a message that she wanted to share with the world. As such, I would like everyone to warmly welcome one of the most special guests we’ve ever received on this channel.”
She looked over to the side as a pink-haired figure appeared on the red couch. Unlike her normally laid-back attire, she was now wearing a silken dress, one that hung off her shoulders. Her smile was polite and professional, while seeming to carry the warmth of a mother’s love. Finally, a silver tiara adorned her hair, a single blue gem decorating the item.
As soon as Aurivy appeared, she could feel a large influx of divine energy, the world’s attention fully focused on her. Lindsey looked over and asked with a practiced tone. “Lady Aurivy, would you like to inform us what it is that you wanted to tell us today?”
Aurivy took a slow, deep breath, savoring the much-needed energy. Although the others had donated some power to her, it was far from enough to return her to her prime. Thus, this was the best chance for her to recover, and she fully intended on making the most of it she could. “First, I would like to extend my heartfelt sorrow at the loss of so many lives in the attack of Harvus Prime. Devastation on such a scale is something that would make even a god weep in agony.”
She closed her eyes, looking down as if in mourning. “Too many people were lost, with none to remember them for who they were. As such, I would like to extend a moment of silence to commemorate these fallen souls, may they rest within Irena’s grace.”
Silence fell over the studio at her words, a solemness that they hadn’t expected suddenly appearing. Aurivy let this silence hang for several long moments before lifting her head, her smile seeming full of loss. “In the wake of this disaster, we of the Greater Pantheon have established a new world. A world belonging to the gods of all realms.”
“My dream is a simple one. I want to create a land where we can exist in harmony, where we can make the most of our abilities, and where we can gather to prepare. With our combined forces, we can easily mobilize in the event that another attack of such scale happens in the future. May the tragedy of Harvus never be allowed to repeat itself in the future.”
“This world, which we have named as Sanctum, is open to any god who wishes to join. They need only speak the words ‘I wish to enter the Divine Realm’, and they will be transported by my power. Should they speak the words ‘I wish to enter the Mortal Realm’, they will be returned to their point of departure.”
Lindsey watched Aurivy in shock, having not expected such a large announcement as this. Granted, she knew that it had to be something important for a member of the Greater Pantheon to personally make an appearance on a broadcasting service such as this, but she thought it would be limited to the attack on Harvus, and information regarding the culprit. “Can you elaborate what you mean by ‘a world belonging to the gods’?”
Hearing her question, Aurivy offered a soft nod. “It is just that. This is a world where only gods may thrive. The entire land is made of our divinity, and rejects all influence aside from divinity itself. Whether it is the land or the sea, only divine power can bring change.”
After saying that, she smiled almost playfully. “If I wish to build a house with my own power, I can only make it a dungeon. However, the goal of Sanctum is for cooperation to thrive. On Sanctum, you will have the power to use your own divine energy as currency to purchase services from other gods. This will allow those who have trouble gathering their own following to grow in power in this new land. Thus, I warmly extend this invitation to every god scattered through the various worlds, may you find comfort within this land that we have prepared.”
