Chapter Six: The Path to Ascension

Ael sat upright upon the divine throne, gazing through the water mirror at the god who was about to be born. The once pure white robe he wore had been changed for a golden ceremonial vestment—after all, this was his very first subordinate, and a certain formality was called for.

Countless streams of energy wreathed Savassan’s spirit. In that moment of unconsciousness, when his body had perished, the golden energy originally meant to reshape his form had fused directly with his soul. His once pale golden spirit rapidly deepened into radiant gold. Once the divine realm stabilized, his soul naturally separated from the blue jellyfish below, endlessly absorbing the surrounding golden mist.

“Did I... succeed? Am I still alive?” Savassan opened his eyes in astonishment, surprised that he had not been consigned to eternal darkness. Yet, he realized he could no longer sense his physical form, and his current state was peculiar. “Have I died? Is this the realm of the dead?” While he puzzled over these questions, Ael saw through the water mirror that Savassan had awakened. With a wave of his hand, a pillar of golden light enveloped Savassan.

“Thankfully, I won’t need to personally explain things to them in the future,” Ael thought with relief as he watched Savassan—the newly minted ‘tool-god’—absorb the upgrade package. When Savassan had finished assimilating the memories, he took a deep breath and, though not yet proficient, conjured a water mirror to gaze at his new appearance, adjusting his attire.

Savassan’s current visage differed greatly from before. The once wrinkled skin was now smooth, his formerly flattened cranium now rounded. The thick neural bundles that had protruded from the back of his head had become slender, supple, and extended over the crown. His face, now smooth, bore eyebrows and a beard—features reminiscent of humanity. The only distinction lay at the very center of his forehead, just above the brows: a golden crystal pulsed with light. This jewel had replaced his original eyes as the outward manifestation of his psychic power. The color of its radiance corresponded to one’s cultivated psychic attribute, but after ascension, all shimmered gold. Its brilliance could be adjusted at will, the maximum intensity tied to psychic strength. The shape denoted gender—a diamond for males, a circle for females. Each crystal bore unique patterns linked to the soul, which could be concealed. The hair, once functioning as neural tendrils, was now soft enough to be coiled up and tucked safely under a cap; leaving the Kalah would require one to shave their head—pity for Uncle Zhe, destined for baldness.

Having composed his complicated emotions, Savassan flew to the great doors of the temple, entered, and bowed deeply to Ael. “Savassan greets the Supreme Deity.”

Ael lifted his hand slightly. “Rise, Savassan. That you founded the Kalah by your own strength and awakened me from endless slumber is a remarkable feat.”

“Your Majesty flatters me,” Savassan replied, raising his head to meet Ael’s gaze.

“There is no need for such formality. In my eyes, you have not only given hope to your people but opened a new path for all beings in the universe. In light of your accomplishments, I hereby name you the God of Order. May you bring new order to this universe,” Ael said, smiling gently. “And I hope you do not resent me for altering your people’s appearance.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.” As Ael formally bestowed divinity, Savassan felt a resonance with a new law. His garments now bore patterns and insignia symbolizing order. Savassan bowed again in gratitude. “It is an honor for our kind to receive your blessing. I humbly request a name for our race from Your Majesty.”

Ael looked out beyond the hall and smiled. “Then you shall be the Starborne.”

Savassan bowed once more. “Thank you for bestowing a name upon us.”

“Savassan, now that you are my subordinate deity, you may no longer intervene directly in the mortal realm. Yet, as you have only just ascended, you may go and bid farewell to your disciples. From now on, their fate is in their own hands.” With that, Ael gestured for Savassan to depart.

“Yes, my lord.” Savassan took his leave and approached the jellyfish—Kalah. He sighed softly, then smiled; the outcome was far better than he had hoped. Not only had he survived and become divine, but his people had escaped chaos and now had the chance to ascend as well. Though the information he had just received weighed on him, he agreed with the Supreme Deity: ultimately, everything depended on their own efforts.

Standing before Kalah, Savassan pressed his right hand to the blue sphere of light and sent a thought within. Retracting his hand, he turned and flew off to build his own temple. Having just been deified, his power was still unstable and he could not yet enter Kalah directly.

Seeing Savassan depart, Ael pondered, then produced a small bell. With a flick of his finger, the bell rang melodiously and split off a new, smaller bell. Stroking his chin, he put away the original and took up the newly formed bell, delighted with his own ingenuity. “From now on, whenever a new deity ascends, this bell will ring on its own, proclaiming the birth of a god—both a celebration and a wake-up call for me. And if needed, I can use it to rouse other slumbering gods as well.”

“From this moment, you shall be called the Bell of Gathering Gods.” As the characters for “Gathering Gods” appeared upon its surface, Ael hung the bell on a rack beside him. Glancing at the vast emptiness of his hall, he sighed softly and closed his eyes.

Hearing the bright bell, Savassan instantly understood its meaning. After saluting in the direction of the Supreme God, he continued constructing his temple.

The bell’s sound reached into Kalah, awakening the Starborne from their immersion in endless radiance. Savassan’s consciousness, seeing this, sent information into every mind and gathered the awareness of his chief disciples, isolating them with his power.

“Master!” The five disciples, once their minds cleared and they had digested Savassan’s message, cried out—some with excitement, some with sorrow, some with resignation, some with longing.

“Do not grieve—this is the greatest honor and blessing,” Savassan said with a gentle smile to his five disciples. Aton and Taldarin had followed him from the very beginning, while the three Rohana sisters had been discovered as promising candidates when Savassan taught the way of Kalah. Their constitutions perfectly suited this path, and when they learned of his ideals, they followed him without hesitation.

“Master, as you said, after ascension we cannot easily interfere with the mortal world. When will we meet again?” Shantila’s consciousness, like a cannonball, flung itself into Savassan’s arms. Stroking her essence, Savassan comforted, “Do not be sad, Shantila. I am sure we will meet again. I await that day.”

Savassan and his disciples exchanged final farewells in Kalah. The five swore to cultivate diligently, to reunite after their own ascensions. Then Savassan’s consciousness withdrew from Kalah.

Once all were fully awake, their awareness returned to their bodies. They were not surprised to find their forms transformed. At that moment, the blue pillar of light connecting heaven and earth slowly faded. From now on, the Starborne no longer needed relics to commune with Kalah; instead, each one bore an invisible thread of blue light connecting them to it.

Aton opened his eyes, disregarding his own changes, and immediately raced toward the high sacrificial platform. Those around him made way—everyone knew that the great Savassan had departed the mortal world and ascended to godhood. The other four disciples hurried to the platform as well, arriving at the very place where Savassan had vanished.

Gazing at the now-empty platform, Aton and the others could not hold back their tears, even though they had tried to prepare themselves. Without their master’s efforts, the Starborne might have been forever lost in darkness and chaos, rather than facing a future bright with hope.

Through Kalah, their sorrow spread to every heart. When all understood what had happened, a wave of grief engulfed the people. Seeing this, the Rohana sisters quickly used the abilities they had just learned—perhaps one might call them spells—to quell the surging emotions within Kalah, just as Savassan had taught.

After the Sea of Kalah returned to calm, each Starborne gained an insight: if everyone’s emotions ran too wild, the Sea of Kalah would boil over, causing each mind to be swept away in the current, with disastrous consequences. Their next task, therefore, would be to find the self within the collective.

Once everyone’s minds had stabilized, Aton stepped forward and took the floating Khaydarin relic into his hands, raising it above his head: “En Taro Savassan, En Taro Khas”—the bringer of order, the honorific for Savassan. All the Starborne followed Aton’s lead, raising their hands in unison: “En Taro Savassan, En Taro Khas.”

In the days that followed, Aton and the four others built a temple upon the site of the altar. Within, they enshrined Ael and Khas, and placed the Khaydarin relic for worship. Around this temple, the Starborne rebuilt the capital of the Light Empire, founding the Starborne Empire with its seat at Koshaka—the Land Favored by the Gods. Their government largely continued the system of the Light Empire: a Grand Council of elders, with the Rohana sisters as the chief Preservers offering counsel, while the office of Executor—the supreme leader—fell to Artalis.

At first, the people had wanted Aton to be Executor, but he preferred the life of a warrior and chose to become an Executor instead. Taldarin became his lieutenant, so Artalis was chosen by all to serve as Executor. He was once the leader of a small tribe, beloved by the people, and the first to follow Khas, who held him in high regard.

Thus, the Starborne truly embarked upon their journey into the cosmos. They called themselves the Firstborn of the Gods, those who cultivated the Way of Kalah were known as Templar, and they regarded themselves as the heirs of Khas, worshipping the gods of the spirit world. What fate awaited them in this new universe, and what of the future that Khas so feared?

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“Find him. Bring him to me.”

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“As you command, my lord.”

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