CHAPTER 188: CH 188 : THE CALM AND THE STORM

The Arena of Epiphany, a colossal stage that had borne witness to feats of impossible power and unexpected grace, fell into a hush once more.

The match of the second wave of demigods were underway, a breathtaking display that spanned a thousand different battlefields.

Sunny, from his high throne, watched with a keen, analytical eye, cataloging the diverse talents and strategies of his subordinates.

He saw demigods who commanded legions of summoned beasts, others who wielded illusions so perfect they could fool even divine senses, and warriors whose physical prowess defied the very laws of physics.

It was a universe of power, a living encyclopedia of combat potential.

His gaze, however, was drawn to two specific areas, two of his own creations whose approaches to this brutal Crucible could not have been more different.

In a windswept plateau dotted with jagged rock spires, the Spirit King reigned supreme.

He was not a physical combatant in the traditional sense. Upon arrival, his form had dissolved, becoming one with the very air of the arena.

He was the wind itself, an invisible, omnipresent consciousness that flowed through the canyons and around the spires.

He did not hunt; he observed. When two demigods clashed below, he would watch, analyze their strengths, their weaknesses, the subtle nuances of their elemental affinities.

Then, with a gentle, almost imperceptible nudge, he would shift the wind currents, subtly aiding one, hindering the other.

He turned the chaotic battlefield into his personal chessboard, manipulating the elements to orchestrate victories and defeats without ever revealing his own hand.

He was a force of nature, a silent conductor leading a symphony of elemental destruction.

Before a fire demigod, he would become a sudden, suffocating vacuum, starving the flames of air.

Before an earth elemental, he would become a razor-sharp gale, eroding stone defenses with patient, relentless force.

He swept through the arena like a cleansing storm, his tally of eliminated opponents climbing steadily, each victory a testament to his absolute mastery over the elements.

Meanwhile, in a dense, ancient jungle teeming with monstrous flora and fauna, Isiah, the Demigod of Knowledge, sat in serene contemplation beneath the boughs of a colossal tree.

He had not moved since the round began. He did not need to. His mind, an infinite wellspring of the Divine knowledge, already knew everything.

His first opponent, a hulking demigod with the head of an eagle and the body of a man named Kalthor, had charged him, eager for a swift kill.

But Isiah had simply opened his milky-white, all-knowing eyes and spoken a single, quiet truth. "Kalthor," he had said, "your ambition to create the spell ’Chaos Night’ is admirable, but the magical lattice you have constructed is fundamentally flawed. It collapses upon itself at the point of ignition."

Kalthor had stopped dead in his tracks, his attack forgotten, his mind reeling. How could this stranger know his name? How could he know the secret project that had consumed his every waking thought for the last decade?

Isiah had then proceeded, calmly and patiently, to explain the precise error in Kalthor’s spell matrix, offering a solution so elegant and simple that Kalthor felt like a fool for not seeing it himself.

Overwhelmed with gratitude, Kalthor hadn’t just abandoned his attack; he had sat down before Isiah, becoming his first, eager student.

Demigods, drawn by the whispers of a blind seer who could solve any problem, began to flock around him like birds.

One became two, two became four, and soon, a strange, unprecedented gathering had formed around the ancient tree.

Nine hundred and ninety-eight demigods, beings of immense power and pride, sat in quiet reverence, their eyes closed, their minds linked to Isiah as he patiently corrected the flaws in their techniques, refined their spells, and offered insights that unlocked years of blocked potential.

It was not a battle; it was a lecture, a divine seminar held in the heart of a deadly competition.

The audience, both mortal and divine, watched this bizarre spectacle with a mixture of awe and disbelief.

Lifeform626271: "Such divine teachings... am I even allowed to be listening to this? I feel like I should be paying with my life for this knowledge!"

Lifeform62637: "I was stuck at A-Grade for years! Just listening to his explanation of mana flow resonance... I think I just broke through! Thank you, Demigod Isiah!"

Lifeform6263: "Me too! That spell I’ve been trying to master since childhood, the one my own talent made impossible... his words just clicked! I understand now! Thank you!"

Lifeform26738: "He truly is the Demigod of Knowledge. He knows everything!"

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of shared learning, Isiah opened his eyes. "Our class is over for today, students," he announced calmly.

But before his impromptu disciples could protest, a familiar chime echoed in their minds.

[Congratulations! You have passed the second round of the Tournament of Gods]

With that notification, the 999 demigods and a spirit king vanished, teleported back to their stands.

They immediately turned their gazes towards the stand of God Cosmos, found the serene figure of Isiah, and bowed deeply in gratitude.

Adam reappeared at the center of the arena, a broad, appreciative smile on his ancient face. "Another great match delivered by our demigods! We witnessed the subtle massacre orchestrated by the Spirit King, and the profound teachings of the Demigod of Knowledge, which I believe have benefited not just the contestants, but all who were wise enough to listen."

His voice boomed across the universe. "Let us not waste any more time! Let the next round begin immediately!"

Another million points of light vanished from the stands. Sunny glanced at his own roster. Only one demigod was missing this time. But this demigod was an army unto himself, a force of nature unlike any other.

"Ah," Sunny chuckled, a cold, predatory glint in his cosmic eyes. "I suppose Kalzarin’s record of clearing an arena in twenty seconds is about to be broken."

His gaze followed a single, small, unassuming black slime as it materialized in the center of a barren, desert.

It was Nexus, the Controller, the living heart of the Realm of Advancement itself.