Beyond the Apocalypse

Chapter 1150: Into the Divine Realm (III)

What Vlad, Overlord, the White Death, and the others saw next forced them into stunned silence.

Before them stood giants—nine of them, to be exact.

These were not merely large beings, but entities so immense that each could rival the size of a Supreme World. Their forms were indistinct, as if cloaked in layers of shifting reality, but their presence was undeniable. Power radiated from them in overwhelming waves, pressing down on the group with such intensity that, for a brief moment, it froze the minds of Jormungandr, Ouroboros, Fafnir, and Altharion.

Only Vlad, Overlord, and the White Death managed to endure the pressure without faltering.

Even for them, however, the experience was far from easy. Their souls, refined and elevated beyond those of ordinary Lords, allowed them to remain conscious, but that did not diminish the awe that filled their hearts. They could feel it clearly—the aura emanating from each of those colossal beings belonged to the Empyrean Realm.

After a few seconds that felt like an eternity, the towering figures began to fade.

The oppressive presence receded, and the illusion dissolved, allowing the group to finally regain clarity. What replaced those overwhelming silhouettes revealed the true nature of what lay before them.

Floating in the vast expanse of the Divine Realm were nine immense kingdoms.

Each one was gargantuan, so vast that it could easily be mistaken for an entire world. They hovered in the starry expanse above the man landmass, encased within luminous domes that shimmered like shooting stars. These were not mere structures—they were Sacred Kingdoms, the domains of the Primordial Gods.

Vlad’s gaze sharpened as he observed them.

He had seen and destroyed Divine Kingdoms before—realms forged by Gods in the Higher Dimension—but what lay before him was on an entirely different level. The power and energy radiating from these Sacred Kingdoms were transcendent. Comparing them to Divine Kingdoms was like comparing a small cat to a ferocious tiger.

Each Sacred Kingdom was unique, its structure and aesthetic reflecting the nature of its Primordial God. Yet despite their differences, Vlad, Overlord, and the White Death were able to distinguish three distinct groups.

Some of the Sacred Kingdoms radiated the power of Light. Their energy was harmonious and expansive, embodying the universal laws that nurtured races such as humans, dragons, dvergars, and others aligned with creation and order.

Others emanated Darkness, their aura deep and oppressive, reflecting the laws that governed realms like Hell and the Abyss—domains of fiends, devils, and chaotic existence.

And then there was a third group.

These Sacred Kingdoms radiated a power that belonged to neither Light nor Darkness. Their presence was enigmatic, balanced yet unfathomable, as if they existed beyond the dichotomy that defined most of the universe.

Odinvaldr allowed the group a few moments to absorb the sight before speaking again.

"Let’s go."

Vlad and the others nodded, following him toward one of the Sacred Kingdoms.

As they drew closer, its details became clearer. The structure bore a resemblance to Valhalla before its fall, yet it carried a far deeper and more refined divine nature. Vast halls stretched across its surface, glowing with overwhelming brilliance. Towering chambers rose into the sky, connected by radiant bridges that shimmered with every color of the spectrum.

Rivers flowed through the kingdom, but they were unlike any water they had ever seen. The liquid within them resembled a luminous, golden liquor, radiating a faint but intoxicating aura of power.

The kingdom was not empty.

Hundreds of thousands of beings lived within it.

Vlad observed them carefully, his perception extending beyond their physical forms. At first glance, they resembled humans or warriors of ancient tribes, yet something about them was fundamentally different. Their bodies—and even their souls—were composed entirely of Divine Power.

This realization sent a ripple of understanding through the group.

In the Higher Dimension, Gods often allowed followers and servants to reside within their Divine Kingdoms, but those beings were still mortal at their core. Here, however, the inhabitants of the Sacred Kingdom were something else entirely—existences born from divine essence itself.

Odinvaldr did not draw attention as he entered the kingdom. He and the group moved silently, flying through the vast expanse until they reached its heart.

There, a massive golden hall awaited them.

Unlike the rest of the kingdom, which teemed with life, this place stood in solemn isolation. Not a single inhabitant dared approach it, as if an invisible boundary separated it from the rest of the realm.

With a simple wave of his hand, Odinvaldr opened the gates.

They stepped inside.

The hall was radiant beyond measure. Its walls were adorned with countless treasures, each emanating its own aura of power. Massive paintings lined the interior, depicting ancient battles and epic events that seemed to carry echoes of the past within them.

Yet none of that held the group’s attention for long.

At the far end of the hall sat a single figure.

He was massive, seated upon a grand throne, his presence dominating the entire space. His long white hair and beard gave him the appearance of great age, yet his body was powerful, brimming with strength and vitality. A deep scar ran across one of his eyes, adding to the aura of a battle-hardened warrior.

Perched upon his shoulders were two enormous crows, each nearly the size of a small beast. Their forms were imposing, and each of them bore three eyes that glowed with eerie intelligence.

A profound sense of awe filled the group.

Then, something even more astonishing occurred.

The Odinvaldr who had guided them throughout their journey suddenly dissolved into particles of stardust. Those fragments drifted forward and merged seamlessly with the figure seated upon the throne.

In the next instant, the man’s eyes opened.

Power surged through the hall as he rose to his feet.

Vlad and the White Death instinctively clenched their fists. The incarnation of Odinvaldr they had traveled with had felt ancient and mysterious, yet it had limits—limits they could sense. But now, standing before his true body, those limits were gone.

The gap between them was immense.

Unfathomable.

"Friends," Odinvaldr said, his voice resonating through the hall with a depth that seemed to touch the very fabric of reality, "allow me to welcome you properly to my Sacred Kingdom."

Each word carried weight, reverberating through their minds and souls.

He took a step forward, and as he did, his colossal form shrank, becoming closer in size to Vlad and the others. Despite the change, his presence did not diminish in the slightest.

"Please, sit with me," he continued, gesturing calmly. "We have much to discuss."

There had already been many moments that left the group shaken, many sights that challenged their understanding of existence itself. Yet as they heard those words, all of them grew focused.

This was what they had come for.

Answers.

Odinvaldr had been unable to explain many things while they were still in the Higher Dimension, constrained by forces they could not fully comprehend. But now, those limitations were gone.

He nodded softly as they took their seats, their eyes fixed firmly on him.

"Normally," he began, "I would start such a meeting with a feast. But I can see that what you desire most are answers, so I will give them to you."

His gaze sharpened slightly.

"Let us begin with the current state of the Divine Realm... and the event that will determine the fate of the universe."

A brief pause followed.

Then he spoke the words that would shape everything to come.

"The Tournament of Gods."