The Gods all watched as Leon was enveloped by the probing light of the Temple of Gods. This golden beam of light was used to test if a being was worthy of Godhood. Normally, it only appeared if the person in question had proven himself or herself to the Temple of Gods.
However, that was not the only way to trigger the probing beam of light. If the collective will of the Gods gathered, they could activate the beam of light to descend on a chosen target. It was this method that they were currently using to test Leon's worth.
The light fused with Leon's obsidian bones, seeping into every crevice and exploring the core of Leon's essence.
Slowly, a scene began to unfold before the Gods. It showed Leon's life from the past, from Earth. It showed him as a child in the orphanage that he had grown up in. He had been shunned most of his life, and he had never gotten adopted. People had shown interest, but in the end, the other children who seemed more interesting than him had gotten picked.
It led to Leon slowly closing off from external factors, relying on himself and shunning society back the way it shunned him. It was not until he had become an adult and gone out into the world that he had slowly come out of his shell. He made a few friends, got used to being in society as a functioning adult, and lived a decent life. However, that decent life was cut short when he was abruptly killed and brought to this world.
A few of the people present cast dubious glances at Michael, but he ignored all of them and focused on Leon instead.
Next, Leon's exploits after coming to Datar were shown to the onlookers. His initial struggles as he fought for his life in an unfamiliar world. One thing that they noted was that his luck was actually quite exceptional. He was able to grasp opportunities that would normally be out of reach of others in unexpected ways. For a moment, the Gods thought that Michael might have messed with Leon's fate a bit, but they shelved that thought, as if he had done so, then the Temple of Gods would have revealed it.
Time passed as the Gods watched a summarized version of Leon's life. His struggles, his successes, his failures. They all bore witness to his rise in this moment. Eventually, the battle with Atrox's Incarnation was shown. That was the last thing to be projected by the beam of light before it began pulsating. With each pulse, it grew brighter and brighter until the entire hall was bathed in golden-white light.
When the light died down, Leon's figure became clear in the eyes of all who were present. He was standing in the center of the platform as if he was awake, but his mind was vacant. The Gods present here were all familiar with this event. This was the final test for Leon. The Temple was testing his own will and resolve. If he passed, then he would have the qualifications to ascend to Godhood. Although it would not instantly make him one of them, it would make his path to ascension much smoother.
This time, the Temple did not reveal anything to them. Instead, it held this test for Leon and Leon alone. As it would probe his weaknesses and expect him to surpass them, it was something very sensitive. If the wrong person got wind of these weaknesses, then it would be bad.
"Say, do you think he will be able to make it through this final step?" Asteria, who had been standing beside Michael, asked.
"To be honest, I have no idea. His will is strong, this I know. But just a strong will is far from enough to tide him through the obstacles that lie in his way. All that happens next is up to him." Michael shrugged his shoulders and folded his arms.
He recalled his experience when he had been snatched by the Temple of Gods a thousand years ago. He had gone through a grueling experience that was no less than torture. All his vulnerabilities had been plucked at by the temple, leaving him exposed. It had been incredibly trying for him to pass the trials and come out on top. But even then, it had taken him a whole hundred years.
This time, they did not have a hundred years on hand. Not when the Army of Destruction that had set its sights on Datar was only a few years away at best.
Michael had brought Leon for this with the confidence that if Leon were to pass, then he would be able to do it within a year. He had bet all his odds on this outcome, and his heart told him that he was on the right path.
Asteria nodded and returned to her silent self, settling down in her seat and waiting. To the Gods, a year was nothing. They could simply sit here and close their eyes, and when they opened it next, a year would have gone by. However, for mortals like Leon, a year was a lot.
Michael fell into thought as he recalled the war that Leon was currently embroiled in. If Leon were to vanish for an entire year, then the plans of the Elven Rebels would crash and burn. They had obviously staked too much on his participation in the war.
'Sigh... I guess I will help them out since I took out their principal contributor.' Michael sighed. As he closed his eyes, an incarnation formed from his Divinity condensed and took form within the main camp of the Elven rebels.
The flash of light that accompanied his arrival set off the alarms of the guards and several powerful figures instantly appeared around him.
"Who are you? State your identity and mission!" The one who was seemingly in charge stated as he walked forward.
"Take me to your leader." Michael said with a confident smile on his face.
The source of this c𝐨ntent is freewe(b)nov𝒆l