From God of Lies to Lord of All Worlds

Chapter 455: The World's True Crisis

"It matches. It all matches!"

As King Arthur told his story, no one was more ecstatic than Professor Thomas Franklin over at the Mythology Research Institute in Amerigo!

As a top-tier religious expert and someone who had hypothesized extensively about world history, he had recently been pondering a single question.

When exactly did the crisis begin—the one that forced the gods to abandon this world, fall into a deep slumber, or perish completely?

They had a rough estimate that around the year 1000 AD, all the gods across the globe vanished.

The Church lost the protection of its angels, forced to rely on lingering remnants of power to resist demons and evil gods. The Vikings of the Nordic regions converted into Christians and Protestants, Buddhism was nearly wiped out in its own domain, and the Native Americans were pushed to the brink of clan annihilation...

All of these events occurred during that specific timeframe.

But what about before that? Who could possibly know what transpired prior? What drove these divine pantheons to make such drastic choices?

What was the exact timeline? And what were the ultimate consequences?

Plagued by a severe lack of information, they had never been able to find the answers. Yet now, following King Arthur's revelations, Thomas astutely realized that the truth was finally coming to light!"Everything makes so much more sense now. Take Kuchamama, for example. Hasn't his method of arriving in this world already been explained?" Professor Thomas leaned eagerly over his desk, hastily jotting down every word King Arthur had just spoken.

Previously, they had been baffled. Why would an enemy of the American God System bear traces of Norse Mythology and Greek Mythology?

Now, the pieces fell into place. The initial battlefield was never in the Gulf of Mexico or the Caribbean Sea at all. It was right here, in the Nordic and North Sea regions—a war zone belonging to the Norse Gods and the Celtic deities.

"No wonder the Ragnarok of the Asgardian Pantheon arrived, and no wonder the Celtic gods vanished without a trace in the fifth century... It all left a trail!"

"This also explains the Church's subsequent expansion. The Church truly was the strongest; even during the most catastrophic crisis, they managed to preserve their structural integrity. Even their expedition to the Americas was a premeditated plan!"

"By that logic, could the lack of the Church's presence in the East be due to the existence of that supreme Eastern mythology?"

"That terrifying divine war raged for at least a millennium, ultimately ending with the victory of our gods. However, this world—and perhaps many other worlds—paid an agonizing price!"

Given the existence of a new world, Thomas had hypothesized the sheer power behind those divine pantheons. He had already gained a preliminary understanding of this through the testimonies provided by the Church and Carl.

Thomas felt every lingering doubt in his mind dissolve. Even the spread of those mythological stories now had a completely new trajectory!

He connected all the dots—not just the mythology and history, but also the modern intelligence they had gathered, including the secret records of the Church. Angus had been in contact with him, which was exactly how Thomas managed to piece this grand puzzle together.

He transcribed the information with a frantic fervor, weaving together the threads of a colossal secret.

"No wonder angels manifested in this world to deliver warnings! According to King Arthur, the crisis is far from over. This perfectly aligns with Kuchamama's declaration—they were merely defeated, not destroyed. They could stage a comeback at any given moment!"

"The gods possess more than one world, so when the war descends, they might not be able to protect this one. Is that why we have the protection of these Earth Heroes?"

He documented every revelation, deepening his understanding of the world's ancient past, while simultaneously feeding this synchronized data straight into Bai Yang's hands.

Bai Yang had been keeping a close eye on Thomas. The sheer scope of the man's imagination never failed to amaze him, especially since many of his wild hypotheses had a knack for becoming reality. It was safe to say that for highly imaginative analysts like him, this was the golden age!

While the scholars might have been thrilled, the rest of the world couldn't find a single reason to smile.

This was especially true for the high-level officials of various nations—particularly those locked in bitter disputes with their own militaries.

"No, this is all wrong!" Golden Hair had actually been in high spirits recently. Thanks to the monumental shifts brought about by the arrival of Transcendence, the major corporations had finally been forced to cough up enough funds for him to enact profound national reforms.

This breakthrough had allowed him to push forward with numerous plans. Despite his ongoing conflicts with Nuland and her faction, which prevented him from fully restoring the government's functions, he was still single-handedly holding the country together.

How was he holding it together, exactly?

When the government refused to pay the military, he paid them. When the government withheld salaries from federal employees, he covered the cost. Sure, those funds had originally been fleeced from the government itself, but he was distributing them under his own name. Through this strategy, he was on the verge of taking total control over the nation!

But now, with just a few words from King Arthur, a massive crisis had erupted! He could already envision just how much leverage this speech would give the military in their ruthless fight for increased budgets.

Those warmongers would exploit the paralyzing fear of the congressional representatives, continuing to siphon endless funds into the military-industrial complex while stripping away his control over the armed forces. This was a nightmare Golden Hair absolutely refused to entertain.

Yet, at the same time, everyone was wrestling with a singular, terrifying thought: 'What if it's all true? What do we do then?'

Do they follow along? Do they step up? Should they fully embrace Transcendence and go all-in?

If they didn't go all-in, and an enemy actually came knocking on their door, wouldn't they just be sitting ducks waiting for death?

But if they did gamble everything, only to find out that on a divine timescale the threat wouldn't arrive for decades or even half a century, the disenfranchised populace and capital forces who missed out on the benefits would absolutely tear them to shreds.

At this thought, Golden Hair even began to envy the future King of Great Britain. After all, that person would likely be a true monarch wielding absolute and boundless power, entirely free from the endless political shackles holding him back.

If he wielded that kind of power, why would he ever need to resort to such convoluted political maneuvering? He would undoubtedly be able to lead all of Amerigo to greatness once again!

"No, I must become a king too. I am already the sun of Amerigo. Seizing this opportunity, why shouldn't I ascend to the throne?"

Within Golden Hair's heart, a very specific and ravenous ambition began to swell.

...

While these leaders harbored their own calculating thoughts, King Arthur continued recounting his tale to the trial challengers.

"The tragic battle has concluded, but a new war will inevitably dawn! The gods will intercept the divine wars between deities on your behalf, but there will always be invading monsters that slip through and descend upon this world!"

"When that time comes, it will be the hour for people like us to take up arms. Had I not already joined the armies of the Otherworld, destined for the true divine battlegrounds, I would have yearned to stay behind as well."

"Many of you might be wondering why we are orchestrating such a grandiose selection process. This is the exact reason!"

"We need a true monarch. A king who will not cower before the impending crisis, who will train their army, rally their knights, and march onto the battlefield when ruin comes knocking!"

"We will not get a second chance to make this choice. Therefore, we must select the absolute best Inheritor to carry on this legacy of power!"

"As a king, you must stand as a bulwark before this realm and its people! You must be the sharpest spear, the sturdiest shield, and the final line of defense! I am not jesting with you; I am imparting the most vital truth of all!"

"If you lack this unyielding will, you will never be able to pull the Sword in the Stone. You will not be acknowledged by the sword of kings, nor will you ever attain Avalon!"

Hearing King Arthur's solemn decree, a heavy weight settled over the hearts of all the challengers.

"You still have the option to forfeit. Those who abandon the royal selection can instead serve as knights to the new king. You may join the Round Table Knights and become the guardian force of this nation!"

To have made it this far, the challengers had already proven their mettle. Their physical conditioning and raw courage were indisputable, and they possessed the fierce ambition to lay down their lives for their own people. Consequently, not a single person chose to back down.

Even if they were to fail, they had to at least try first!

"If you choose to proceed, then—draw your swords against me!" Seeing that no one had surrendered, King Arthur looked deeply gratified. He then swept back his heavy robes, revealing a brilliantly polished suit of Red Dragon Armor beneath, as well as a simple wooden sword grasped firmly in his hand.

He did not unsheathe his true blade, for if he had, no one present would have been able to withstand a single strike.

"Step forward, one by one. Survive three strikes from me, and you will earn the right to pull the sword!"

"I bear a profound responsibility to all the citizens of Great Britain. Only someone possessing this level of combat power is worthy of becoming the King of Great Britain and safeguarding the lives of its people!"

At King Arthur's declaration, every challenger tightly clenched their fists. So this was the final trial? It certainly was rather "unconventional"!