Myth: The Ruler of Spirituality

Humans are not deities, and wizards are not warriors. The years have granted him not only knowledge but also wisdom, experience, and accumulation.

Had it not been for this accident, he wouldn't have needed to act so urgently, racing against Thanatos, but could have calmly faced each premeditated change.

But with this accident, he had no choice but to take today's path.

"Sigh—"

"What's done is done. Nothing goes smoothly without a hitch..."

He murmured softly, looking at his student with neither joy nor sorrow.

Now, it's time for the final step.

"Come... look at me, Erwin."

"From this moment, you will forget everything that happened today and remember your true identity—Jordan, your senior, my student, the Legendary Wizard who first studied the God of the Stars with me."

"Unlike Erwin, you are ambitious and incredibly gifted."

"You are audacious yet meticulous."

"A thousand years ago, during Typhon's calamity, you were the first to discover the God of the Stars, then dragged your teacher into it, even murdering your junior brother who wanted to report it in the subsequent experiments."

"In the end, you thought no one could be trusted, not even your teacher. So, you used unknown witchcraft to control me and Erwin, subsequently hiding in the shadows and using your supreme Mind Magic to manipulate the entire situation."

"You succeeded; no one suspected anything... until today, when you sensed some unease. So you decided to abandon your layout in Silver Moon City and exchange everything for a more valuable prize—Youth Goddess Hebe."

"Thus, after dealing with everything here, you will choose to venture underground... to that vast world between Earth and the Underworld!"

"This is not without reason because long ago, you discovered those special races who call themselves 'Dark Elves.' Although you don't plan to join them, you can hide among them, using their power and the dark and unpredictable underground environment to fend off pursuers!"

"Moreover, the underground world is different from both the Mortal Realm and Underworld; it is a semi-independent world similar to the Underworld but covered by Earth... even if the Divine King wants to personally enter, he would have to face Gaia's interception."

"This is your plan, a bit risky but precise and perfect. Do you remember now?"

The voice echoed, and with the elder's narration, the mind patterns, planted long ago, began to influence Erwin's thoughts through his turbulent spirit.

Much about the elder was erased because destruction is always simpler than construction.

When everything was completed, the elder slowly stood up. Looking at his former apprentice, he knew there were flaws, but this was the best outcome under the rush.

This former student indeed had connections with the Dark Elves, although it was at his behest, but all this left traces.

Moreover, beyond these layers of cover, the elder's greatest reliance for escaping was his choice not to be greedy.

Yes, not greedy, because he never intended to take the Youth Goddess and the Golden Cup, captured with great effort.

Considering that in most cases, the orchestrator of an event is bound to be the greatest beneficiary, since the greatest gains had nothing to do with him, he naturally wouldn't be the prime suspect.

Although relinquishing his spoils was somewhat regrettable, the elder's mind remained clear. He knew what he wanted and what his core pursuit was.

Before today, his core pursuit was 'life' because he was on the verge of death.

But after today, he no longer craved longevity as much; ascension to deity was his core pursuit now.

A Youth Goddess and a Divine Artifact certainly aid in ascension, but having studied Astraeus for a thousand years, the elder also knew that for a wizard, these weren't necessary.

The path to ascension was certainly more than one, and studying deities and artifacts didn't guarantee success. Conversely, carrying Hebe and the artifact would make enemies everywhere, both below and above.

When the risk far outweighs the reward, relinquishment is true wisdom.

Let them stay here, becoming the greatest spoils of war for Jordan, the blasphemer against the stars in Silver Moon City's history.

As for me...

"As for me... I am merely a dead man."

"This is the final lesson I give you, Erwin. Though you can no longer hear it, as a wizard, never place your trust and reliance on any being."

"Whether it is a person, an object, a powerful Divine Artifact, or the so-called 'truth' that cannot be changed."

"From today on, there will not be a chief wizard of the White Tower, only a reclusive spellcaster, a founder of some mortal academic school, an astronomer, philosopher, mathematician, and a sage trying to decipher the rules with knowledge, the Grand Sorceress Akelaus."

"And until the end of this epoch, he will not step onto the stage of the Mortal Realm again."

The elder... no, Akelaus, who had long shed his old body, glanced at his former student and then at his own old body, pierced by the Destruction Demon Sword.

He then entrusted the complete third layer of the ritual beneath the ancient city to Erwin and tore open a Space Gate at the ritual's core.

Once the final ritual commenced, all traces left by him in this place would be distorted and covered.