Awakening：The Infinite Evolution of My Talent as a Low-Level Awakener

Even the God of Thunder and Courage was in such a state, so it went without saying how the demigods, legends, and the countless third-class soldiers below him felt.

Though they hadn't fully grasped what had happened, they could at least see that the god of Orichalcum, who should have been killed, was still alive, while the five gods from Ashen's forces had all vanished! Adding the piercing cries they'd just heard, even a fool could figure out that the gods of Ashen had likely been wiped out by this unknown, mysterious powerhouse.

"The great Lord Austin… slain?"

"What just happened? Why are the gods gone?"

"Oh, heavens! I think I heard the gods' wails!"

"No, it can't be. How is this even possible?"

"Five gods—those were five gods! Who on earth is he?"

"Could this be a high deity of Orichalcum?"

Ashen's soldiers were stricken with fear, their entire worldview shattered. In their eyes, gods were the ultimate, invincible beings. But now, right before them, those very gods had been instantly and completely annihilated by this mysterious force.

The shock was enough to break every ounce of faith and courage they held, leaving them more terrified and unsettled than if the sky itself had fallen!

The emotions of Ashen's army plummeted from paradise to the depths of despair. An endless terror began to devour their hearts.

"Ashen's army?"

At that moment, Sterl's voice rang out again, like the horn of death, reverberating in everyone's minds and jolting them out of their dazed state.

"No, please don't kill me! I'm willing to submit to you!"

"Oh mighty and invincible god, please forgive our sins!"

"We're Ashen's army. If you kill us, you'll bring down the wrath of all the gods."

"We beg for mercy!"

With the collapse of their morale and faith, the strength of Ashen's army formation quickly dwindled. Every soldier from Ashen grew increasingly anxious. Some knelt to beg for mercy, while others even issued empty threats, desperately shouting to vent the terror festering inside.

However, since Sterl had already struck, he intended to see this through to the end. At least this way, he could reap some rewards. With the people of Orichalcum still present, it wouldn't be ideal to take these soldiers as his own. Turning them over to Orichalcum as prisoners or slaves would mean providing resources to a rival, something he would never consider. After all, his target wasn't only Ashen—it was Orichalcum as well.

And so…

With a mere thought, Sterl released a Silent Domain.

In an instant, the entire battlefield fell into silence, including the soldiers of Orichalcum. Ashen's army, however, bore the full brunt of the curse's effect.

Then, from high above, a massive meteor descended, crashing directly into the now-silent formation of Ashen's forces!

The force of the meteor unleashed devastation, instantly crushing several demigods, while legends and third-class soldiers perished in countless numbers. The immense damage overflowed, transforming into streams of Power of Starlight—silver-white chains that spread rapidly, perfectly covering every soldier in its path.

With Celestial Stars combined with Starlight Spray, Cursed Vision, and the divine power Sterl had attained upon ascending to godhood, he was nothing short of a walking cataclysm for any being below deity level. His area-of-effect damage was maxed out!

The raging Flames soared high, causing the Orichalcum soldiers to stagger back in horror, fearful of getting caught in the inferno. But as they regained their senses, they realized that this unknown deity's target was not them. From the looks of it, he held a deep grudge against the Ashen forces—so deep, in fact, that he was determined to obliterate every last one of them, sparing no one!

It took a while for the flames to dissipate, finally revealing a massive crater where the Ashen army's formation had once stood. Now, nothing remained—no trace of any figure. All had been reduced to ashes by the combined might of Celestial Stars and Starlight Spray.

Due to the ongoing nature of the legendary story, however, there were no drops from this massacre. This was nearly ten demigods, dozens of legends, and thousands of third-class troops—normally a veritable treasure trove of loot. Yet, for the sake of the priceless rewards awaiting at the tale's conclusion, this minor loss of drops hardly mattered. After all, sacrificing a grand reward for a bit of immediate gain would be a classic case of being penny wise, pound foolish.

A dead silence fell over the field. Countless eyes cautiously watched the tall, majestic figure standing in the sky. For a moment, no one knew how to process the overwhelming emotions in their hearts.

This powerful deity appeared like a divine descent from the upper realms—mighty! Unstoppable! Ruthless! With overwhelming force, he had pulled them back from the brink of annihilation. The stark contrast of their salvation inspired many to slowly lower their weapons and kneel before Sterl, as though only in this gesture could they fully express their respect and gratitude toward this mysterious, formidable being.

Once the first soldier knelt, the rest of Orichalcum's surviving forces followed suit, one after another, until every single one was kneeling before Sterl. The sight was utterly magnificent.

Looking down at the scene, Sterl felt an immense satisfaction welling up within him. These soldiers—third class, legends, even demigods—who were usually so high and mighty, were now willingly kneeling at his feet. And why was that? Was it because he saved them?

No, Sterl understood perfectly: at the core of it all, it was because he was powerful enough. When one's strength reaches a certain level, even gods will willingly kneel.

This understanding was precisely why he had chosen this divine battle, one that would reshape the entire world, as the setting for his legendary tale—to achieve the greatest legend of all!

Then, his gaze slowly shifted to the God of Thunder and Courage, who still stood in a daze.

"A god from another realm? A warrior fighting for survival—not bad."

With that, he turned away as if about to leave. Sterl had already decided; he wouldn't directly join Orichalcum but would wait for them to beg him to do so. That way, he could secure the maximum possible benefit.

Thus, the identity he'd crafted for himself was that of a lone, immensely powerful figure with a deep-seated hatred for Ashen. He belonged to no faction, and his intervention here was purely a result of his enmity toward Ashen. Most importantly, he needed to show that he held no hostility toward Orichalcum's forces.

At that moment, Morette, the God of Thunder and Courage, finally snapped out of his stupor. Seeing Sterl about to depart, his mind cleared instantly.

Morette swore he had never spoken with such urgency in his life, but if he didn't speak up, this powerhouse was about to leave!

"Honorable warrior! Thank you for your assistance. You would be regarded as the highest friend of Orichalcum!"

He quickly approached Sterl, covertly assessing his appearance. Sterl had taken on the guise of a stern-looking middle-aged man, with eyes that seemed to pierce through all pretense and deceit. Morette didn't even dare to activate his probing abilities, fearing that it might incur this powerhouse's wrath.

After all, his strength was comparable to that of the God of Painting and Swordsmanship, and this mysterious warrior had killed that god with a single strike. He could just as easily do the same to him!

Nevertheless, Morette carefully scanned his memory, comparing this god's face to every deity he knew. Yet he found no trace of resemblance to anyone he'd ever encountered.

"Hmm."

Sterl nodded coldly, putting on an aloof demeanor, and then continued, "I didn't come to save you. I just happened to pass by and saw those damned Ashen striking at a foreign human race that only wanted a place to survive. It irked me a little, that's all."

Having said this, he made to leave, but Morette quickly stepped forward to block his path.

"Please, wait a moment. As they say, 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend.' We have a common enemy—perhaps we could form an alliance and fight against Ashen together, to eradicate these ruthless executioners once and for all!"

He added, "Also, I'd like to invite you to the royal city to properly express our gratitude for your assistance."

Inside, Morette was on the verge of panic. While he had survived, four other gods had fallen. Yes, Ashen had suffered even greater losses, with five deities slain by this mysterious powerhouse and an entire army wiped out. But the Eastern War Preparedness Zone wasn't the only area under attack. If Ashen succeeded in other battle zones, Orichalcum's forces would be severely weakened, and the threat to the royal city would remain unresolved.

But if he could secure the support of this powerful being, they could turn the tide of this crisis—perhaps even launch a counter-offensive and bring Ashen down once and for all!

Thus, no matter what the cost, he had to recruit this terrifying warrior, who seemed to possess the strength of a high deity.

Indeed, subconsciously, Morette had already classified Sterl as a high deity-level being. Although the lower realm didn't allow for the presence of high deity powers, Orichalcum had its own ways of reaching that level—it was just that such powers couldn't freely manifest. And from what he understood of that level, the strength Sterl had shown came remarkably close, if not on par, with it. Most importantly, Sterl could wield this power freely within this world!

The more he thought about it, the more determined he became to win Sterl over.

"No, I do not care for alliances," Sterl replied. "As for Ashen, I'll destroy them completely in due time. Even high deities cannot stand in the way of my power!"

At these words, Morette grew even more desperate. His expression turned as humble as possible, and he tried every form of flattery and persuasion imaginable.

…