Divine Ascension: Reborn as a God of Power-Chapter 26: Timeskip

And so, without realizing it, time passed... and it passed more quickly than I thought. After my journey with the two goddesses through the Underworld, a little period of peace arrived that I would later call the Pax Olympica. During this era, the gods lived together in harmony, the balance of power remained stable, and the mortal world prospered steadily and peacefully.

This period lasted about twenty years. Not long in divine terms, but it was to be expected. Although the leaders of Olympus would not admit it, several gods enjoyed conflict. After all, sometimes a little chaos is necessary to keep things from becoming too monotonous.

During that time, although my physical body did not age, I took the opportunity to do a few things. For starters, I became friends with Hermes. It turned out that the messenger god and I had more in common than either of us realized. Whenever he had free time, he would wander through the Garden of the Hesperides, where I used to spend my days.

Could I have created a place of my own based on my domain? Technically, no. To do so, I needed to achieve 100% mastery in my domain, and although I was close—I had used my free time to unlock several skills—I still hadn't reached that level. I was at about 75%. The funny thing is that the more my affinity increased, the longer it took me to advance. It was like the progression systems in the RPGs of my world: the higher you level up, the harder it gets.

Despite that, I managed to consolidate and officially declare my mastery as power, and I was recognized by Olympus as the God of Power. This seemed to calm Zeus' concerns, as I hadn't done anything to justify his initial doubts. Besides, I seemed to be following the rules of Olympus... for now. This information came to me thanks to my contacts up there (Hermes, clearly).

Meanwhile, Kaeron grew at an astonishing rate. In just a few years, it had a population of almost 700 and had become an important fishing town in the region. Although it didn't officially belong to any kingdom, I had advised its leaders to create their own democratic government. Of course, I first had to explain to them what a democracy was. I had forgotten the small detail that, at that time, the concept didn't even exist. You can imagine their surprise when I proposed the idea.

One advantage of being born in another era is that I can implement things that don't yet exist. And besides, no one questions me: I am a god. They have no reason to.

That's how my followers decided to form a council that would make all the important decisions, instead of having a monarch. This council would be made up of five members and would be democratically elected by all the inhabitants every four years. There were no preferences when voting: a fisherman's vote was worth the same as a rich merchant's.

Among the members of the first council was, unsurprisingly, the elder Themistios, who had led my cult from the beginning. He had become a great leader for the people of Kaeron, who respected and trusted him. He was elected along with four other individuals, also believers of mine.

Speaking of believers, according to the system, 99% of Kaeron's inhabitants believed in me. The few who did not were generally migrants from neighboring kingdoms with their own beliefs. Even so, I was not worried. They were a minority, and most of those who moved to Kaeron ended up converting sooner or later.

One of my "advice" to the government was to establish certain privileges for the faithful: pay less taxes, have priority in their requests to the council, or exclusive access to certain activities. For example, only converts could sell goods on the streets of the city, or they paid less taxes.

Was it unfair? Maybe a little. Did I care? Not too much. Technically, no one was forced to believe in me. It was just encouraged. At the end of the day, everyone could decide for themselves. And honestly, it was worth it. Not to brag, but Kaeron was easily one of the best cities in the region. Unlike other states where people were tied to a hereditary ruler—basically a lucky NPC—here, citizens elected their leaders. That explained why so many waves of Greeks arrived every year.

The city's rapid growth attracted the attention of the region's wealthiest merchants, which fueled Kaeron's economic boom. That was another key reason why many people decided to move there.

Obviously, I knew that this situation did not sit well with the neighboring kingdoms. I can imagine the look on the kings' faces when they found out that there was a city where the people elected their rulers. I would have loved to see their reactions.

That surprise soon turned into political tension. The only reasons they hadn't attacked Kaeron yet were its commercial importance in the region... and the fact that it was protected by a god of Olympus. Even if he wasn't very well known, the name of a god still commands respect.

Meanwhile, in the Garden of the Hesperides, things also changed over time. Although the place remained a sacred refuge, far removed from the chaos of the mortal world, it was no longer as static as it used to be. The constant presence of visitors—including Hermes and the occasional curious god such as Hera—had made the garden a little more... dynamic. Not that it was crowded, of course. It was still a peaceful place, but now with a little more movement.

The Hesperides, for their part, also evolved. The passing of the years did not affect them physically, but it did affect them emotionally and spiritually. Aegle, in particular, blossomed. Our relationship, which had begun slowly and cautiously, had grown stronger. We were not simply lovers: we were companions. Over time, we developed a shared routine, between moments of reflection, training to master our divine abilities, and also escapades to the mortal world, where I sometimes accompanied her to watch Kaeron and its inhabitants grow.

Aegle became more open with me, and even more expressive than she already was. Her laughter was even more frequent, and her gaze seemed to be filled with love. She was still elegant, sweet, and luminous like her name, but now she was also more confident.

Erytheia, on the other hand, remained as tsundere as ever. She didn't lose her sharp tongue or her ability to give me withering looks when I annoyed her, but over time she softened a little. Very slowly. In her own way, she accepted me, although she would never admit it out loud. It took time and patience, but I ended up earning her respect, perhaps even something more than that. Sometimes, when she thought I wasn't looking, she would stare at me with an expression I couldn't quite decipher.

I wouldn't be surprised if her attitude had more to do with jealousy than hostility. Not necessarily romantic jealousy—although with gods, you never know—but rather because she felt that someone from outside was intruding on her little world. The garden had been her refuge for centuries, and I had burst in like a meteorite, bringing change and disrupting routines.

Hesperia, on the other hand, was the one who adapted best. She was always the quietest and most observant, but also the most emotional. She told me that she found the changes in the garden and contact with the outside world an opportunity to learn. Sometimes she would come down to the mortal world in disguise, especially to Kaeron, due to our constant visits with Aegle. She did it out of simple curiosity, and she would return with stories and a serene smile. We became best friends over time. Once you got to know her, you noticed that behind her somewhat depressive outlook, she had a unique perspective on the gods, time, and eternity, and our conversations were long and deep. In a way, I think she was the one who understood the most.

The three sisters, with their differences, kept the essence of the Garden alive. The place was not the same as before, but it had not lost its magic either. In fact, over the years, it grew stronger. Aegle allowed me to intertwine a part of my domain with the Garden, not to control it, but to reinforce it. With her blessing and that of her sisters, I wove a protective bond around the place, fueled by the faith of my believers. It was symbolic, but also functional: no intruder could enter without permission from the Hesperides or me.

Best of all, thanks to my constant training and quests related to Kaeron, I was able to farm my stats enough so that now they look like this, although without any important quests, I didn't manage to level up, even though I was close.

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🌌[⟦ DIVINE SYSTEM ⟧]🌌

🧿 Divine Name: Akhon

📜 Class: D — Divine Initiate

💠 Domain: Power (Advanced — 75%)

👑 Title: Guardian of Kaeron

❤️‍🔥 DIVINE VITALITY

🩸 HP: 12,500 / 12,500

🔥 Energy: 2,600 / 2,600

🌟 Divine EXP: 23,500/ 25,000

🧱 Authority: 200

📊 BASE STATS

🧬 Attribute        Value

⚔️ Strength         1590

💨 Agility          1120

🛡️ Endurance        1300

🧠 Willpower        1250 freewēbnoveℓ.com

🎯 Accuracy         1180

Click here to see list of [Active Skills]

- Current Number of [Active Skills]: 6

Click here to see list of [Passive Skills]

- Current Number of [Passive Skills]: 10

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But...as the saying goes, nothing lasts forever...