The Monarch-Chapter 647: A climb

The mountain rose like a silent colossus, covered by a cloak of dark green grass that swayed gently with the wind, as if breathing alongside the earth. Its slopes were steep, yet alive, speckled with rare flowers and natural crystals that reflected a subtle light. Large arcane inscriptions were carved into the stones that emerged from the vegetation, glowing in golden tones under the cloudy sky, written in languages forgotten even by the gods.

At the summit, golden towers protruded like ceremonial thorns, reflecting celestial light with an almost blinding intensity. Rays of energy crossed the sky, connecting the mountain to distant points, as if it were the heart of a vast divine network. Even the gods hesitated to touch its peak, where the air was dense and time seemed to slow down, demanding respect in silence.

"Welcome to Olympus," the god began to speak. "We are one of the greatest organizations in Atherion. Our focus is to produce peak gods capable of completely changing the power dynamics of Atherion." Kayden had already sensed this. "Every mage in our territory possesses ten lightning bolts. The closer to the sacred mountain, the more brilliant the mage."

This became clear to Kayden after walking for a few hours within the organization. He saw many geniuses, many tenth-realm mages—but he saw no one truly special, no one capable of sending a chill down his spine or making him break a cold sweat.

"Our organization will allow you to become part of it. You are free to leave at this moment," the god said in a light tone. "Our test is straightforward: just climb the mountain. And when you find yourself unable to proceed, call for me. Good luck."

With those simple words, the god disappeared, leaving Kayden standing in the sky. He spent several hours just standing still, absorbing the environment and feeling the laws of the world—something that had become natural to him over the years. He was sensing how reality behaved in that space and...

That mountain was anything but natural. Its true size probably exceeded billions of kilometers. Moreover, divine mana was present in many locations, along with tangled laws, primordial laws in some areas—it was a web of strange and peculiar things.

"Hello," Kayden heard a voice beside him after a few days of standing still. Time had passed without him even noticing.

As he turned his gaze, Kayden saw a figure floating beside him. Tall, with long black hair that waved despite the absence of wind, Yasmim hovered as if she had always belonged to that sky. Around her, ten lightning bolts circled in slow, serpentine movements, as if electricity itself revered her. But what stood out the most was her aura—that of an unquestionable genius, sharp and precise like a blade of concept.

Each of the lightning bolts surrounding her corresponded to one of her ten rays. She was a newly ascended goddess, and her divine aura exuded unconsciously. Kayden unmistakably felt the aura of a genius emanating from her, and the arrogance that came with that genius was also present.

"Hello," Kayden simply replied, waiting for her to continue.

"Were you also summoned? What are you waiting for to begin?" The woman was curious about the aura Kayden emitted.

It was a calm and confident aura, like the sensation of looking at a mountain. That was because Kayden’s titles and his truly terrifying aura were perfectly concealed beneath his absolute self-control.

"I’ve already begun," Kayden replied without much thought. He wasn’t very interested in conversing with other beings; normal people no longer held even the slightest bit of his attention.

"It doesn’t seem like it. You’re just standing there," the woman continued to prod. Kayden didn’t answer and went on with what he was doing. He wasn’t in a hurry—time was on his side. The woman decided to wait. Something in her instincts told her this would be an excellent lesson.

Little by little, the days passed. The weeks passed. The months passed. At some point, years passed. The number of people continued to increase. For some unknown reason, everyone was gathering. In a decade, only twelve people had been recruited, now floating in the air.

Each of them was an unparalleled genius from where they came, but when placed together, they became mere common mages. It was an experience none of them had ever had—to be just normal people in a group. No one understood the reason for the wait, but none of them felt they should leave.

The weakest of the mages recruited was a ninth-realm mage—in this case, Kayden. All the others were low-level gods, but unmistakable geniuses—mages of the highest tier in their respective environments.

Kayden simply opened his eyes a decade after speaking with Yasmim. For a common mage, an entire decade was enough for a new generation to be born. But for Kayden, it was just a slightly deeper breath. That small piece of time had elevated his knowledge to tremendous levels. The laws on the mountain were some of the best learning tools he had ever encountered in his life.

They were imposing yet common, perfect for him to raise his path to even higher levels. Kayden decided to begin climbing the mountain. His aura changed completely—in the blink of an eye, he became someone else.

Kayden had been a body that floated in the air without speaking to a single person. His aura was entirely negligible. Furthermore, he was merely a ninth-realm mage. His presence had been automatically ignored by most people. But...

The monarch’s crown appeared on his head. His back straightened, becoming imposing as if he were the god of this world. His titles began to shine like two suns in the middle of the night—each one a title these so-called "geniuses" had never even heard of. In that moment, his aura transformed from a mountain into a black abyss. To look at Kayden was to stare into darkness without self.

The only thing he exuded was...

I am superior.

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