But in reality, most people who took this path ended up as madmen, creatures with the world as their enemy.

Few can remain as detached as you, unstained in spirit by the great sins.

Taking shortcuts to become a god also does not avert the contamination from belief. You must have heard about the affair of the Giant Demon Empire; the Giant Race was the sacrificial victim under the sealing of gods.

Their madness directly caused the powerful Elf Main God to have their divine nature rapidly polluted at a certain instant, nearly falling to become an Evil God.

To cut off this part of the contamination, the Elf pantheon almost fell an entire rung and is no longer as strong as it once was.

And this is a sign of the disintegration of the Elf Realm."

The collapse of the Dominators of the Age had repercussions that covered the entire continent.

Among them, human development is closely related to the collapse of the Elf Empire.

Before that, although humans had already grown stronger than many races on the continent, they were still far behind compared to those that had formed T0 tier strong nations.

For quite a long period, the significance of the human existence was to help the three disintegrated Elf kingdoms withstand external forces.

In other words, back then humans were like the Tower of Eternal Daylight, a larger "war buffer zone."

Of course, humans were unwilling to be a buffer zone without reason.

Therefore, it was natural for the Elves to have to compensate them with something.

It can even be said that whether it was the three Elf kingdoms or early humans, they grew by feeding off the corpse of the Elf Realm.

But no one expected that the humans, who were not looked upon, turned out to be the most promising.

In almost no time, humans had digested the legacy handed over from the Elf side, quickly cultivated a viable force, and in the ensuing years rapidly completed the merger of city-states.

From their original weakness, it took humans only 100 years to organize a counterattack.

In 100 years, early national prototypes like Lokeshi, Ense, Tunisia, and Monet had already been born.

As strength increased, so naturally did the need for systematically governed nations.

However, exclude the enclave Monet, all human forces neighboring the three Elf kingdoms were rejected by them.

"This…feels oddly familiar somehow."

Louis mumbled quietly.

The emperor gave Louis a faint glance and said, "Human hardship back then was hardly better than that of the Giant Demon Tribe."

Indeed.

This kind of treatment, the Giant Demon Tribe also experienced.

"And then?" Louis, in fact, didn't care much about the founding myths.

In his heart, there was only one founding myth.

No matter how great others were, he had no specific concept.

The emperor gazed deeply at Louis and said, "Sure enough, you're not a native human of the Stars."

"Haven't you known this all along?" Louis said, bewildered.

"Knowing is one thing, but I didn't expect you to have no intention of hiding it."

"I never intended to harm you, so why hide?"

"You are quite open-minded." The emperor shook his head and said, "Lokeshi was the most special among the former four human nations; the Elves did not allow humans to found a nation, and the Lokeshi people chose to proclaim themselves as kings."

"Proclaim themselves as kings?"

"Yes, they were the first resisters; they even shone with the brilliance of humanity, an unrivaled treasure of that era.

Louis, we stand here today unafraid of the Elven threat because some chose to fight against the still-potent Elves and endure the past tribulations.

This is an acknowledgment, even today, recognized by human nations worldwide."

The implication is that those indifferent to such things are likely not native human beings.

"So the founding myth of the Lokeshi people began with that generation?"

"Indeed, Elector Cyan Griffin stood up, rallied twelve siblings from different city-states, and devised a plan for a long-term struggle.

They were among the earliest human demigods, and to sustainably resist, they stood against those races opposing the Elf Realm and even against the Elves themselves. The thirteen demigods formulated a plan to drain the nation's resources to support thirteen divine artifacts.

To demonstrate their resolve to all humanity, when the next demigod was born to the Lokeshi, the preceding demigod would transform themselves into a torch, becoming one with the divine artifact to sustain the human flame.

The first to be consumed by fire was the Elector, Cyan Griffin, who never sat on the throne as king."

Louis couldn't help but be moved.

Even in past lives, there was the saying, "A gentleman born in a small country, it is not the gentleman's fault."

Back then, humans couldn't even form a country.

A demigod, someone who could enjoy enormous privileges in any nation, chose to relinquish resistance, to be consumed by divine fire.

Such resolve is truly… shocking and terrifying.

Shocking for humans, terrifying for foes.

"From the moment Mr. Cyan stepped into the flame, the establishment of human nations became unstoppable.

The second, third, fourth…even human powerhouses not in the same camp began choosing similar means to establish countries, and to become torches themselves.

Tunisia's Honorary Imperial Knight, Monet's Iron Crown, and Ense's King of Truth all chose to tread this path.

The Eye of Truth now inherited by Beatrice is an extension of the ancestor's plan from the King of Truth.

Generation after generation, the royalty bears the weight of both the living and the dead."

Louis felt a bit dazed and suddenly asked a rather heretical question:

"If only royal bloodlines could use it initially, could the Eye of Truth really be cultivated so strong?"

What he received was the emperor's enigmatic gaze: "You've wanted to ask this for a long time, haven't you?"

Louis nodded.

Unlike other nations, the absolute authority of the royalty baffled him.

In fact, to this day, most T0 major countries rarely maintain a firm imperial system.

Even the neighboring Lokeshi Empire, despite calling itself an empire, in reality, the full title of the emperor is Honorary Emperor, and it's the result of an election by thirteen families.

Tunisia, not to mention, although Louis often jokes about their chaotic system, their overall style leans more towards a parliamentary system.

Only the Ense Empire steadfastly adheres to an imperial system.

"The reason you understand it this way is because your generation is quite special."

"Hmm?"

"What do you think is the biggest difference in national conditions between Ense and Lokeshi or Tunisia?"

Louis pondered briefly and said, "I suppose it's education. The empire's education system is decentralized, and even remote villages are covered as much as possible."

The emperor nodded and said, "Do you know how many personnel are allocated, and how much funding is disbursed each year to maintain this system?"

"Astronomical figures, don't even think about it."

"Right, exhausting the empire's resources to maintain this system, theoretically, as long as you're not too incompetent, you have a chance to climb out of this system, and continually climb upward, and come here."

The emperor pointed to the land under his feet, "Come here, to meet me, to become me, and to surpass me."

Louis paused, startled.

"Are you saying…"

"Those who reach this position automatically obtain the right to marry into the royal family's strongest, those who pass the evaluation period will share the honor of the throne with the royalty.

When have you ever seen in an imperial nation, an emperor's woman, or an empress's man, possessing equal or even surpassing the emperor's power?

Only in Ense, because in Ense, the royal family is a sacrifice offered to everyone, except this time, you were chosen by me."

The emperor, using an incomparably calm tone, stated these words that left Louis dumbfounded.

From Old Deng's words, it seemed he's one of the rare anomalies born in these many years?

"Why me?"

"To know this answer, quickly advance to a demigod. On that day, you will understand."

The emperor seemed rather weary, squinting as he said, "Don't you think the Tunisians and the Lokeshi have been a bit too friendly to you?

In fact, from the start, you were the most special one, you just never realized it until now.

There's something hidden in Lokeshi's founding myth, and you, Louis, are the hand to determine whether they head towards division or prosperity. Of this, they are quite aware."

"What exactly does that mean, Your Majesty?" Louis had never been so frustrated with riddles.

But the emperor spoke no more, the scene of deities and demons was depicted on the stained glass behind, and the sunlight streamed through, illuminating him.

The emperor once again sank into a dream he couldn't escape.