Saintess? Not Anymore! I'd Rather be a Destroyer-Chapter 285 - 272: The High god

"Sacred Grat, thank you for blessing us with your presence," King Modred said, bowing deeply. The others followed suit, including Aurianna, though her movements were slightly delayed.

"Please, raise your heads," Grat said warmly, his voice calm and soothing. Aurianna straightened, her gaze fixed on the figure before her.

The Sacred of Time was a tall man, draped in a long golden robe adorned with clock patterns. His dark brown eyes glimmered as there were golden clocks in his eyes ticking in unison. He had long white hair and beard and he couldn’t help but brush his hand through his beard every few minutes.

"Damn, he’s tall," Aurianna thought, her lips twitching slightly as she suppressed the urge to comment aloud.

"Shall we get going now?" Grat asked with a gentle smile, his gaze lingering on Aurianna for a brief moment before sweeping over the rest of the group.

"Yes, Sacred!" Modred declared enthusiastically.

Grat waved his hand, and golden magic circles appeared beneath their feet. In an instant, all ten of them vanished.

---

When they reappeared, Aurianna and the others couldn’t hide their shock. They stood on a large land of clouds that felt solid beneath their feet, the soft mist swirling around their ankles.

Before them loomed a massive white building, very grand and its walls adorned with beautiful carvings. Towering statues of figures stood proudly along the entrance.

"Who do those statues belong to, Sacred?" Elena asked, her voice filled with curiousoty as she gazed up at the massive sculptures.

"They belong to the fourteen gods of our world," Grat answered, his tone polite yet firm as his eyes scanned the towering statues.

"Let me name them for you:

1. god of Light, Karo;

2. god of Peace, Hebrew;

3. god of War, Jagon;

4. goddess of Wisdom, Azarath;

5. god of Demons, Diablo;

6. goddess of Nature, Mavia;

7. goddess of Beauty, Paige;

8. goddess of Suicide, Salvador;

9. god of the Sea, Phils;

10. goddess of Lust, Desire;

11. god of Time, Barbados;

12. goddess of Games, Aina;

13. god of Death, Taros."

"And in the center," Grat gestured to the largest statue, a hooded figure, "is the High god."

"Oh, the guy in the hood?" Elena asked, tilting her head curiously.

"Exactly," Grat replied with a nod.

"Let’s move forward before everyone else snags the best seats," Grat said with a chuckle. He began walking ahead, his golden robes swaying lightly with each step. Aurianna and the others followed, the soft murmurs of awe echoing among them as they observed the attendees.

Aurianna took note of the diverse crowd entering the grand building. Many were tall—far taller than an average human—and their distinct appearances made it clear that they were all different races that formed Imanity when they come together.

---

When they stepped inside, Aurianna couldn’t help but gasp in suprise.

The interior was breathtaking.

The massive hall was designed like an elaborate orchestra auditorium, with beautiful seating that spiraled upward. Every seat surrounded a table, and on it was refreshments ranging from exotic fruits to crystalline goblets of sparkling liquids.

Angels, resplendent with shimmering wings and elegant robes, floated gracefully around the room, meticulously arranging items and ensuring everything was in perfect order.

"Wow, so this is the World Summit," Shuwi said, beaming as she scribbled furiously in her notebook.

Aurianna glanced at her, curiosity piqued. ’What does she always write in that thing?’

"I wonder who they all are," Elena murmured, her eyes darting toward groups of individuals clad in white robes. Unlike them, a select few bore the symbols of their respective churches proudly embroidered onto their clothing.

"Big people, I bet," Peter muttered, adjusting his cloak as he scanned the room.

Grat turned to them with a calm expression. "Comport yourselves, children. Sit here for now. I’ll be sitting elsewhere with sir Modred, but once the World Summit meeting concludes, we’ll return for you." He gestured toward an elegant table with several chairs.

"Alright," they chorused obediently, settling into their assigned seats as Grat strode off with Modred to join the more prominent figures of the summit at another table far away.

"I feel nervous," Elena confessed after a moment, her hands fidgeting in her lap.

"Yeah, it feels a bit suffocating in here," Shuwi added.

"But the air is so fresh," Christopher countered, his dragon-like senses marveling at the purity of the atmosphere.

"The magic here is incredibly dense. It’s perfect for leveling up through cultivation," Zeche remarked with an approving nod.

For thirty minutes, the room was steeped in silence. Every eye fixated on the ornate stage at the center. The air buzzed with anticipation until a voice pierced the stillness.

"Let us welcome the gods and goddesses who govern Deiron," declared a beautiful angel with resplendent blue wings.

One by one, she introduced the deities. "Our gods: Karo, god of Light; Hebrew, god of Peace; Jagon, god of War; Azarath, goddess of Wisdom; Diablo, god of Demons; Mavia, goddess of Nature; Paige, goddess of Beauty; Salvador, goddess of Suicide; Phils, god of the Sea; Desire, goddess of Lust; Barbados, god of Time; Aina, goddess of Games; and Taros, god of Death."

The room held its breath as the angel continued, "Now, humans, bow before your gods."

In an instant, the towering forms of the gods materialized, each about ten feet tall, glowing beautifully. They took their seats, arranged like a pantheon overseeing their domain.

Aurianna bowed with the others, but her gaze burned with disdain. ’Paige. That wench.’ Her eyes flitted toward the goddess of beauty. While the world saw perfect beauty, Aurianna saw a hideous insecure woman.

Up on the stage, Paige felt a prickle of unease. Her pink eyes swept across the kneeling mortals. ’Someone here...’ she thought, her brow furrowing. ’I sensed bloodlust. But from whom?’ Her lips curved into a frown. "Whatever," she muttered, brushing it aside.

Eventually, the angel’s voice echoed again. "Raise your heads."

As they obeyed, the angel’s voice swelled with excitement. "Now, let us welcome the High God!" She paused, scanning the area. Her expression twisted into one of confusion. "Eh? Where is he?" she murmured, her tone strained with nervousness.

Barbados leaned back in his seat, his voice cutting through the angel’s panic. "No matter. Let’s proceed with the meeting regarding the future of our world."

The gods began their discussion. Most humans listened with rapt attention, but Aurianna’s focus wavered. Her fingers tapped against the table, her restlessness barely concealed.

"Hey, hey, what brings you here?" came a smooth, casual voice beside her.

Startled, Aurianna glanced to her right. A hooded man had appeared in the empty seat. None of the others seemed to notice his arrival, their attention locked on the gods.

"I came because they told me to," she replied calmly.

"But what’s the point of coming if you’re not even paying attention?" the man teased, a soft chuckle escaping his lips.

Aurianna frowned, inching away. "I Don know and could you make some space? You’re uncomfortably close."

As Aurianna continued to stare at the hooded man beside her, she noticed the fine details of his attire—black robes that flowed like shadows and a face barely visible beneath the hood.

"Oh, my apologies," the man said, shifting his chair a fraction away.

Aurianna couldn’t tell whether he was trying to give her space or simply trying to be close to her. He paused for a moment begore he continued, "Eyes and hair that shimmer like gems... I never thought we’d actually meet like this. But, well, it’s obvious that anything can happen."

Aurianna’s unease deepened, her brow furrowing as she tried to make sense of his cryptic words. Before she could respond, a sharp gasp was heard.

"What the hell??" Azarath exclaimed, her voice rising in disbelief. All eyes in the room turned toward her, but she quickly regained composure, her fingers subtly nudging Barbados.

"The High God... Why is he sitting there?" Azarath asked, her finger pointing toward Aurianna’s side.

Barbados stared in surprise, his gaze shifting from Aurianna to Azarath. "Then that’s her—the child in our vision," he muttered under his breath.

"But I don’t think it was a good idea to ask them to bring her here," Barbados said nervously. After all he asked Sacred Grat to bring Aurianna to the world summit. Him and Azarath wondering how the High god would react upon meeting her.

The two gods exchanged uneasy glances. They had only recently realized that the shadow around Aurianna had marked her as the one from their vision.

At first they weren’t sure if it was Aurianna however after being able to see everyone normally all except Aurianna who was covered in a shadow they assumed it to be her.

Azarath whispered to Barbados. "I want to see how he reacts to her, because... of what we saw in the future. It means he saw it too."

Aurianna’s unease only grew, her thoughts racing as she felt a chill wash over her. She could feel the man beside her shift his attention, his focus narrowing on her like a predator observing prey. Before she could react, the High God’s hand reached out and gripped her face, his touch surprisingly cold.

"Can you let go of my face?" Aurianna asked.

But the High God’s grip tightened, his fingers tracing the contours of her face as though studying her every feature. Aurianna’s pulse quickened, her heart hammering in her chest as her body screamed to escape, but she was frozen, unable to move.

’This man...’ she thought, panic creeping up her spine. ’He’s insanely strong—what the hell is going on?’

The High God’s voice broke through her thoughts, his tone cold. "I wonder... which of my siblings did your mother use to create you, child?" His smile, faint but cold, was visible even beneath the shadow of his hood.