Five thousand years ago, gods appeared in this world to create various races. Afterward, they decided to stay for a time to help humanity settle down and establish a stable civilization. Gradually, seeing that the species had spread out appropriately across different regions, built their own habitats, learned farming, cultivation, and animal husbandry, and stabilized their lives, they began to leave, allowing humans to live freely without further interference.

Even after leaving, they did not forget to leave another gift for humanity: magic.

Magic then became central to the development and formation of the identity and culture of these species.

The gods left behind magic in the form of mana, which flows through the veins of all living beings. Every creature possesses magical power, to varying degrees. Not everyone has abundant magical power, and not everyone is talented in the study of magic.

Each individual has unique talents, and magic is one of them. Magic is a gift bestowed upon humanity by the gods before their departure, and is therefore considered a treasure. Many nations value talented mages and use resources to develop magic indiscriminately, aiming to attain the power of the gods.

And as in a familiar mythological story, the gods, angered, punished humanity.

They didn't directly attack; instead, they used humanity itself to destroy each other through sophisticated and undetectable methods. Even small impacts, with a domino effect, quickly brought disaster to humanity.

And so, racial wars, territorial disputes, and political conspiracies erupted. It seems that this was enough to make humanity realize its own insignificance and powerlessness.

But ironically, what was the purpose of the gods giving humanity magic in the first place? Was it their fault from the beginning? And are they now atoning for their mistake by punishing the victims of their creation?

These are my thoughts on the hypocritical gods of this world. Whether considered good or evil, they are all selfish, fearful of having their power challenged, treating humanity as a pawn in a game to maintain their power.

The question is, are there any exceptions? Of course there are, but gods who are too righteous and benevolent don't last long.

Speaking of which, we must mention Amora, a goddess who plays a crucial role in the entire story because she is directly connected to a main character.

Amora and Aethea are sisters, daughters of the sun god Solarius and the earth goddess Gema.

She is worshipped for her unparalleled kindness, selflessness, and compassion. She is a symbol of intimacy and spiritual harmony. Love, romance, and friendship are taught by her as a healing journey, leading beings to a better life. Unlike her sister Aethea, who cared about virtue, law, and stability, Amora took a more liberal and open approach to social life. Amora and Aethea had long held opposing religious views, leading their followers to avoid conflict by refraining from discussing it and tending to avoid each other during religious gatherings. However, the more they failed to resolve the issue, the more the conflict grew, like a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. Amora's disappearance, along with all her magic and blessings, is a testament to the underlying animosity between these two goddesses.

Furthermore, Amora was the only goddess capable of collaborating with other deities to create shared values. She and the god of the dryads (spires, pixies) – Elowen – together created magical flowers that enriched the magical world. These flowers were then planted in her sanctuary, the city of Florissant, which was also protected by Elowen's hand. These flowers brought Florissant prosperity no less than that of the capital, Rivenshine.

With their amazing effects in medicine, health enhancement, and magical abilities, these flowers were widely used to improve many aspects of human life.

But one day, she disappeared, and with her disappearance, the magic she and Elowen had created on the magical flowers vanished. No one worshipped her anymore because they thought she had abandoned them; even more sadly, they thought she had betrayed their faith. No one knew the truth behind her sudden disappearance.

Some theories suggest she turned her back on the gods of light to follow her own path, even if that path led to the darkness of evil gods. Others suggest a force was determined to kill the gods to re-establish world order.

Whatever the reason, her sudden abandonment of her faithful followers only brought disappointment and resentment. Ultimately, humanity's loyalty to their deities was becoming increasingly self-serving. It was no longer pure faith. The monks in the temples where she was worshipped also gradually lost their faith and abandoned their monastic orders. Her temple was later abandoned, occupied, or demolished to make way for other structures.

Only one place still retains her statue, but no one remembers its existence anymore, as those who knew about it have either passed away or no longer have a reason to return. Partly because the path to it is difficult and treacherous. The only way up is blocked by dense forests and rugged mountains, and the path is overgrown with vegetation because no one uses it anymore.

Over the years, despite the lack of care, the statue has stood firm. Moss and leaves cover it, but they do not obscure her face. And only in her clasped hands does a single flower bloom, sustaining the only remaining magical power of her. The flower of eternal love – Immortalia – awaits her embodiment to awaken its power. Who could that embodiment be? Of course, the protagonist.

After strolling in the garden with Daisy, I went to the study, inadvertently glancing at Thalos's incredibly messy desk, cluttered with documents. It's rare to see this scene because he's usually so organized. I glanced through them briefly and figured out where those stacks of documents were leading him.

I was in the middle of reading when Thalos suddenly entered the room.

"I'm sorry, I got so caught up in this research. I think I'm about to find what I'm looking for," he said nervously, his face haggard.

"Great, I thought so too."

"Do you know why?"

"Just a moment, perhaps when you find that thing, we need to sit down and talk. I'm afraid we need a more serious conversation about our plans, whether we will continue to work together or not."

Thalos was worried but didn't show it; he maintained his composure well, bowing his head in agreement. He looked as if he had been preparing for this for a long time. Indeed, after completing the research and compilation of documents over the past month, Thalos would have to consider what to do next, whether he would still need my support.

Not wanting the upcoming sad moment of parting to dampen his spirits, I immediately brought up the gift I would give him. Whether he stayed to continue as an apprentice or left for personal reasons, I would always give him all the benefits I had.

"Really? You're going to make something like that for me? And you really can do it?" His eyes welled up with emotion, as if he had never received a gift from anyone before.

"Why would you ask a mage, an outstanding alchemist who creates legendary magical artifacts, such an unnecessary question? Of course I can do it." I said excitedly, pretending to know everything.

"I just blurted out something nonsensical, I didn't mean to doubt you at all, I was just surprised. Thank you so much."

"Don't be like that, you've helped me a lot. This gift is nothing compared to the effort you put in."

Indeed, since Thalos arrived, I haven't had to sit at my desk and do the mundane tasks of sending collected documents to Nihilus, so I have had time to focus on understanding the world and planning for its survival, making the storyline stable, or better yet, making it better.

Therefore, these actions were merely self-serving, tit-for-tat.

Seeing the boundless gratitude in Thalos's eyes made me feel even more guilty. Perhaps I should learn to see that we both did a great job supporting each other.

"Do you know how much you've helped me, from Daisy to the relevant documents? For decades, no one has helped me with my work so I could sleep and stroll in the garden like you. I should be thanking Thalos." I bent down to his level and poured out my heart.

"I never thought I would return to the underworld, much less walk on the land where I was born. You don't know how much this means to me." His eyes were still filled with joy, and I was surprised that not a single tear rolled down.

"Thalos, your kind can't cry, can they?"

To be more precise, demons cannot cry, and neither Incubus nor Succubus are exceptions. Crying is a testament to conscience, empathy, compassion, and the absence of these human qualities creates a brutal, savage species.

In this moment, I can see Thalos pushing past that boundary so that tears can escape, but it's not enough. It seems joy isn't enough. And I truly want to see that miracle happen, to a unique and extraordinary demon like him.