Chapter 30: Additional Pantheons

The three individuals were summoned directly to their respective seats. None of them immediately understood where they were, their eyes wandering across the enormous hall until Olium suddenly remembered the final moments of his life.

"The dragon... Is it dead?!" The elf’s voice echoed throughout the chamber, carrying the panic of someone who had awakened moments after facing death itself.

Liam remained seated upon his throne, his expression calm and composed.

"Olium Rootil of the elves, the great warrior who confronted the giant dragon that descended upon your people. Your battle was not in vain. You did indeed slay the dragon."

Olium froze, his eyes widening as he stared toward the figure seated above them.

Before he could respond, a quiet, aged, rasping voice emerged from the side. "God... You are God, are you not?"

Liam’s eyes widened slightly.

As expected of Moleius the Wise, the old druid had already connected the pieces together. He had awakened in a place beyond his understanding, standing before an entity who knew his name, his accomplishments, and even the circumstances surrounding his death.

"God? The creator of the world?" Olium asked, his voice filled with uncertainty.

"Indeed." Liam’s single word reverberated through the chamber, carrying an authority that seemed to make the very air tremble.

"You have awakened in a realm beyond the mortal world. You already knew that your lives had reached their conclusions, and therefore you should understand what this place represents. This is the realm beyond death, a sanctuary that exists beyond the boundaries of mortal existence."

His eyes swept across the three individuals.

"Yet you were not brought here by chance. I reached beyond the boundary between life and death and called each of you forth myself. Your souls, your memories, and the legacies you left upon the world were preserved within my domain. I have chosen you because your lives carried significance far beyond your own existence."

Liam’s voice became deeper. "From this moment onward, you shall serve upon my council. You will represent your peoples, offer counsel when the world faces matters beyond ordinary understanding, and carry out the duties I entrust to you. You are no longer merely remnants of a forgotten age. You have been given another purpose, one that extends beyond the lives you once lived."

The three listened in silence as Liam proceeded to explain everything, from the existence of the council to their responsibilities and the reason he had personally summoned them from death. He explained the role they would play, the people they would represent, and the greater purpose behind gathering individuals whose names had already become part of history.

Once he had finished, Liam rested his hand against the arm of his throne.

"Now, you stand together for the first time. It would be appropriate for those who shall sit upon my council to know the names and deeds of those beside them. Introduce yourselves, and speak of the achievements that defined your lives. Let each member understand the legacy carried by the others."

Odir rose first. The massive lizardman stood with a composed expression, his emerald eyes moving across the two unfamiliar figures.

"I am Odir, a lizardman. I outlived many of those who came before me by fivefold, and throughout my lifetime, I introduced numerous advancements that changed the way my people lived. Much of what my civilization eventually achieved began with ideas I helped establish."

Olium and Moleius immediately exchanged stunned glances.

"Odir?" Olium asked, almost unable to believe what he had heard. "That Odir? The one credited with introducing countless developments to the world?"

"I thought Odir was merely a figure from old stories," Moleius added.

Odir raised an eyebrow.

"Well, I cannot verify whether everything you have heard about me is accurate, but I certainly did introduce many things into the world."

With that, he returned to his seat.

Moleius slowly stood. "I am Moleius, a druid. I devoted much of my life to writing, and I helped develop the art of calligraphy, allowing symbols and ink to preserve thoughts, stories, and emotions long after the writer had vanished. I found great joy in conveying feelings through words and giving people a way to experience those emotions even when I could no longer speak to them myself."

Odir nodded thoughtfully. "So your writings could use symbols and drawings to convey specific meanings?"

"Yes," Moleius replied. "A carefully constructed symbol can communicate an idea without requiring the spoken word, while written language can preserve thoughts and emotions for generations."

"Interesting."

Before Moleius could continue, Olium’s expression suddenly brightened. "Moleius? The druid?"

The old druid looked toward him.

"I am a great admirer of your works. I remember studying your stories when I was younger. There were times when the responsibilities of leadership became overwhelming, and reading your writings helped calm my mind."

Moleius stared at him for a moment.

"Did my words truly help you?"

"They did."

A gentle smile appeared upon Moleius’s aged face. "Then I am glad. Knowing that my words continued to live after my death is more meaningful than I could have imagined."

Finally, Olium stood. "I am Olium Rootil, an elf. During my lifetime, I united scattered settlements beneath a single banner and worked toward bringing my people together as one. Yet my greatest achievement was also the one that brought about my death. I confronted a dragon that descended upon the elven forest, and after a final battle, I managed to slay it."

Odir’s expression immediately became serious.

"That is impressive. To kill such a powerful creature..."

As a warrior himself, Odir understood the significance of those words. Dragons were not ordinary beasts. Their immense bodies, overwhelming strength, and natural abilities made confronting one a battle where even the strongest warrior could lose their life within seconds.

Moleius, however, remained comparatively stoic. His understanding of dragons came primarily from stories and historical accounts, leaving him less capable of appreciating the sheer difficulty behind Olium’s accomplishment.

Liam had patiently listened to the entire exchange without interrupting. Once everyone had finished introducing themselves, he finally spoke.

"Now that the council has been established and each of you has revealed the legacy carried by your name, there is one matter that remains."

He paused. "Even those who have crossed beyond mortality should not be expected to deliberate upon an empty stomach."

The moment Liam finished speaking, the empty space before the council began to shimmer.

His eyes merely moved toward the table.

A magnificent dining table materialized within the chamber, followed by plates appearing one after another as though an invisible banquet hall had been summoned from another world.

First came the appetizers, small and delicately prepared dishes arranged with almost impossible precision. Golden pastries, carefully seasoned vegetables, tiny portions of roasted meat, and beautifully crafted bites were placed upon polished plates, each designed to awaken the appetite without overwhelming it.

Steam gently rose from deep bowls filled with rich, fragrant broth. Herbs floated upon the surface alongside finely prepared ingredients, releasing an aroma that immediately spread throughout the chamber.

Next came the salad. Then came the main course.

The table seemed to expand beneath the sheer amount of food appearing upon it. Large cuts of perfectly roasted meat occupied silver platters, accompanied by vegetables, grains, sauces, roasted potatoes, and other carefully prepared dishes. The scent alone was enough to make even those who had never experienced such cuisine feel their stomachs awaken.

Finally came dessert.

Beautiful cakes, pastries, sweet creams, glazed fruits, puddings, and delicate confections appeared across the table, each one looking almost too perfect to touch.

Beside them came beverages, steaming cups of coffee and fragrant tea prepared to accompany the final course.

The entire feast had appeared from nothing.

There had been no preparation, no fire, and no ingredients brought from elsewhere.

Liam had simply imagined the meal, and reality had provided the rest.

The three council members stared at the banquet in complete silence.

Odir’s mouth remained slightly open as his eyes traveled across the countless dishes.

"I have never seen so much food in my life... and it is all so beautifully arranged."

Olium slowly approached the table, his eyes reflecting genuine disbelief. "Such power..."

Moleius remained silent, studying the food with the same fascination he might have given an ancient manuscript.

To them, this was not merely a meal.

It was another demonstration of the difference between themselves and the being sitting upon the throne. Their greatest achievements had required decades of effort, sacrifice, and struggle. Liam had merely conceived of something within his mind, and reality itself had bent to fulfill his thoughts.

Yet Liam had not created the feast solely to impress them. He had been craving real food from Earth ever since the beginning of his existence as a planet.

After observing countless generations pass before him, and spending ages unable to experience the simple pleasures he once took for granted, Liam finally had the opportunity to taste something familiar again.

Note: please stones. hehe