Chapter 690: The Completion of Pantheos
Once the decision to complete Pantheos was made, time seemed to fly by as Ash, Aurora, Isis, and the spirits all poured their efforts into the task.
Over the course of two entire Eras, every wife and heir contributed in some way or another.
More often than not, the women simply wanted to spend time with Ash himself, which often led to other activities unfolding along the way.
Still, after two trillion years, the vast expanse of Pantheos had finally reached a stage of completion.
That is to say, no more significant layers would be added beyond the ninth.
Of course, with the verse being self-expanding and Emma still somewhere out there, things were bound to continue growing in their own way.
Even so, the state of Pantheos now was something Ash could truly be proud of.
-----
Ash sat on the warm white sand of a tranquil beach, the grains soft and fine beneath him, under the glow of nine radiant suns hanging in a clear, endless sky.
The ocean before him was a deep, mesmerizing blend of blue and purple, its waves gently lapping at the shore with a soothing, rhythmic hush.
In the distance, some of the heirs — Xeros, Aurora, Ellyn, Riona, and the others — laughed and played along the water’s edge, their voices carrying lightly on the breeze as they splashed and chased each other through the shallow portion.
A few of the wives and Kaelthyr, sat with him in a relaxed circle.
Several of the women were visibly pregnant — the spirits (Elysia, Unara, Creara, and Minx), along with Lucy, their bellies softly rounded with new life.
Nia leaned against Ash’s side, her head resting on his shoulder as she watched the ocean with half-lidded black eyes.
Vaeloria lounged on his other side, her white fox tails curled lazily around her as she sipped from a glass of chilled wine.
Kaguya sat nearby, her long black hair catching the sunlight as she absently traced patterns in the sand.
Sonna and Yonna were nestled close, sharing quiet conversation and occasional glances at Ash with fond smiles.
Nia let out a small huff, her fingers idly tracing circles on Ash’s chest.
"You all just keep having more children, huh" she spoke with an arch brow, her tone possessive yet playful.
"You should be like me.... I officially will be having no kids of my own. I have no time to love another man... and all the daughters just want to suck you dry anyway."
Vaeloria let out a soft, amused laugh, tilting her head as her tails flicked.
"Fufufu, whether you have them or not... there are plenty of wives and concubines just waiting. So, does it really matter?"
They all knew it didn’t really matter because, even though Nia claimed she would never have children, she had never treated any of the current heirs poorly, nor had she ever acted in any way other than as a loving mother.
So, they couldn’t understand why she was so determined to never have her own.
Kaguya smiled gently, her voice calm and teasing.
"Hmm, I think she will come along.... it’s all an act to get closer to Husband."
Sonna chuckled, resting her head against Yonna’s shoulder.
"Hmm... now that you say that. I wouldn’t doubt little Nia if that was the plan.."
Ash simply smiled, his hand gently stroking Nia’s hair as he listened to their banter, the warmth of their closeness filling the air around him.
After a moment, he raised his hand and called out softly into the void.
"Vigil. Aethea."
Two rifts opened smoothly before them, and the two Watchers stepped through — Vigil with his usual composed demeanor and Aethea with a gentle, curious smile.
Ash looked at them with a calm nod.
"Give the readers a tour of the new Pantheos," he said. "From the bottom upwards."
Vigil and Aethea bowed slightly, their wings unfolding as they prepared to begin.
-----
Since becoming the Watchers of Pantheos, Vigil and Aethea had done little else but watch.
By now, they knew every detail of the verse by heart.
They glided effortlessly through the lowest layer of Pantheos, wings slicing through the cosmic winds as the projection orb trailed faithfully behind.
Vigil’s calm, resonant voice carried clearly to all viewers.
"Well, everyone, as the Master said... this is the very foundation of Pantheos," he began, gesturing with one hand toward the vast Star System spread out before them.
The First Layer of Pantheos was essentially the infinite multiverses and everything below it.
"We are currently within a single, thriving Star System. Countless worlds orbit a brilliant central star, each one teeming with life.
From there, they ascended into Star Clusters — dense gatherings of stars and worlds connected by glowing bridges of divinity.
The view was breathtaking, like a tapestry of light and motion that stretched endlessly in every direction.
Higher still, they passed through Galaxies, each one a swirling masterpiece of stars, nebulae, and life.
Then came Galaxy Clusters, Superclusters, entire Universes, and finally the Multiverse itself — all seemingly infinite, with new realities being born every passing moment in brilliant bursts of creation.
Vigil’s voice carried clearly as they flew, calm and informative.
"The Second Layer consists of infinite Dimensional Planes," he explained, gesturing to the shimmering gateways they passed through.
"Each one is a minor dimension the size of entire multiverses, all connected to the Origin Dimension at the heart of this layer."
In the early days of Pantheos, the second layer consisted of everything from the Lower to the High Dimensions, along with every other realm Ash had gathered along his journey.
At first, he placed them all within the first layer, making them feel like hidden realms waiting to be discovered.
But over time, it became clear that hardly anyone ever stumbled upon them, and those who did inevitably perished.
Not wanting his creations to go to waste, Ash decided to relocate them all, reorganizing the second layer and adding a bit of guidance to help along the way.
He also made it possible to enter the Sacred Dimension, intending to one day use immortalized readers for that unique place.
----
As they continued to travel through the second layer, Aethea spoke out.
"It’s a layer of true growth. No two planes are the same. Some test your will, others your creativity. This is where many find their true potential... and begin to step beyond God Hood."
They continued upward, showing the Third Layer — the Realities — these were essentially the same as True Realities.
Each of these Realities contained entire lower cosmologies within them.
The Fourth Layer was the Tower of Endless Realities, an unfathomable structure that, as mentioned before, held countless realities inside its walls.
Yet these particular Realities did not house lower cosmologies—instead, they contained fully formed, independent realities of their own.
The tower itself stood with 999 levels, each floor holding a new, boundless reality.
The Fifth Layer was known as the Eternal Lands, a realm where beings began to transcend beyond the Endless ranks and reach toward the Dao.
The Sixth Layer was the Taboo Realm, the very domain of the Dao itself, where beings didn’t just walk the path but became the path.
Beyond it came newer realms, each shaped to resemble places on Earth, a touch of nostalgia for Ash at this stage of his life.
The path of power here didn’t make one an imposing figure; instead, it molded them into something deceptively simple.
Yet, their strength would surpass the very peak of any other power system.
The Seventh Layer — the Threshold of Becoming — was a place bursting with vibrancy, lush landscapes, and an abundance of life. Towering hills rolled endlessly, forests stretched as far as the eye could see, and oceans seemed to go on forever, their surfaces sparkling beneath the warmth of the sun.
[A/N: These final layers will be explored further in the journeys of others...] ;)
The Eighth Layer, known simply as The Expanse, was an infinite, ever-changing realm — another version of Earth, yet far grander than anything before it.
At last, they found themselves back on the beach where Ash and the others awaited — the Ineffable Land of Freedom, the most elevated and deeply personal layer of Pantheos.