Muria tore through space, appearing in front of the female Frost Giant. A pale golden aura of pressure spread, filling the entire street. As the pressure spread, the previously immobilized twelve Cloud Giants regained their mobility.
"Stand down!" Muria's light command startled the twelve Cloud Giants awake. "This is beyond your capabilities."
"Your Highness!" they exclaimed, looking at Muria with surprise and delight. They hadn't expected to see Muria in person, especially so close.
They had joined Synapse later and, although their increasingly powerful physiques allowed them to sense Muria's presence, they had never actually seen him.
"Yes, sir!" The squad leader quickly calmed down, giving the female Frost Giant a frightened glance before leading his team away.
"I'll give you a chance to explain yourself." Muria reached out, and the demon-slaying sword embedded beside the female Frost Giant emitted a crisp sound before happily flying into his hand.
Since the female giant had given his subordinates time to retreat, Muria granted her a chance to explain.
"I'm here to seek cooperation, Titan!"
"This is how you seek cooperation?" Muria asked expressionlessly. "By killing my subordinates?"
"In my eyes, they are just ants."
"Oh!" Muria nodded, and the radiant spear of sunlight appeared.
"If you were provoked by ants, would you not react? Would you not maintain your dignity?"
"When does a strong person need to slaughter the weak to maintain their dignity?" Muria's voice was cold as the spear in his hand transformed into a bolt of lightning, the prelude to an attack.
"Titan, can't we reason? I was just targeted by twelve magic cannons!" The female Frost Giant's face twisted slightly, a fierce aura emerging. By divine classification, she was an evil god.
"You want to reason with me?" Muria's face showed a peculiar expression. This creature, disguised as a Frost Giant, had called him a Titan. So, she wanted to reason like a Titan? Muria nodded, seeing no reason not to oblige her.
"Alright!"
Boom—
The atmosphere exploded. In an instant, the spear of sunlight transformed into lightning, piercing the female Frost Giant's chest.
"You..." The female Frost Giant raised a hand, pointing at Muria. Her expression froze as the dazzling golden lightning flashed and then exploded, transforming into a brilliant divine light that floated skyward and gradually dispersed, leaving only the spear embedded in the ground.
"She ascended so quickly." Muria looked up at the dispersing light, confusion in his eyes. "Such a weak avatar dared to reason with me. Where did she get the confidence?"
...
"Titan!" In a vast, icy divine kingdom, a goddess sitting on a frost throne roared. Her anger shook the kingdom, causing the earth to crack. Countless worshippers, terrified, knelt and prayed fervently, hoping to quell the goddess's fury. Such was the plight of the devout, subject to the whims of their deity.
"No, Titan's reasoning is different from what I said." The enraged goddess, after venting her anger, quickly realized her mistake.
"So I just declared war on a Titan? How foolish." The goddess showed a regretful expression. She had sought cooperation, harboring no ill intent.
"What now?" The goddess was troubled. Her avatar had been destroyed. If she shamelessly sought cooperation again, wouldn't that be embarrassing? It would be too undignified for a deity.
"As long as the benefits are sufficient, who cares about face?" She recalled some stories of her peers and resolved herself. Compared to those utterly shameless beings, seeking cooperation with a Titan was nothing.
"I'll send a stronger avatar this time. One that won't be destroyed in one blow." The goddess quickly made up her mind. The potential benefits of cooperation far outweighed any loss of face.
...
"Muria, what happened? Where's the divine avatar?" Mikaela asked as space rippled around her, appearing beside Muria. She had followed him down, her platinum eyes filled with anticipation as she searched for the target.
"I destroyed it with one spear." Muria pointed to the spear of sunlight before him. "She wanted to reason with me, so I obliged her. Such a weak avatar—where did she get the confidence to reason with me?"
"Why send such a weak avatar? To humiliate herself?" Ilvester appeared as well.
"She said she sought cooperation."
"And how did you respond?"
"When I arrived, she was about to attack my Cloud Giant subordinates, so I refused. Then she wanted to reason with me." Muria spread his hands.
"It must have been just a regular avatar. She likely had no other intention, perhaps genuinely wanting to reason verbally rather than with fists."
"But she called me a Titan."
"..." Ilvester was silent for a moment. "Wait! If she truly sought cooperation, she will likely return. Gods are thick-skinned, especially evil gods. They don't give up easily."
"Really?" Muria rubbed his chin unconsciously. "I thought they valued their pride, retaliating at the slightest provocation."
"You'll understand once you've encountered more gods."
"I think I've met quite a few gods already."
"But most of them are long gone." Ilvester sighed. "Prepare yourself. I doubt she'll be the last god to send an avatar your way."
"Why flock to me? I'm not some prize." Muria sneered. "I will never cooperate with evil gods. That's my bottom line. Besides, I already have partners and don't need more."
"They are too weak. You need stronger partners."
"Muria, I agree. If it weren't for the powerful backing behind you, making them wary, you would have lost this war already. Any god could sway the outcome with just one move."
"Then let's pick two more." Muria's eyes showed a thoughtful look.
"They absolutely cannot be evil gods."
"Of course."
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