I Ascend to the Divine Throne through Arcane Means

Within Ansel Temple,

feeling a weight on his back as heavy as mountains, Lis struggled to lift his head.

"Can you control this temple? Are you the Ansel?"

"No, that's not right, the Divine Country has already shattered. It's impossible for Ansel to have any remnants left."

"So, what exactly are you?"

The sudden divine pressure was rather terrifying for Lis at the moment, but because he had previously faced the incarnation of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts, he had obtained the Special Skill "Divine..." and "Song of Courage."

Thus, when facing the spiritual shock emitted by the Divine Statue, Lis managed to bear it relatively easily.

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[You have been subjected to the divine shock of the deity Storm and Thunder God Ansel!]

[Beginning divinity consciousness determination!]

[Determination (1/?): Divine Spiritual Shock... the determination passed (Specialty "Silver Moon Protection" triggered)]

[Determination (2/?): Divine Spiritual Shock... the determination passed (Specialty "Silver Moon Protection" triggered)]

[Determination (3/?): Divine Spiritual Shock... the determination passed (Specialty "Fearless Challenger" triggered)]

...

[Determination (19/?): Divine Spiritual Shock... the determination passed (Specialty "Song of Courage" triggered)]

[Determination (20/?): Divine Spiritual Shock... the determination passed (Specialty "Divine..." triggered)]

[All determinations passed!]

[You have withstood the divinity of the deity Storm and Thunder God Ansel!]

[Your Spirit Resilience strength has slightly increased!]

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Looking at the data that appeared in the system, Lis felt more confident.

He remembered that the last time he had confronted the incarnation of the Master of Ten Thousand Beasts, most of the pressure was borne by three Legendary Strongmen of the Feis Kingdom on the frontlines, while he only endured some of the aftermath.

Even so, the divine consciousness determination from that time required 36 passes.

This time, all the pressure was concentrated on him alone, and it was only 20 consciousness determinations. The difference was quite telling.

Indeed, because Ansel had already fallen, was it just the influence of His lingering power now?

After passing the divine consciousness determination, Lis felt much relieved in spirit, but the oppressive power from the Divine Statue kept him from standing up.

"You can still speak?"

The soul of Evar floating in mid-air looked at Lis with some surprise, turning to watch him.

He had just borrowed the power of a deity, and yet a mere Silver Level could bear it without bursting into death, which piqued his interest.

"It seems you, Little Mage, are not simple either."

"Besides, how could an ordinary person make it through the island's dangers to this place?"

Ansel came before Lis, looking down at him from above.

"So, the dangers we've been facing since entering the island have all been your doing?"

Clenching his teeth and feeling the increasing danger on him, Lis asked.

"Yes and no, I only tried as much as possible to keep those dangers away from Evar, after all, he is my hope for resurrection."

Ansel said with a smile, having little interest to interact with common people.

But seeing Lis withstand the pressure of divine power from the Divine Statue and seemingly understand the mysteries of deities, Ansel couldn't help but wish to interact.

Since he had to wait for Evar anyway, and he was about to gloriously return to the world with a body, he needed an audience, didn't he?

Most importantly, he felt confident that he could firmly keep Lis in check without causing any trouble.

"Are you Ansel then?"

Lis looked up at Ansel, his peripheral vision catching the shimmering trident in the hands of the Divine Statue.

"No, how could the Lord of Storm tolerate Ansel living on? He naturally perished completely."

"Then who are you?"

Facing Lis's question, Ansel smiled and said:

"I was naturally His arrangement, having placed a memory and a minutely small fragment of the soul into this temple in advance, to slowly recover after His fall."

"Even this island, being part of the shattered Divine Country falling into Gaia Main World, was all prearranged."

"All of this was just for His return."

Listened to Ansel's narration, Lis felt puzzled.

If he was an arrangement by the deity Ansel, why would he refer to "Himself" as "He" and not "myself"?

Ansel glanced at Lis, shaking his head nonchalantly.

"To deceive the Lord of Storm, it's necessary to completely abandon divine power."

"Divine Position relinquished, Divine Fire extinguished, the Divine Country shattered, all these were done to ease the Lord of Storm's mind."

Upon hearing this, Lis was somewhat silent.

The deity Ansel had reached such a state, almost completely abandoning everything from the past.

One could imagine the extent to which the Lord of Storm had pushed Ansel, to make Him prepare so thoroughly.

"Ansel is also aware that the awakening soul, although it has His memory, who knows if it's still Him?"

Ansel's face revealed a hint of self-mockery, and his appearance began to gradually change, becoming younger.

"When I woke up in this temple, I was also confused."

"Although, I don't feel the 'me' before and I are the same person, even though we share the same origin."

"But I still wish to inherit the name "Ansel" and all that comes with it from the past."

"I want to climb to the summit again, to return to the Pantheon above all heavens!"