Bell thought it over and decided it was necessary to speak now; the banquet could continue afterward.
"Actually, I’ve done so research on why gods cannot grow. The ultimate source is, indeed, Mother."
At this, all the gods’ attention imdiately focused solely on teria.
The only one who felt wronged, naturally, was teria herself.
"Hmm~ Naughty boy, how dare you pin this on Mama?"
"When Mama created the gods, it was almost as if they were created alongside humans. I never made any distinctions."
Bell didn’t deny this; in fact, he strongly agreed with his mother’s explanation.
"Indeed, you never made any significant distinctions between humans and gods. Logically, gods and humans should receive equal treatnt. However, the ’growth’ seen in Genkai humans is simply due to their failure to reach the threshold."
"Take the evil dragon ford by the ’Bell Cranel’ I ultimately faced. No matter how many identical versions of himself it fused with, it never crossed the four-digit threshold—at most, it reached a five-digit exception."
"And four digits are the limit humans in this world can never surpass."
Bell’s example was the most explicit one.
Even the evil dragon, forged from countless ’Bell Cranel,’ only reached the four-digit level, yet he himself never achieved it.
Though a five-digit breakthrough might seem equivalent to four digits, without that inherent limitation, that dragon could have easily surpassed the four-digit threshold.
"This is true for him, and it’s the sa for all the gods. His fusion of countless beings fully qualifies him to cross into the four-digit realm, but he remains just a five-digit exception. This is the limitation placed on humanity in this world. Without a single exception, the question of exceptions becos moot."
"Now, consider this: what distinguishes a five-digit demigod from a four-digit god?"
The gods imdiately understood the key point.
"It’s Authority, right?"
"Exactly. It’s Authority."
Bell nodded slightly, then guided the gods to continue their reflection.
"Then what is the source of this Authority?"
"Of course, it’s the world... Hmm!?"
The god answered the question naturally, but after doing so, all the gods froze in place.
Indeed, the gap between four-digit and five-digit powers lay in their authority.
A demigod who masters authority can ascend into the realm of gods—the leap from five digits to four.
Seeing that the gods had finally caught on, Bell smiled and nodded.
"Yes, all authority originates from the world—my Mother."
"Then do you know what my Mother’s fundantal authority is?"
The gods faltered, even the subject herself wide-eyed in shock.
Amidst their astonished gazes, Bell softly uttered two words.
"Reincarnation."
"How do you know!?"
This ti, teria was utterly dumbfounded.
Why would her troubleso child know the fundantal authority she wielded? She had never spoken of it to anyone. Her created gods wouldn’t know, and surely her own offspring wouldn’t either.
This shock caused teria to lose control of her voice, blurting out the question.
"It’s rely an analysis based on the current situation."
"The Xenos in the Dungeon, and the history of this world. If everything is under Mother’s arrangent, then her authority becos very clear."
"Mother herself is one with the world, and I fear she has realized a crucial issue: her authority overlaps with a specific entity far beyond. If she steps outside the world’s mbrane, she will be detected instantly—even her very self will be consud by that entity."
"Therefore, her choice is to remain within the mbrane, seeking a breakthrough only from within."
Of course, this deduction relies on Bell having enough understanding of the "Miniature World," and knowing that a major figure from that world had once hidden within his own ntal realm.
Reflecting on Mother and Miss Ryogi’s reactions—and how they both seed to seize the sa opportunity—Bell gradually understood.
It turned out that Mother and Miss Ryogi had been evading the Miniature World’s surveillance all along.
The mont they stepped beyond the world’s outer mbrane, they might be swiftly detected by the Miniature World. The two within the Miniature World who wielded authority similar to theirs would imdiately focus on them. At that point, their only fate would be to be consud by their own authority, becoming re tools for others.
"The path ahead is blocked by those who ca before. Only untrodden roads remain open indefinitely. But if soone has walked a similar path, then only the gap in strength between them can decide who devours whom."
"Mother, you and Miss Ryogi must have seen this clearly. You knew there was no room for growth. Continuing to grow would lead to discovery, and then cruel devouring."
"This is the limitation of the path ahead."
Listening to her naughty child’s ticulous analysis and explanation, teria puffed out her cheeks, refusing to look at the little troublemaker.
She hadn’t expected that without her saying a word—without even ntioning it—this child had instantly grasped the crux of the matter.
Watching his mother’s reaction, Bell found it rather amusing.
"So, Mother fused herself deeply with the Primordial World, sealing off her own path. Protected by the world’s outer mbrane, she created a realm, then fragnted her omnipotence. Using different authorities, she fashioned gods, each commanding distinct abilities."
"Only by excessively rging with the world could she evade the gaze of the ’Miniature World.’ Only then could she avoid being targeted by those possessing similar authorities, preventing herself from becoming nourishnt for others’ growth."
"This applies not only to Mother, but also to Miss Liangyi. The authority she wields—’Beginning and End’—is even more weighty. Thus, she requires an even deeper fusion with the world. Even her own consciousness must slumber for extended periods within the Beginning and End, concealing her self to the utmost degree."
Having addressed Mother’s predicant, Bell shifted his focus back to the gods.
"Mother chose stagnation, so what future or growth could the gods she created possibly have?"
"I see..."
This answer surpassed the gods’ expectations.
The "World" feared being devoured, so it chose stagnation—there was nothing wrong with that. After all, no one wants to be swallowed up for no reason.
"So, the world chose stagnation to seek possibilities for progress?"
Hers couldn’t help but ask, but Bell simply shook his head.
"If progress were possible, would it choose stagnation? Mother has simply given up. The path ahead is blocked by two-digit entities. In the distant ’Miniature World,’ a world where three-digit beings are as common as pigs and dogs, the two-digit entities number only 17."
"Each of those 17 is either a Savior or the ’Final Trial of Humanity.’"
"God Hers, if you knew these were the obstacles ahead, would you still have the drive to push forward?"
Hers felt his scalp tingle just hearing it.
To him, the three-digit realm was already the pinnacle, yet Bell spoke of a ’Miniature World’ where three-digit beings were as common as pigs and dogs. Above the three-digit realm lay the even more terrifying two-digit realm, and within that realm, there were only 17 individuals.
Knowing that these 17 individuals stood as obstacles ahead, Hers realized that no matter how hard he tried, he could never overco them.
"I don’t have that kind of courage."
No matter how much Hers thought about it, this was the only disheartening answer he could co up with.
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