Upon Nathan and his entourage's arrival at the snow-capped peak, the ancient sound of a horn resonated from the mountaintop, its echoes reaching far and wide.
Soon after, large contingents of God guards emerged from various directions. Remarkably, the garrison stationed here numbered around two thousand.
In addition, numerous elder Gods, dressed in simple garb and of advanced age, made their presence known one by one.
"Greetings to the God King!"
As they appeared, these elder Gods, along with the guards, knelt on one knee in unison, offering their respects to Nathan.
Nathan, with a friendly smile, said, "Please, no need for such formalities. My visit today is out of respect, to honor the heroes of the Gods."
The Snowcrest Sanctum essentially functioned as a hall of fame for the Gods.
Nathan's respectful comment immediately endeared him to the elder Gods present.
As the newly appointed God King of the Divine Realm, his position was something everyone had to acknowledge, regardless of their personal feelings.
Nathan's approachable and respectful demeanor toward the Gods was the most favorable outcome they could have hoped for.
Seizing the moment, Moblan instructed, "Let's not delay. Make way and escort His Majesty to the sanctum."
The elder Gods quickly agreed, "Yes!"
Led by the elders, Nathan and his group proceeded to explore the grand Snowcrest Sanctum.
Initially, they had the impression that the sanctum wasn't particularly large.
However, upon entering, they realized it was an entirely different story.
The sanctum, built on top of the mountain, had been constructed by hollowing out the interior of the peak. This resulted in a deceptively small entrance leading to an unexpectedly vast space inside, akin to a sprawling underground city.
Inside the sanctum, Nathan observed the murals depicting the Gods' history and their powerful legacy.
These artworks also celebrated the significant achievements of the race's heroes.
Inside the sanctum, numerous skeletal remains of heroic Gods were displayed. Among these, a massive ice coffin held the body of Medille, drawing the most attention.
As he stood before this coffin, Nathan's gaze was fixed on Medille, while his subordinates, both vampires and Gods, respectfully bowed their heads.
Nathan alone stood upright, hands behind his back, observing Medille's frozen form. In a soft tone, he murmured, "Medille, it's been a long time."
The eerie sense of resentment from Medille's corpse had completely dissipated, leaving no trace of its previous malevolence.
Those present, having just felt the angry aura from Medille's remains, were more acutely aware of the dissipating effect of Nathan's single grunt of displeasure.
The collective thought among them was clear: The ire of a king, so overwhelming and authoritative, was not something even the spirits of the deceased could withstand.
Nathan, with his hands still clasped behind him, glanced over his shoulder at the group reverently bowing before Medille's ice coffin and the numerous memorial tablets of the Gods. In a nonchalant tone, he queried Moblan, "Should I too bow in respect?"
Moblan, apprehensive about suggesting that Nathan, the reigning God King, should bow, quickly replied, "As the current God King, you are not obliged to pay homage to the Gods of the past."
Nathan acknowledged this with a slight nod.
While he and his group were engrossed in their visit to the Snowcrest Sanctum, a different scene unfolded at the mountain's base.
Four enigmatic figures, cloaked entirely in black, concealed their identities as they swiftly made their way up the mountain.
These individuals were the Four Emperors, who had learned of Nathan's schedule and had come to Mount Snowcrest to set an ambush.
They strategically positioned themselves along Nathan's expected descent path, lying in wait for his emergence...
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