The higher the position, the more significant the role of concepts becomes. Perhaps, compared to the beginning of creation, the power of "Darkness" has indeed increased quite a bit, but its proportion in the overall world has actually declined.
Therefore, Erebus's power did not fall, but neither did it rise. However, this is actually the normal phenomenon; in a world where Order is strictly maintained, the higher the layer, the more difficult it is to continue moving forward.
"Maybe so, but that will be a concern for later..."
Unmoved, the Lord of Darkness was not angered by Laine's words. He simply dissipated his form and continued to embody the most primal Darkness.
"At least for now, Laine, you cannot surpass me."
The voice echoed in the starry sky, and with it spread a hidden and all-consuming power. This was the true "Darkness," an endless depth, the world before the birth of Light. It stood before Laine, forming an immense canopy, cutting off his path to and from the earth.
However, listening to the Lord of Darkness and looking at Erebus, who seemed to truly stand on Zeus's side for some reason, attempting to 'wholeheartedly' stop him, Laine instead gave a small smile.
If Gaia might have forgotten that he could traverse every corner of the world with the help of the Spirit Realm, how could the Lord of Darkness forget? The ease with which he followed Laine into the stars once again proved his guess.
So watching the other party, Laine said slowly:
"It seems... at that moment just now when you isolated the gods, you did have a difficult time."
Soon, the reaction of the canopy in front of him further confirmed his guess. As Laine's words finished, the darkness in front began to waver noticeably, and without a sound, as if it had never existed, the other silently disappeared before him. Clearly, upon realizing his efforts were in vain, Erebus did not persist but chose to leave directly.
The starry sky returned to tranquility once again, with only the silent, shattered celestial bodies recounting what had transpired here. With a wave of his hand, as if time was reversing, everything returned to its original state. Standing in the void, Laine pondered for a moment.
Although brief, that moment was enough to discern some outcomes. When the gods were enveloped by the power of Darkness, they indeed briefly lost their connection to the rite, but this didn't seem to bring about an immediate weakening of the Divine King. To be exact, it was more like a True God cast into the Abyss.
Although their connections to the present world were severed, the laws related to Godhood did not immediately fail, but rather there was a long process in between.
By comparison, the more direct betrayal of a deity could cause a greater impact. Like when Zeus and his brothers entered the Abyss, the rules they represented did not fall into immediate disarray, but when they actively wielded their Godhood, they could cause more severe natural disasters and turmoil.
However, direct betrayal by a deity... With that thought, the injury Erebus had just suffered now seemed much more glaring.
After all, if the main body of destiny still has such strong inertia, if She is still firmly grasping the core trajectory unwaveringly, then can so-called betrayal truly occur?
Perhaps it can occur, only to be corrected by some 'coincidence', mending whatever might be lacking.
"Two epochs have passed, and destiny is still so stubborn..."
After a moment of silence, although this was actually expected, it did not mean it could be readily accepted. Changes to minor details only really affect those minor details, but the alternation of three generations of Divine Kings has never changed.