Chapter 239: Coronation of the Overlord
Six months.
That was all it took for half of the Universe to vanish from the outer skies and reappear in the eternal cosmos of Igaris’s inner world.
What others would call annihilation, he called preservation. Galaxies folded like parchment, only to be reborn within his dominion. Black holes, those gluttons of existence, were consumed and reshaped, their crushing hunger transformed into a pillar of his strength. Nebulae collapsed like fragile veils, only to blossom again within his realm as gardens of eternal starlight. Each planet, each sun, each cosmic fragment he drew into himself did not perish, but became part of an unending sanctuary, safe from the decay of time.
And so, his power grew with every heartbeat.
The wives who once doubted the enormity of his vow now watched him with a mixture of awe and adoration. His subordinates, hardened warriors and generals who had faced death a thousand times, lowered their gazes, unable to look directly at him for long. To stand before Igaris now was to stand before an abyss where galaxies danced.
Yet despite all he had consumed, despite the immensity of his growth, the task was far from complete.
The Universe was vast, but not infinite. It was a colossal, circular structure of endless layered dimensions, wrapped by a barrier known since the birth of time as the Cosmic Membrane. This Membrane was the final shield, the wall between creation and the predators that lurked outside. Outer Beings. Entities older than the first flame, creatures that feasted not on stars or planets but on the very laws of existence itself.
And they were coming.
Igaris felt their claws already scratching faintly against the barrier. He could sense their hunger pressing closer with each passing day, eager to tear into creation the moment the Membrane cracked. He knew his devouring had bought them time, but not enough. To consume the entire Universe before the predators arrived was impossible if he continued as he was.
Which left only one path.
He needed the aid of the Universe itself.
---
In the Eternal Palace, his wives and subordinates gathered within the throne chamber, sensing the tension that pulsed from him like waves of gravity. Evernight cradled little Celestara against her chest, her gaze fixed on her husband’s back as he stood before the towering balcony. His cloak swayed in the wind, a silhouette framed by starlight and void.
"I must speak with it," Igaris said, his tone calm yet edged with the weight of inevitability.
Ren Wen frowned, his hand tightening on his blade. "You mean the Universal Will? My Lord... it is said even gods tremble before that consciousness. It does not answer lightly, and when it does, it judges without mercy."
The Mountain King growled, his massive frame rumbling like stone breaking. "Aye, my Lord. To call upon such a force is to invite wrath. Are you certain?"
Igaris turned his head slightly, his gaze sharp and unyielding. "I have no choice. To face the predators of the Outer Expanse with half a cosmos is to walk willingly into death. I need the Universe itself to bow, or we are already lost."
His wives exchanged anxious glances. Seraphina bit her lip, while Diva’s pale face betrayed the echo of her past life’s memories, memories of what awaited if he failed. But it was Lilya who stepped forward, her voice firm.
"Do what must be done, husband. If anyone can bend even the Universal Will, it is you."
Her faith steadied him, though he had never wavered. He closed his eyes, spreading his hand outward, and spoke the words that tore through the fabric of reality.
"Universal Will. I summon you."
---
At first, silence.
Then the Universe itself answered.
The throne chamber shook. The very air thickened until it pressed upon every living soul like a mountain of stars. The light dimmed, replaced by a crushing presence that made gods seem like insects. Space warped, laws twisted, and suddenly, an ocean of consciousness loomed above them.
‹You dare summon me, devourer?› The voice shook every mind, echoing with storms, collapsing suns, and earthquakes that stretched across eternity. ‹I am the Will of the Universe. The balance. The breath of existence. You are no more than a parasite, consuming what I forged. For what purpose? For power?›
The pressure was unbearable. Ren Wen fell to one knee, gritting his teeth. The Mountain King roared in defiance, though even his colossal strength bent. Seraphina clutched her robes, pale and trembling, while Diva nearly collapsed, her memories of annihilation clashing with the present.
Only Igaris stood tall, unbent, his golden eyes burning steadily.
"Not for power," he said, his voice cutting through the storm like steel. "For survival."
He lifted his hand, and visions erupted into being. The chamber dissolved, replaced by shimmering echoes of memory.
They saw it.
The Membrane shattered. The Outer Beings pouring in like a sea of mouths, claws, and eyes without number. Stars devoured. Planets ripped apart. Children screaming as their souls were shredded. Lovers torn away. Cities crumbling. Gods kneeling as their thrones fell. Blood dripping through heavens as the Akashic Records burned into ash. The total annihilation of all things.
His wives gasped, tears running down their faces as their past lives bled into the present. Even the hardened generals trembled, their hands shaking at the sight of what had once been their doom.
The Universal Will went silent. Its vast presence stilled, its fury breaking against the undeniable truth.
‹This... is what awaits?› Its voice was softer now, tinged with disbelief and dawning terror.
"Yes," Igaris replied, his tone steady, merciless. "If I do nothing, you will fall. Everything will fall. You cannot resist them. Not even you, the axis of all laws, can stand against that hunger. But within me, you can endure. Within my dominion, you will not die, but live again. I offer eternity."
A ripple of hesitation spread through the chamber. For the first time since creation’s birth, the Universal Will faltered.
‹And if I refuse?›
"Then you will be consumed by them. Screaming, broken, scattered into fragments of dust. You have seen what they do. You know their nature. Better to yield and endure than to resist and perish."
Silence stretched for what felt like ages. The warriors held their breaths, waiting, knowing the outcome here would decide the fate of all things.
Finally, the voice returned. No longer thunder, no longer rage, but quiet and trembling with awe.
‹You... are no longer merely a devourer. You are the new axis of creation itself. Very well. If survival is to be bought, then let it be. I will crown you as what you already are.›
The heavens split.
Light rained down in waves, brighter than suns, heavier than black holes. Countless ancient sigils appeared, older than time, older than the first law. They sank into Igaris’s flesh, branding him with truths no god had ever carried. His aura expanded until the chamber itself cracked, the walls struggling to hold him. Even the Eternal Palace bowed.
The voice of the Universe roared once more, but now it carried solemnity instead of anger.
‹Hear me, all creation. From this moment forth, Igaris Vance shall bear the formal title: Overlord. His will is law. His word is command. Gods, Deities, even the Supreme Thrones must bow.›
The declaration spread across the entire cosmos. Temples shook. Idols shattered. High Thrones of Deities trembled. Supreme Gods, those who had believed themselves untouchable, found their bodies bent against their will. They cursed, they screamed, they resisted, but the decree of the Universe left them no choice. They knelt.
Across creation, every living being felt it. A new axis had been born.
Back in the throne chamber, his wives trembled with awe. Diva pressed a hand to her lips, her voice breaking. "Overlord... my husband is now the axis of all creation."
Celestara, nestled in Evernight’s arms, giggled as the light brushed her tiny horns.
Within this time, she had grown into a cute little baby, closing in on her birthday. She clapped her hands, laughing with pure innocence, as if blessing her father’s coronation.
The generals could not hold themselves back. Shadow Reaper dropped to one knee. Jian Longchen lowered his sword in salute. The Mountain King bowed his colossal frame until his forehead touched the ground. Even Malthius, the Undead General who bowed to nothing, lowered his skeletal head and whispered hoarsely,
"All hail the Overlord."
Dragon General Serynthia spread her wings wide, her scales blazing with gold. "Roar.. Let them come now. When those outer beings arrive, they will find nothing left to devour. All belongs to our Overlord."
Igaris did not bask in their reverence. His eyes, dark and endless as the void, softened only when they fell upon Celestara’s smile.
Then his tone returned, colder, sharper, like a blade drawn from the sheath:
"Come. Half of the Universe lies within me. The rest will follow. By the time you arrive here, there will be nothing left to prey upon. For your punishment, eternal torment will be the only judgement."
He raised his hand, and once again, the fabric of stars trembled, laws bending at his command. The coronation was over. The reign of the Overlord had begun.