The Tournament of Gods raged on, a spectacle of power and ambition played out across a thousand deadly arenas.

Battles ended, champions rose and fell, and the trillions watching across the cosmos were glued to the live broadcast, their own hopes and fears mirrored in the struggles of the contestants.

After the first thousand matches, the second wave of matches had begun.

A hush fell over the audience as the name of the next contestant flashed on the cosmic screen: Thorn. But the majestic green dragon did not appear.

Sunny, observing from his high throne, shifted his gaze to his champion's stand. There, amidst the other victorious warriors of Veridia, Thorn remained.

He was still seated cross-legged, his humanoid form radiating an intense, shimmering aura.

The green scales that adorned his hands, chest, and legs pulsed with a light that grew brighter with each passing second, a sign of the profound transformation occurring within him.

To the other Gods, it had been a few months since Thorn had entered this state.

But Sunny, his perception attuned to the accelerated flow of time he had cast upon his champion, knew the truth.

Five thousand years had passed for Thorn within that bubble of epiphany.

'Are you stuck somewhere, Thorn?' Sunny thought, a flicker of concern touching his divine consciousness.

He could feel the chaotic, turbulent energy swirling within his apostle, a mind lost in a labyrinth of newfound understanding.

An epiphany was a delicate thing, a moment of profound insight that could elevate a being to new heights or shatter their very soul if they lost their way.

Sunny decided it was time to intervene.

His voice, not a physical sound, but a gentle, resonant thought, pierced through the storm in Thorn's mind.

"God Cosmos." Thorn said, as sensed the parental love and care of his God radiating deep in his soul.

"I am listening, child," Sunny replied, his mental voice a soothing and calm anchor in Thorn's sea of confusion.

"God… I am lost," Thorn's thought echoed back, raw with vulnerability and exhaustion. He had seen visions, touched upon truths about the nature of Hope, but the path forward remained shrouded in mist.

"I know it is difficult to find one's path," Sunny's voice resonated with the wisdom he had gained all this time. "But you must find it if you wish to remain useful to Veridia. In a few short years, S-Grade powerhouses will be commonplace. Look at the dragons soaring in our skies now—they are just the beginning. Do you think your current strength will be enough then?" Sunny's words were not a rebuke, but a challenge, a spark to reignite Thorn's resolve.

"You have shown countless lost souls the path to safety. But you must also find your own."

A moment of profound silence hung between them. Then, Thorn's mental voice roared back, no longer lost, but blazing with a newfound, absolute certainty. "I know now! Hope! That is my path!"

A slow, satisfied smile spread across Sunny's face, hidden behind his mask. 'Hope? An interesting choice. Then what path will Shenlong take? Well,' he mused, 'I shouldn't interfere between a teacher and his student.'

He gently withdrew his consciousness, severing the connection.

Thorn had already spent five thousand years in this state; five thousand more, and his mortal lifespan would reach its end.

But Sunny wasn't worried. With the gift of Nine Lives, death was merely an inconvenience.

He focused his will again, accelerating the time flow around Thorn even further, pouring temporal energy into his apostle's transformation.

'Emerge quickly, little fellow. Veridia awaits its Miracle's Hand.'

With Thorn's epiphany now guided, Sunny turned his attention back to the tournament roster.

Thorn's match was next. Without hesitation, he sent a command through Thea. Thorn's name was removed from the active participants. He had forfeited.

The reaction in the God Chat was immediate and confused.

"Boss! Why did you forfeit?! Thorn could have easily won! You could have just postponed the fight! You're the Emperor, you make the rules!" Zir's said.

The thoughts of the other Gods echoed Zir's confusion. Why would their Emperor throw away a guaranteed victory, a chance for more glory and faith?

"Perhaps the epiphany will take far longer than anticipated? Longer than the tournament itself?" Strategist reasoned, always searching for the logical explanation.

He knew Sunny wouldn't do something so seemingly foolish without a deeper purpose. Every victory was not just a win for the champion; it was a surge of faith for their God. Forfeiting seemed counterintuitive.

"It is not that," Sunny said, his words appearing calmly amidst the storm of speculation. "He may be waking up anytime soon."

"Oh! Did you forfeit because the opponent was one of my lifeforms? How sweet of you, Boss!" she said, with a little blush on her face.

The champion Thorn had been scheduled to fight was indeed one of hers.

"You wish! There must be another reason!" zir said, he knew that Sunny wasn't someone who would be foolish enough to let go of so much faith.

"Yes, there is a reason," Sunny finally revealed, letting the anticipation build for a moment before dropping the bombshell.

"He will not be able to fight in the lifeform tournament after his epiphany is complete." He let the implication hang in the air, a silent challenge to their understanding as well as little fun for himself.

There was a pause, a collective intake of breath across billions of Gods. Then, Strategist's finally said, his words trembling with dawning comprehension.

"Is it…?" He paused, his mind flashing back to the Light, Ragnok, and Medusa. "My Emperor… you mean…?"

"Yes," Sunny affirmed, his simple word confirming the impossible. "Thorn is breaking through to the demigod realm."

The Gods exploded. Not with confusion this time, but with shock, followed by a wave of congratulats for Sunny.

Another demigod! And a natural-born one! His power seemed truly limitless.

But amidst the celebration, Strategist's sharp, analytical mind had already moved on to the next puzzle.

"My Emperor, forgive my ignorance, but I do not understand. How can an S-Grade lifeform ascend to the demigod realm? I myself have guided many S-Grade champions, poured resources into them, yet all have failed at the final step. What is the missing key?"

Sunny facepalmed internally. In the chaos of recent events, he had completely forgotten to share the crucial knowledge he had gained from Adam.

He decided to rectify that now.

"Actually, Strategist, the path to ascension is not as mysterious as you might think. There are simply two fundamental requirements that must be met."

Every God leaned closer, their attention absolute. This was knowledge that could change the fate of their entire civilizations.

"The first requirement is potential. The lifeform must possess, either naturally or through blessing or growth, at least one SS-Grade talent. This talent acts as the anchor, the divine spark necessary to elevate a mortal soul to the demigod realm. Without it, ascension is impossible." He paused, a subtle smile in his voice.

"And, as you all know, thanks to my Divine Growth blessing upon this universe, any of your lifeforms or even you all have the potential to reach that SS-Grade through dedication and hard work."

A wave of renewed hope washed over the Gods. The path was difficult, but not closed.

"The second requirement is the most crucial, and the most difficult. It is the comprehension of a Law."

He elaborated, his words painting a picture of the very fabric of reality.

"To become a demigod, a lifeform must not just possess power; they must understand its source. They must comprehend a fundamental Law of the universe. It can be a Law of the elements, like Fire or Water. It can be a Law of concepts, like Strength, Hope, or Conviction. It can even be a Law tied to something mundane, like a tree or a stone. As their comprehension deepens, as they grasp the true essence of that Law, they will naturally cross the threshold and ascend."

"So that's why… My champions had the potential, the SS-Grade talent, but they lacked the understanding, the connection to a fundamental Law…" The final piece of the puzzle clicked into place for him, and a universe of possibilities opened up. He was one step closer to his ultimate goal.

Sunny saw the understanding dawn on Strategist's face, and on the faces of billions of other Gods. He decided to push them further, to give them a glimpse of the true, ultimate prize.

"And since we are sharing secrets today," he continued, his voice dropping slightly, becoming more intimate, more conspiratorial, "I suppose I should also tell you how a demigod can ascend even further… how they, and perhaps even you yourselves, might one day become true Gods."

His words stopped every God in their tracks. They stopped looking at the arenas. They stopped analyzing talents.

Their entire focus narrowed to a single, burning point. The thought of their loyal demigods, their creations, becoming a God. Sent a ripple through the their very souls.

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