Myth: The Ruler of Spirituality

Driven by some inner motivation, the God of Sleep marked it, but seldom visited the place. However, today, within the palace of the former second-generation Divine King, Hypnos gently clapped his hands.

"Clap, clap, clap—"

The sound was not loud, yet in the world of dreams, magnitude had no meaning. The next moment, the shimmering of light and shadow unfolded as pathways connecting different dream domains opened one after another.

As the third level of the Spirit Realm, built upon the dreams of all beings, time in the Dream Spirit Realm was inherently chaotic. What was but ten thousand years in the outside world had already seen the passage of times that number here. And in this vast span of time, Hypnos wasn't idle; he supported many capable entities and helped them become lords of the Dream Domain.

A rough count would estimate about a third of the third level of the Spirit Realm.

Without an opportunity, these lords were merely his subordinates, existing to maintain the order of the three levels of the Spirit Realm. But when the time was right, they too could become soldiers under Hypnos' command.

"They've all arrived."

Soon, more and more beings of the Dream Domain started appearing in this palace. Once, the second-generation Divine King held feasts here for the gods; now, this place stood filled with Spirit Realm beings of various forms.

Glancing around, the God of Sleep nodded in satisfaction. In the realm of the mind, one's self-perception determined their outward appearance, so these lords were all different.

Some of them came into being through the devouring of numerous spiritual bodies, and despite inheriting fragmented memories, they still identified with their former existence, maintaining the appearance from before their death; others were simply born from the dreams of powerful entities, eventually becoming independent, and bore some resemblance to certain deities of the outer world.

Some were filled with bizarreness and eccentricity, even life forms that weren't supposed to exist in this era. Like walking dolls, puppets clad in gowns—nobody knew how they came to be, perhaps it was the jumbled time and fate of the Spirit Realm, allowing a glimpse of the future to seep through.

Of course, no matter their appearance, these Spirit Realm lords possessed extraordinary powers. They were perhaps only transcendent beings, and only a very few possessed divinity, but in the Spirit Realm, under the Dream Domain's enhancement, most of them were quasi-gods, which was also why Hypnos had summoned them.

The God of Sleep did not expect these subordinates to be of much use, but at the very least, they could help him eliminate some troubles.

With a light touch of his hand, formless streams of information floated toward the approaching lords, detailing the tasks he intended for them to carry out. In fact, Hypnos hadn't told a single soul about what he was actually planning to do, even up until that moment.

Some things, he knew, were best kept to himself.

"Follow my orders, go."

Once the information transfer was complete, the youthful deity softly commanded. He watched these Spirit Realm lords leave in various manners, and soon, the palace returned to how it had been not long before.

From this moment on, time began its countdown. Success or failure, those were the only two options.

Seated on the throne, Hypnos felt emotions that had been absent for a long while begin to stir. He was beginning to understand the psychology of the former occupant of this throne; perhaps Cronus had similar thoughts when he plotted against the Heavenly Father.

"It doesn't matter anymore."

"In the future, all of this will be mine."

Following the connections within the dreamscape, the God of Sleep cast a glance toward the mortal world. There, a fellow he had encountered several times was stealing souls. That mysterious ritual cut off the Spirit Realm's natural attraction to souls, and even a portal was being slowly opened.

Hypnos made a mental note of the location; he intended to pay close attention to what lay beyond that portal later on. Although Mephisto's actions had distracted attention away from himself, that did not mean they could be tolerated.

Once he became the new king of the Spirit Realm, the first thing he would do was to dismember this bold thief who dared to filch his riches, and then track down the mastermind behind the curtain.

"It's about time; no need to wait any longer. I didn't expect my dear Father God to have ventured outside, which ironically gives me a greater chance of success."

With a smile curling up, despite his confidence in his own authority, Hypnos was well aware that it was only in a surprise attack that his divine authority could be exercised to its fullest extent.

In the myths of future generations, the original God of Sleep managed to put the near-peak King Zeus to sleep with the help of the assisting Queen Hera at his side.

So compared to a confrontation with Laine over the battle for control of the Spirit Realm, Hypnos preferred to quietly resolve everything from the shadows.

Thus, standing up, the God of Sleep's grey wings fluttered slightly, and his figure disappeared from the third level of the Spirit Realm.

Except for a select few, even the gods of the Spirit Realm needed to ascend the planes step by step, and it was the same for him. Fortunately, it wasn't far; it just required some time.

...

"Prince Hypnos, a moonlit greeting to you."

Stepping out from the most formal 'gateway' of the fourth layer of the Spirit Realm, just as he was about to depart, a voice reached his ear.

Looking toward the voice, Hypnos unexpectedly found a familiar yet foreign Spirit Realm angel who also happened to be present.