Pantheon. (2)
Well, with the rough outline of the gods' world—the Pantheon—and Baal's temple in the sky now more or less complete...
What next? I suppose I should make a spot for my own temple too. But it's starting to feel like a hassle. Maybe I should just slap something together and let the gods who move in here handle the rest? That'd be way easier for me. Hmm... what to do~? What should I do~? Ugh, work sucks~.
Even as I'm dithering like this, other tasks are probably piling up. Ahh... I wish there were two of me. Then I could split the load and get through it twice as fast. Ah! That's it! What if I made something like an AI? No, not full AI—maybe just an auto-responder!
The biggest chunk of my workload right now is responding to prayers as the Life Goddess. If I whipped up an AI or auto-responder to handle that...
I could cut my work by 20%, no, maybe even 30%! Sure, I have no clue how to actually build an AI in this world. No computers, calculators, vacuum tubes—nothing. Guess I'll shelve that idea and brainstorm it later when my head's clearer.
"Whoa... amazing..."
As I gazed at the half-finished Pantheon, a gasp of awe came from behind me. Hm. Come to think of it, she's been glued to my back this whole time. So quiet I forget she's there if I don't focus on her.
"To witness the creation of a new world... it's truly astonishing..."
Nyx's voice brimmed with wonder. This must be a first for her. Well, she's a newborn goddess, so everything's novel.
"It's the world where gods will live. Built atop the clouds so no one can come and go easily."
"Ooh... What's this world called?"
"I named it the Pantheon."
"Pantheon..."
"A grand hall for countless gods. Well, less a hall and more a whole world."
"Do all the gods live here?"
I shook my head slightly at Nyx's question. All the gods... That'd be impossible. Not because the place is too small or anything. Some gods just can't come here.
Like mountain gods or river gods. They can't stray far from their core essence—the natural features that define them. Kinda like earthbound spirits... or since they're gods, maybe earthbound deities? Anyway, they can't leave their essence behind, so they couldn't live here.
At best, they'd pop in for a quick visit and head back. Straying from one's essence isn't easy for a god... and it's dangerous too. Lesser mountain or river gods wouldn't stand a chance. But someone like Sagarmatha or Thetis, with their immense power? Maybe.
The new gods being born now are too weak for it. Only those with fluid essences or enough power to distance themselves from it could make it.
"So... surprisingly few gods might come here?"
"But we have to plan for how many more will be born in the future."
I did make the space expand proportionally with the number of gods and their faith... but there's a max size, which worries me a bit. For reference, that max matches the sky's expanse in this world. Height-wise, about the upper stratosphere? Around 40km up. Temperature and UV aren't issues since it's a separate realm anyway.
"B-but... if it's this high up, how do the other gods get in?"
"Hm?"
"Not every god can fly... Me neither..."
Ah. Right, that problem. Me and my kids have so much power, and flying's no big deal for us... I overlooked it.
What to do? Can't lower the world's height now. Can't build a ladder up here either—too much hassle, even if I could. Hmm... a ladder to the sky... stairs... Ah, a rainbow? Like Bifröst from Norse myth?
Urgh, but that'd mean ditching the dawn-and-dusk opening concept. A rainbow bridge would look cool for access, but I don't wanna lose the dawn/dusk vibe. Plus, if I put a rainbow bridge there, humans would probably climb it.
Hmm... Okay, here's the plan. Make it a rainbow bridge you ride up, but it doesn't go straight to the Pantheon. An entry checkpoint first... Another gate. Tch. I made tons in the Underworld too...
Anyway, build a cloud-top waiting area before the Pantheon entrance. Like a checkpoint with guards. Station a trustworthy god there to manage access. That way, even if a human or other demi-human sneaks up, no problem.
Rainbows don't appear that often, but whatever—make it different. Set up ascent points worldwide, connect 'em with periodic rainbow bridges. Or better: invisible rainbows that only gods can see and use. No divinity, no entry.
Yeah, that's perfect. Visible to gods' eyes, invisible and unusable to mortals.
And... not a bridge, maybe a rainbow elevator? Feels more like ascending. It's a long way up—walking would take forever. If all gods could fly, I wouldn't need this nonsense. Such a pain.
So, before the Pantheon entrance, I created a cloud-top waiting area as a staging point. Then I placed rainbow elevators—cylindrical spaces attached to rainbows—across the world, linking the lower realm to the Pantheon.
Fast ones too: hop in, and you're at the entrance in about five minutes. Isolated from the outside, no discomfort... Am I overthinking it? Could've been rougher, but whatever. Might as well make it good.
After a few test runs:
"Incredible! The ground just vanishes in an instant!"
Nyx gave it rave reviews. Good. That'll do.
Alright, time to fetch a god to guard the Pantheon entrance.
The Pantheon entrance needs ironclad management, entrusted to someone I trust. Gods will keep multiplying until human intellect evolves further, and with more gods comes inevitable chaos.
Some will want to drag their favorite humans up here. So the gatekeeper needs power to rein them in—and my absolute trust.
Obviously, I already had a candidate in mind.
"Long time no see."
A temple far past its prime. Hard to believe this was once the center of faith for a mighty nation like Arcadia.
In the central throne sat a tiny puppy, curled up. It spotted me, uncurled, and stood.
The first Beast God. God of beastkin. Once traveled the world with the Hero... and me.
Hundreds of years later. The Beast God, once nationally worshipped by beastkin, had lost much faith as Arcadia's devotions shifted elsewhere.
"Whiiiine..."
I stroked the little god nuzzling my feet. Even after losing so much faith, to shrink this small... I'd heard about Arcadia's faith shifting, but not to this extent.
For context: Arcadia's population changed with outsider influx, and young beastkin drifted from tradition. Old beastkin faced prejudice—even infighting by animal type—so they needed the first Beast God's unity and support.
Now, with better status and room for multiple faiths, they didn't need the first Beast God. Unable to grant meaningful blessings like others, it just lost followers.
That former wolf now a tiny pup before me.
"I've prepared a place for you. Come with me."
We traveled together once. Can't just leave it.
"Whiiiine..."
But the first Beast God whined softly and turned away, as if it couldn't leave. As if bound to this dusty, crumbling temple.