Chapter 461: The Age of Great Exploration

By the time Donald stripped away a demigod’s divine fire and drove it down from immortality, the number of ships and people sent from the Mainland to the New World had reached its peak. Countless mortal warriors, adventurers, and hopeful youths aimed to venture to the New World in search of adventure.

Three hundred and fifty days after the realms merged and the New World was discovered, hundreds of thousands of mortals from the Mainland had traveled to the Totem Continent through various means. Among them were not only most humans but also dwarves, Zhu Ru, demigods, and a small number of elves.

As for orcs, with shipbuilding technology largely in human hands on the Mainland, they—having been enemies of humans for generations—did not qualify to board ships. Moreover, lacking the support of any true gods or demigod warriors, they were naturally excluded from the development of the New World and remained isolated in the barren northwestern wastelands.

The reason these mortals were so desperate to risk the dangers at sea and head to the New World was twofold: first, the chance to conquer its fertile lands and become nobles; second, the allure of becoming gods and achieving immortality.

When news of gods like the Totem Gods on the New World reached the Mainland, one can imagine how shocked the mortals of all walks of life were!

Compared to traditional gods, Totem Gods did not need to ascend their divine kingdoms to the stars to become true gods—they could do so simply by occupying a certain territory. However, they were confined to that area; once they left, their power would diminish significantly. Lower-ranking gods would drop to the level of demigods or even peak legends, not to mention those legendary or golden Totem Gods.

Even so, this remained an irresistible temptation for mortals. Many powerful mortals from the Main World chose to go to the Totem Continent to compete for divine positions, becoming gods who, though confined to a place, would enjoy true immortality. This is evident from the example of a noble from the Thorlon Commercial Alliance who, with the help of his subordinates, killed a weak golden Totem God and, in a stroke of luck, managed to establish contact with the altar Totem, thereby gaining recognition from the will of the realm and becoming a true Totem God.

With such successful precedents, once the first churches and nations to reach the New World spread this news, everyone went wild. The nobles and powerful figures already on the New World could no longer resist and seized multiple divine positions, integrating into the system of the Totem Gods.

This also includes those new nobles from the Mainland who joined the united kingdom of Celt and Ciri. Some of them couldn’t resist the temptation and, seeking to gain control over the local totem gods, chose to assume divine status. Thus, these nobles were both local lords and the gods of those lands. King Charles of the North was concerned about this phenomenon and sought Donald’s advice on it. He didn’t want to see an influx of totem gods in his kingdom that might eventually overthrow Celt’s rule through power and ambition. Donald merely smiled, showing no concern. He saw clearly that the issue of totem gods wouldn’t become a problem for them. “There’s no need to worry about this, Your Highness Charles!” “Oh, why not?” “The number of divine positions a territory can accommodate is limited. With Ciri and his subordinate gods in check, at least within our united kingdom, those new totem gods cannot gain more territory. Without more territory, they can’t advance further and must expand outward. Whether their external campaigns succeed or fail, it will only benefit our united kingdom!” King Charles quickly understood after Donald’s explanation and clapped his hands, saying, “You mean if they expand outward and succeed, they’ll open up new lands for our united kingdom, bringing many benefits. Even if they fail, they’ll only lose some strength, which can help curb their growing power without negatively affecting the kingdom’s situation?” Donald nodded and explained, “Although suppressed by the powers of the gods, there were originally some sea lords in places beyond their reach on the Mainland. But even here on our Mainland, there are similar totem gods. However, those powerful gods reside in distant seas and are beyond the reach of ordinary mortals. Unless mortals kill existing totem gods and try to claim divine status in their own way, their chances of being recognized by the will of the plane are probably one in a hundred thousand. As for those strong enough to succeed in becoming gods, they can pursue the path of becoming even more powerful true gods and certainly won’t settle for becoming earth gods and being trapped in one place for life!” “On the contrary, the lower-level totem gods on the Tomen Continent are as numerous as ants under a tree, undoubtedly giving them more opportunities. This not only shifts the existing conflicts among the forces on the Mainland but also drives the progress of the entire world!”

Charlie nodded in understanding, then asked, “So what impact will the conflict between us and the totem gods have?”
“I reckon there won’t be much impact. The gods won’t engage in a fierce struggle with the totem gods on the New Continent, nor will the totem gods be foolish enough to leave their own domain to seek destruction! Moreover, due to the unique conditions of the Totoem Continent, even if the gods from the Main Continent invade there, it won’t cause too much disaster. On the contrary, attracted by the totem gods, most of them will inevitably merge with them!”
“That’s precisely why, aside from the vengeful God of Chaos, the most powerful forces on the Totoem Continent haven’t taken any drastic measures against these invaders. The totem gods know that these invaders from other continents will eventually integrate into their system. Once they become part of the land machines, they’ll be subject to the rules of this continent. Even if they try to side with other factions, they won’t be able to resist.”
“Besides, those from the Main Continent who become totem gods may not necessarily side with their homeland. Just imagine—a noble without any inheritance rights or status on the Main Continent, once he gains divine status on the New Continent, how likely is it that he’ll prioritize his own family’s interests?”
“Gods remain gods. The elite families who were once in high positions no longer have the right or ability to control a god. If nobles from such families are like this, imagine those powerful individuals from various factions who have no ties to the Main Continent at all…”
“So, Your Highness Charlie, you needn’t worry about potential threats posed by the new totem gods in your territory to the kingdom. Even if someone tries to dominate everything and overthrow our kingdom, can they really defeat us two true gods, along with a powerful demi-god totem god like Ciri? Remember, all totem gods within the kingdom’s borders, whether in name or in reality, are subordinate to Ciri, the god of adventure and navigation. If she’s strong, they’ll become even stronger. It would be effortless for her to control a god within her own territory!”