Gabriel's physique hadn't changed, but he appeared slightly taller.
The aura around him was calmer than ever, to the point that he could control it to a precision where not a trace of it could be sensed even by the strongest of people.
It was as if he was nothing but a mere mortal with some physical strength. His eyes were filled with serenity, yet there appeared to be a storm brewing within them.
Even Ezekiel couldn't see exactly how much Gabriel had grown, but he had a feeling that Gabriel was able to defend himself now. In the last few weeks, Gabriel had trained non stop, challenging himself at every step of the way.
Moreover, he had defeated many Abyssal Dragons without any external help, passing the test set forth by Ezekiel.
Gabriel gazed at Ezekiel. After a brief pause, he spoke, "Thank you."
Ezekiel had entered his life when he needed help the most. He was trapped in the Abyss, almost half dead when Ezekiel appeared like the light in the darkest of night, giving him hope that they could leave this hellish place.
Ezekiel had stayed with him while Karyk had disappeared. It was his other half who had disappeared, abandoning him. On the other hand, a stranger like Ezekiel had sided with him, saving his life.
Not only did Ezekiel save his life, but he also helped him get stronger. Gabriel wasn't sure if he was even going to be alive without Ezekiel.
He was completely broken when he found out that his sister, and everyone else had died on earth. But now, he felt like he was at peace with himself. Even though he had lost everything, he now had Ezekiel who was family.
He knew just a word of thanks wasn't enough, but that was all he could do. At the moment, his feelings of gratitude and familiarity towards Ezekiel was much stronger than it was toward Karyk.
If anything, he felt abandonment from Karyk's side. Deep in his heart, some hostility also rose up.
Karyk and they were part of the same soul. Karyk was a remnant of the past while he was a being of the present. Karyk's body was destroyed when he died, but with Gabriel's birth, two souls existed in one body.
If anything, both of them had an equal right on the body, but when it came to creating a different body for dealing with corruption of souls, Karyk took the main body and gave a body to him.
The more Gabriel thought, the more he felt betrayed. Karyk had never sacrificed anything for him. He was always secondary to Karyk, who was stronger from the start. And when he needed Karyk the most, he disappeared.
Unlike Karyk, Ezekiel had never stolen anything from him. Instead, Ezekiel had sacrificed his time and all his effort to train him, even though he didn't have to.
Ezekiel had to deal with a revenge of his own, but instead of going for his revenge, he started training Gabriel, showing he wanted Gabriel to be there when they took revenge. For him, Gabriel's safety had more priority than revenge.
Ezekiel could see the gratitude of Gabriel. He didn't know how to react. It had been a long time since he lost his family. His father, mother and everyone else were murdered. But he didn't know why, seeing Gabriel thank him, he felt happy. It was as if it was his little brother thanking him.
He reached out his hand, ruffing Gabriel's hair. "It was all your hard work. You don't need to thank me."
He soon took his hand back before opening a portal in the Abyss, connecting straight to the Realm of Gods.
Gabriel and Ezekiel entered the Portal, walking shoulder to shoulder.
Both of them stepped on the Realm of Gods at the same time. It had been a long time since they left this place. Now the Realm of Gods looked the same yet different.
Most of the broken buildings were repaired and there were also some new buildings, especially the Palace that stood at the center.
"He's back!" One of the Rebel Gods called out to others after catching a sight of Gabriel.
In the past, all the Rebel Gods were scared of Ezekiel, but after Ezekiel let them live and made it evident that he wasn't going to harm him, they started feeling a little more comfortable.
Within minutes, most of the Rebel Gods gathered. They left everything they were doing and gathered outside. Even the Old Rebel God stepped out of the Library.
"Why do you look so bad?" Gabriel asked the old man, who had never once stepped out of the library in weeks. For some reason, he appeared weaker and older. It was as if he had aged a lot in such a short time.
The Old God wasn't sure if he should tell Gabriel everything he found out about the young man in the library. It was the secret of the past that didn't need to be disclosed, especially since the origin of Gabriel was so complicated.
"Now that you're back, I'll get better," the old man laughed in response. "But what happened to you? I thought you went to train? Why do you look weaker instead of stronger? It's as if you became a mortal?"
Even the old man couldn't see the secrets of Gabriel.
Gabriel forced a smile. He waved his hand lightly. A terrifying aura storm appeared around him. It was no weaker than the terrifying aura that could be felt from Ezekiel when he used to fight.
All the Rebel Gods were covered in sweat, feeling as if they were suffocating under the aura. Fortunately Gabriel made his aura disappear after giving a small glimpse to the others.
Only after the aura disappeared did the Rebel Gods feel safe. Now all of them knew that Gabriel's appearance didn't reveal his true strength. He was much much stronger than he used to be in the past.
"All of us were training as well, but compared to you, our growth is so insignificant," one of the Rebel Gods laughed in self-deprecation.
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