Thea no longer had time to worry about where the divine blood had fallen—surely, it was all within the same area anyway. The two of them were battling in midair; Earth's rotation wasn't nearly fast enough to make a difference…
"Huff—huff—" She gasped heavily. The massive expenditure of both energy and spirit had already cut her combat power by at least fifteen percent.
After that flurry of concentrated attacks, she had to admit—she couldn't stop this deity from descending. Her strength hadn't yet reached the level of "slaying gods like slaughtering dogs." Since He was determined to force His way through, she could only pay limited attention.
Tracing a sigil with her hand, she summoned an owl and sent it flying toward the far-off impact zones. That divine blood mustn't fall into the hands of ordinary bystanders.
There were too many stories like this in novels—two max-level bosses fighting till both were half-dead, and some level-one newbie running over to pick up the loot afterward.
But Thea wasn't some selfless saint. She didn't even care about people from 2008, much less those from 2166. Whoever dared to compete with her for that divine blood—she'd fight them for it.
She hovered silently in the air, regaining her strength. She wanted to face this god properly, fair and square.
Fortunately, Horus was too busy at the moment to read minds. Otherwise, he would've roared, "You stabbed four holes in me—was that supposed to be fake?!" Divine blood wasn't like human blood—mortals' blood could gush out like a fountain, but divine blood wasn't nearly so flashy. Every drop was precious; some even tied directly to a god's divine authority or domain. In a sense, it was an important measure of a god's true combat power.
If too much of it was lost, a god could even be knocked down from His divine throne—permanently fallen.
Horus saw Thea quietly channeling her power and assumed she was building up for some devastating strike. Despite his disdain for mortals, he wasn't stupid—he knew that in his current state, he was basically a sitting target, and that golden-armored woman across from him could absolutely grind him to death.
He didn't know that right now, Vandal Savage was being chased like a dog by Rip Hunter, nor did he know that his priests had failed him miserably. Even seeing his god struggling, they still hadn't sent further support.
Fury surged within him. If only he could recover a bit more of his strength, he could cross over from this Slumber of the Gods realm into the material world.
Seething with rage, he finally made up his mind—to sever his link with his original divine domain and force his way through.
With a thunderous roar, Horus's divine energy erupted uncontrollably. His already massive divine body swelled even larger.
"YAAH—!"
Visible ripples burst outward in all directions. The sky, the earth, and even the seas trembled faintly. Around the world, countless eagles and hawks screamed into the heavens, and everywhere signs appeared—a true god, one who had survived the twilight of the gods, was once again descending upon the mortal realm.
Thea, witnessing all this, could only curse aloud, "Holy crap."
Forget having your own background music—this guy's entrance effects were literally shaking heaven and earth!
"I am Horus, son of Osiris and Isis! I am the guardian of Letopolis!"
"I am the god who governs justice and law in this world! You mortals shall bathe in the divine glory and supreme royal authority! Kneel before Me—this is the grace of the gods! The only worthy offering of your pitiful lives!"
For this kind of self-introduction—where the other side listed off their entire family tree before fighting—Thea was just watching for entertainment.
But when he started saying stuff about "kneeling" and "pitiful mortals," she got annoyed. Wasn't that basically directed at her? So what, you think just because you're a real god, I should drop down and worship you?
"Hey, birdman! This is a democratic society! Your monarchy system went extinct four thousand years ago!" Thea shouted back. She didn't dare get too close—judging from that hawk's head (yeah, definitely an eagle head), she could guess this guy was probably insanely fast.
Horus—ten meters tall, jet-black skin, eagle-headed, bare-chested, with only a linen wrap around his waist—was stunned by her words. He blinked and asked, "Has the Fourth Dynasty… ended?"
Thea nodded, thinking privately, You said it! Not just the Ming dynasty— even the Qing dynasty's long gone!
Horus froze. His gaze swept the world around him.
His divine sense scanned tens of thousands of kilometers in every direction. Millennia of human civilization and accumulated knowledge were laid bare before him. Shaking his massive head in faint dissatisfaction, he seemed somewhat disturbed by what he saw.
"Are you the mightiest of mortals? Then you are worthy to dwell beneath My throne. Kneel, and receive My blessing—an honor beyond your imagination."
Now that Horus had grasped the world's changes, he felt a little lost. Some transformations he couldn't even judge as good or bad. But he was still a god. It wasn't he who should adapt to the world—the world should adapt to him.
Facing Thea, who had actually managed to injure him, this time traveler, he was irritated but also decided she might make a fine first follower for his new divine kingdom on Earth. In his mind, humans were weak and insignificant. For him to personally extend such favor—surely she'd kneel at once.
As for why Vandal Savage had summoned him—Horus didn't care. Gods command mortals, not the other way around. Without a second thought, he'd already cast Vandal's will aside.
Thea couldn't help laughing out loud. What's that supposed to mean?
If tolerance were a virtue, this god's belly could hold an entire ship—but recruiting her before they'd even fought? Please. They hadn't even crossed blows yet! How could she possibly surrender just like that? And that tone of his—half speech, half song—was seriously giving her goosebumps.
Scanning him repeatedly, Thea didn't sense that this so-called deity was all that strong. Aside from a flashy entrance and a theatrical voice, he didn't seem particularly special.
In terms of raw energy, she was actually stronger. Despite his imposing figure, he felt heavily wounded—summoned before he'd recovered from some grievous injury.
If she had to put it in game terms, this guy had max HP and mana capacity, but right now his HP bar was a sliver, and his MP was basically empty.
Against Thea, who was at full health and full mana—the fight's outcome was far from certain.
She didn't bother talking anymore. There was no point—they weren't even speaking the same language spiritually. Gathering her magic, she focused her will, preparing to test herself against this so-called god.
Her suddenly surging aura caught Horus off guard. Wait, what? Wasn't she supposed to kneel and thank him? Why did she look like she was about to start a battle? I've already forgiven you, girl—why make this so difficult?
Still, divine dignity could not be mocked. Since she wanted to fight—so be it.
Thea could clearly sense how weak he was; and of course, he knew it too. Being forcibly awakened from eternal slumber, his state was abysmal. Normally, even with the proper rituals, a mortal priest could only catch his attention at best—they didn't have the power to summon him directly into the world.
Fortunately for him, Vandal Savage wasn't a normal human. By greedily draining Vandal's endless life force, Horus had managed—through tremendous struggle—to finally breach the boundary and step once more into the world that had long since forgotten the footprints of gods.