I created the Bureau of Anomaly Control

Seraine gazed with a profound expression at the blurred image within the mirror before him.

It depicted an indoor plaza where Maen stood in the distance, peering towards the mirror's location, accompanied by an extremely vague figure. They seemed to be engaged in some form of conversation.

Regrettably, this was all the information he could glean, the extent of the supernatural sights his eyes could reflect. Attempting to see more through him would easily expose his issues.

Seraine had no intention of genuinely using this "sleeper agent" to pry into Maen's secrets. More than a spy, he was a lure, cast out to draw Maen into a carefully constructed peril.

After all, directly employing him carried the risk of revealing his identity. He needed to maintain his mystique while leveraging the combined efforts of the Fire God and Sea God to dispel suspicion that the Southern Federation's gods were the masterminds.

He was certainly on their list of suspects, and the idea that the Southern Federation's gods were being manipulated by a mastermind to target the Covenant was plausible. But Seraine's expectations for this attack had increased significantly.

Initially, he merely intended to use the Fire God to clear the Southern Federation's gods of suspicion, but Maen's unexpected entry into the Southern Federation had given Seraine new ideas.

Now that the Divine Firmament was imprisoned, Seraine believed he had no rivals in the Southern Federation. However, his goal was not merely to defeat Maen or a few Covenant members, but to unearth their secrets.

Therefore, he didn't act rashly. Maen's public appearance suggested he wasn't afraid of a sudden attack from him or any other ability user, and the Covenant might have already set up an ambush at Maen's current residence.

Only fools fought on their opponent's chosen ground; clever hunters lured their prey into their own traps.

Even with so many prerequisites, he was still confident in capturing Maen in the Southern Federation. Of course, the Covenant would believe the mastermind had used the gods to capture Maen, and they wouldn't know where to strike.

His confidence stemmed from the fact that the two deities about to face Maen were indeed strong. His scheming chief follower, the Fire God, couldn't compare to top-tier deities like the Thunder God, who was second only to him, but the Fire God's strongest avatar was only a level below the deities.

The Sea God should have been a top-tier deity like the Thunder God, but due to the ocean's very existence, she had barely returned to Tier V since the Titan Era. For millennia, she had struggled to survive, only occasionally approaching Tier V.

But when he found the Sea God, he realized she had been biding her time, secretly seeking an ancient, eternal power and finding a way to connect with it through faith. Now, she also possessed a formidable Tier V avatar capable of participating in the era's struggles.

This made Seraine extremely gratified. Although he hadn't paid particular attention to their situations, these gods had their own plans instead of foolishly waiting for his orders.

And when such situations arose, they could shoulder the responsibilities befitting gods.

The Sea God was the oldest god besides Seraine and had once held a position second only to him. Therefore, even though her power wasn't particularly strong now, she possessed the experience and composure that came with age.

The Fire God's situation was the opposite. This young god hadn't experienced as much hardship as the Sea God and had been shaped into his current personality under Seraine's deliberate guidance over the years.

This made it impossible for him to truly challenge his position.

But while other gods weakened in human consciousness due to the changing times, the power of flames remained steadfast, maintaining its ancient status, which allowed him to retain strong combat abilities.

Therefore, these two gods could complement each other's weaknesses. If they joined forces, most ability users would find it difficult to contend with them in the Southern Federation. Only the top ability users could defeat them there.

And from Seraine's observation, Maen was no match for them.

Therefore, as long as Maen followed the flaws he had left behind and found the trap, he would easily be forced to reveal more information and intelligence about the Covenant, giving Seraine a chance to find the Covenant's fatal weakness.

And he believed that even if Maen remained vigilant, he would still confidently venture into the trap, because his high-profile appearance in the Southern Federation meant he wanted to take the initiative.

At this point, it wasn't about who could scheme against whom, but about who was more skilled.

Seraine, gazing at the two figures, wore an extremely calm expression, but his thoughts were racing, constantly imagining and deducing Maen and the Covenant's reactions and considering solutions.

"What are you looking at?" A female voice suddenly came from behind him.

A graceful figure had entered the room unnoticed, her brow slightly furrowed as she followed Seraine's gaze to the mirror, sensing something unusual.

"Our opponents," Seraine replied. "The gods haven't had such enemies in a long time."

"You still miss this feeling, don't you?" The Sea God walked behind him, the humid air of her breath lightly brushing against the back of Seraine's neck, instantly having its moisture taken away by the heat.

Seraine didn't directly answer her question:

"I don't wish for the gods to be in such danger."

The Sea God's tone carried a hint of amusement:

"But you're excited, aren't you? I can tell you haven't been this energetic in a long time."

Seraine didn't deny it:

"A long time and immortal life can make anything seem lifeless. Such things can indeed be considered a diversion for beings like us, but we can't let them affect our judgment.

"We feel bored and crave excitement because our wills and personalities originate from humans.

"But ultimately, we are not human. Therefore, many human traits are unsuitable for us. As gods, we must suppress and overcome those harmful parts in order to exist forever."

The Sea God said in a tone mixed with sarcasm and jest:

"But your desire to survive also comes from humans. I actually know you're very afraid of death. You've been unscrupulous in your efforts to survive for countless years. They probably never imagined you were so afraid of slumber...

"Otherwise, you wouldn't have lived so long."

Seraine replied calmly:

"Indeed, I am very afraid of death, but I don't think that's a flaw.

"I even admire humanity's desire to survive. And immortality isn't just a characteristic of gods, but also the image of the sun, a star, in the eyes of mortals. I should be as eternal as the sun, I am born to be eternal.

"I know you hate me, but now is not a good time for infighting, and you are no match for me. We must work together to eliminate the opponent we face. I do look forward to dangers that can threaten me.

"But I don't look forward to the challengers themselves, but to my ability to defeat them. Indulging in the excitement brought by danger is a foolish act, and achieving victory requires suppressing one's desires, and...

"Shana, neither you nor I can afford to lose.

"After all, you haven't taken your revenge on me yet, have you?"