《God is a Game Designer》 1 C1 - Bleak Beginnings 2034 - England The sound of thunder boomed through the air, accompanied by streaks of lightning that painted a brilliant picture across the sky. In the streets, basking in the rain, children screamed and laughed as their parents held them close on the warm summer''s day. Cycling through the rain, mud and puddles with an exhausted look on his face, Nathan''s drooping eyes slid along to look at the crowds of people who lined the streets and park walkways. They all smiled as they enjoyed the strange summer weather. Having just gone shopping, Nathan held two large plastic reusable bags. The bags were in tatters, riddled with holes and tears. Inside, several packets of cheap instant ramen, bread, water, and other essentials could be found. "Fuck!" Passing over the crest of the hill, Nathan let out a loud curse as he heard something crash into the ground behind him. He stopped his bike as he turned to see the forlorn packets of ramen that had fallen from his bag. "Massive sale! Twenty packets for a pound! The fuck are they doing not adding extra packaging then?" he muttered to himself, complaining to the heavens about his issues. It was sadly his fault that he was in such a complicated financial issue, how could he work when he had his dreams to follow. Working nine to five or close to seven or eight was not something he could bring himself to do. He shook the water off the packets and shoved them back into the overfilled bags. Remounting his bike to continue home, he noticed a few distant women gossiping and staring at him, laughing as he rode past. He had to bear this shame every time. Being jobless and penny-pinching was not a good combination, but he cared little what others thought, which was one of the reasons he could keep going. He arrived at the housing complex --- three stories of old apartments that had seen better days. It was modelled after a cheap motel which, frankly, was the only reason he could afford rent. Coming up to his door, number 104, he felt a chill run along his back as he sensed someone''s gaze. "Nathan, in two days you better have that rent for me! I''m sure I don''t need to remind you that it''s increasing, so you better not forget." The landlady was short, roughly 4''11 with thick body proportions. Her attitude was that of a commander as she stared at him and barked her complaints. "N... No worries Ms Krass. I''ll be sure to pay on time." As he was still cold from the pouring rain, he shivered as his hand struggled to grip the keys stuffed in his pocket. "Good! I''d hate to kick your skinny ass out, remember I can always offer you some good work..." She slowed her words near the end, emphasizing. Nathan clambered into his apartment, slamming and locking the door. In a flash he had already hooked the chain into its slot, and he slumped with weariness and relief. "Creepy old hag! Does she think I''m a piece of meat?" Stepping into the tiny flat, his eyes locked onto the mirror as he stood looking at himself for a brief moment. Standing at just over six feet, he admired his height, which he believed to be one of his few redeeming features. He had short, shaggy black hair that had been left to grow on its own, disturbed only by the occasional amateur self-cut that tried but failed to tame the ''wild beast.'' But the rest of his body... he was skinny to the point that a skeleton would recognise him as kin! His hollow sunken eyes were only emphasised more by the dark circles beneath them. With piercing green eyes and a slight limp from an injury he had never fully recovered from, he looked to be the perfect antagonist. "Hey, what are you staring at!" he spat at his reflection before moving into the tiny kitchen. Though it should be said that this kitchen was also his living room, office, and master bedroom. It was a reduced standard of living, but he at least had a separate room for his bathroom and shower. He emptied the bags on the counter, slowly counting the items as he felt that something had gone missing. "Wait, where is the tomato sauce..." He rummaged through the items for a while before realizing that, during his trip on the bike, he must''ve missed something falling out. "Crap! It''s probably somewhere on the road..." Any notions of going back to grab the sauce were quenched as he looked outside at the current weather. His soul hurt as he gave up on the one thing that might''ve improved the taste of the otherwise bland meals in his future. He felt his head throb as he resisted the urge to scream towards the heavens in outrage towards this punishment he had to endure. After putting away all of his items, he would have a quick shower, cleaning himself from his journey and the damp water that had soaked him, quickly drying himself after to keep his body from getting sick, he would be in trouble if got ill at this point, he was so close to finishing his masterpiece. He sat at his computer and pushed the power button. Immediately, a loud racket filled the room as it seemed like one of the fans inside had turned into a blender. Although, he was just glad that the machine continued to function. "Okay scary beast, just calm down for now," he said as he started to browse the internet. He clicked on the latest news as he bit his bottom lip. A video started to play. It showed two young men standing proud, tall and clean. They wore huge smiles as they spoke into the microphone. "Our first M.C.H game is a massive success, having sold over one hundred million copies on release. It is currently the number one seller world-wide!" The presenter whistled while clapping his hands. "This is the first full M.C.H game after its release. As the creators, why don''t you tell the audience about this software and the hardware that''s running it?" The blonde haired male on the left smirked, clearly enjoying the limelight as he stepped forward. "Sure, Mike, I''ll give you a rundown of the software and hardware behind Thax''s and my game." Nathan felt like spitting blood. These fuckers had taken his core gameplay and system to build on the game, then cut him out at the last moment by firing him from the company. "Bastards, I''ll get my revenge soon!" 2 C2 - M.C.H Mental Connection Helme The live stream continued to play in the background as Nathan chewed on his lip in anger. The two guests were talking about the systems in place as they went back to discuss the M.C.H. "Well, the M.C.H was designed by a woman named Kessy Falmi. She''s a neuroscientist. Working with engineers, she was able to come up with a design and helmet that would link the human mind with processes that are man-made. It has been almost twelve years. The best we could do was sync videos and allow multiple users to sit in a virtual lobby to watch a film. While this is very cool, since you can enjoy a movie with a friend in another country, it''s nothing all too special." He kept on talking, and the viewers on the live stream sent messages out of pure boredom at the history lesson. Anyone: Boring, I want to see the new game. Ann-Jane: It will be coming up soon, kids these days! Anyone: Shut up old hag! Nathan just switched off the chat as he saw it devolving further. He already disliked human contact, but found himself further disappointed when he read comments on the internet. "It''s only the one percent who are this vocal. But still, it makes me sick..." Nathan mumbled as he continued to watch the stream. "Gaming was not possible until another company released specialised tools. These tools allowed people to use imagination and MCH coding knowledge to make the game. It was genius, though so far only Drax and I can use it correctly out of thirty staff so far. It''s a very limiting software." Nathan almost threw his mouse in rage, his anger flaring up as he wanted to yell and shout at the top of his voice. Seeing the smug smiles on the faces of his previous partners, he let all his frustrations out. "Assholes! I did all the work, all you''re doing is using previous systems and then adding junk on! You''re pirates... No, you are worse than pirates!" He continued to curse at the computer, his fist shaking at the screen as he felt like tossing the entire console outside. Maybe he could become a hermit living in the woods. "That won''t work, I love my computer too much..." The broadcast carried on, with the host asking another question as Nathan raged in the background. "So, what is your game about? I heard it was a modern world war simulator." The announcer gave the audience a brief overview, even showing some video previews of the game. "Well, Mike, Our game is called Battle For All, or B.F.A for short. We do like shorter names like that. It''s about the world collapsing due to resource shortages, and you are one of the few to stand up and try to rebuild the world. It involves much more than just first-person shooting, as it will also incorporate nation-building elements as clans will rebuild areas. Quests are dynamic, and large clans in control of areas can also issue quests. We have many features, but sadly too many to discuss on this livestream." The livestream began wrapping up with an announcement of the game coming out in just a few weeks. The whole thing had left Nathan in a terrible mood as he closed the stream early, quickly loading up some of the files on his computer. "Assholes, it''s been almost seven years. I''ve been sitting here doing nothing. Hah, you wish! I''ve spent these years making my own game. Since I can use the systems correctly, I''ve managed to put together a game that will trump anything you could do. Fantasy is always more loved than modern games!" He launched the game on his computer, allowing the files to load as he opened the box next to his bed. Inside was a large metal helmet with a rusty hue. The old device had seen much use during the time it was in service. Nathan plugged all the cables into the back of his computer, the helmet lighting up as he slid onto his bed. Fastening the helmet, he accessed the back door, opening up the game as his vision faded, connecting to the local server. During his loading, he watched the sky come into view, clouds forming rapidly below him as he walked towards the testing area. He was in an extensive testing arena with many items, walls and NPCs which wandered aimlessly. "Celorian, can you make sure that all of the files are ready to go, we are going to package and test the game using settings three, other settings are too unstable." Coming towards him was a stunning woman dressed in all black. The dress she wore gave her a model-like appearance, though closer to a fantasy style than a modern version. She was around his height, being just under six feet tall. Her features almost perfect, with a soft but kind looking face, a toned figure that would draw any man''s gaze, and a flawless face with no imperfections, looking almost doll-like. It was closer to porcelain than anything else. She had a timeless look to her. She was the first NPC he had created. It took him several years of improvement before he could get her to act as his assistant. Sometimes, the look in her eyes almost had him mistake her as an actual human. "It''s almost like she has a soul, well I used the same structure on everyone else so everyone will look realistic. I bet those jackasses with their sucky modern game will be jealous of this!" He finished uploading the final files for the completed game. His excitement at reaching this point already overshadowed his frustrations with those traitorous thieves. He looked to his assistant, still chuckling. "Thank you for your help. It''s time to go make history." His body faded from the world, leaving his assistant staring at the space he had vanished from. Her emotions changed as her expression morphed from uninterested to guilty. "I''m sorry, father, you will thank me afterwards. This world has clouded you and will eventually destroy you. Please forgive me." She spoke these final words before the entire world went black, the test world shutting down. 3 C3 - Transported to my world Nathan tapped his foot on the floor impatiently. Being in virtual reality while it loaded was a strange experience, and he had yet to figure out what to do during this period. He thought about adding some minigames in the room to keep players from becoming impatient. It was something he would have to add later, though, as the main game came first. "Just watch, I''ll blow that shitty game out of the water, carve it up and devour it piece by piece while I laugh at your expense!" he said with a smirk. He had focused his mind on revenge. Nothing else mattered when dealing with his two scumbag ex-partners. He watched as the central area finished loading, and a portal opened at the end of the room. "Finally! Took it long enough... I''ll have to optimise the loading area, maybe make it smaller again." Nathan walked through the portal as he felt his body become weightless. The introduction began, as he had reset the game intro area for testing. "Welcome to Celerin, the world of fantasy, magic and wonder." He had created this voice-over himself, but it had been changed and edited to sound much older and more profound. He was proud of it, as the audio course had several hours to complete. It wasn''t that much, but for his tight deadlines it caused much havoc. The intro began as he flew across a wasteland. There were no trees, water, plants, or anything alive at all. There was only broken dirt and stone as far as the eye could see. "The creator god first made the world. This broken world was made to challenge his children. Seven of his divine offspring were sent to change and mould this place to become paradise." In the distance stood seven distant figures, all different sizes, shapes and colours, though too far to make out any specific details. "The current time is 4000 B.E, the start of the seven divine''s efforts to create a living, breathing world. It would take another four thousand years before the first races were born unto this world." Time sped up, dozens of years flying past in the blink of an eye, four thousand years passing in just under a minute. The colours of the world turned from greys and browns to a lush green landscape, filled with blue oceans, red deserts and other vibrant colours. Everything had changed in a moment, as the world had become a paradise. Distant children ran around screaming. The sounds of wind rushing through wheat fields accompanied the gentle hum of a mother''s singing as she watched her children play. "It was not till 667 A.E that the world lost its lustre, and everything turned to ash." The world again morphed to a mottley mixture of browns, blacks and greys. Fires raged as races clashed in brutal battles. Two towering figures in the sky battled with unbelievable power as millions could be seen killing each other on the ground below. "It''s unknown what started the divine war, but you, young demi-god, have been sent to ascend into the world and resolve the crisis! Bring back the peace that had long reigned, this is the decree of the creator-god himself!" Nathan nodded his head in pride. Of course, he knew the whole plot, and what had started the war, though he would never give any spoilers. The most vital aspect to making any good game was letting the players explore and find these things for themselves. The next part was character creation. In normal games, one would customise a character''s appearance freely. But, due to the method of connection via the helmets, it was possible for one''s in-game avatar to match their appearance in real life. Still, he always recommend against this option. "There are crazy people online. If your avatar looks like you, then it''s gonna cause some issues." The intro was still ongoing, and he noticed that something had gone wrong as he watched the armies still fighting each other. === Would you like to enter the world ( Y / N ) === He blinked for a few seconds. This wasn''t correct. It was supposed to take the player to the character creation area before they could begin. He knew that it must be a bug with the system, as he narrowed his eyes, slowly waving his hand to open the admin menu. "What? Why isn''t it opening?" He muttered. It could be an issue with the cutscene, Nathan thought. If that was the case, then opening the character menu or admin menu would be impossible. He would have to first skip past the cutscene. "Fine, I''ll enter the world. Bugs these days are getting annoying." He pressed the ''Y'' option on the screen, and soon felt his body becoming lighter before floating towards the open sky. The entire world shifted and he felt his body starting to swim, the scene changing again to an ocean of sand. This was not the starting location in the Valley of the Gods, that was for sure. "What broken ass location is this!?" He looked around to see a massive desert that covered many miles in all directions. At the edge of his vision was a gigantic wall that seemed to be divine, almost like a barrier to keep everyone out of this barren land. "Or more like to keep everyone inside. This place is massive..." he muttered once more. He came to realise that he was not standing on the ground. Instead, his body was floating, but gravity caught up to him as he plummeted to the ground like a comet. The sound of screaming echoed through the sands, before Nathan found himself crashing face first into the dust. His rag-doll body rolled down the dunes until he eventually spread out on the sand. He soon coughed out that sand before standing and looking around, confused. He had been summoned into an area he did not recognise. There was some cruel irony in the fact, as he had spent many hours carefully sculpting each and every area as if they were his own children. For this place to be unknown to him was very strange. His mind began to work overtime, his pride hurt by the brutal fall. He felt his rage building as he screamed to the skies. "FUCK YOU GAME! I made you and I can unmake you!" 4 C4 - System Menu and revoked privileges Nathan stood at the bottom of the hills of sand, his body covered with it as he could feel grains in almost every nook and cranny of his body. He grumbled as his hands quickly patted down and removed it from even his underwear, shoes and socks. "No point in cleaning my feet. I bet in several hours they will just be filled again." He looked around the area before he came to realise something. His character was himself. His body was still frail and weak, his glasses hung from the end of his nose as he quickly pushed them back up in embarrassment. "I had a massive buff warrior, I had six packs on six packs, but now I am back to my boring old self!" He felt cheated as he screamed at the top of his lungs. This could not be happening. Why was this happening to him? "Bullshit! Someone is fucking with me. Must be my friends that have done this... Hahaha!" He laughed out loud. Anyone who might view this scene would think that this poor man had gone crazy due to heatstroke. "Wait... There''s one flaw with that... I don''t have any friends. At least, none with coding knowledge." He felt even more frustrated as he screamed once more, his voice growing hoarse as he furiously swiped, trying to open the admin menu. "Come on you piece of shit! Open up!" He waved his hand in the air, back and forth, left to right. At this moment, he looked completely insane, though only the desert was present to see his sorry state. "Fuck me, no admin menu. What kind of bankruptcy Costco shit is this!?" He was starting to get even angrier before he continued to shake his head, slowly waving his other hand as he pulled open his player menu. "At least this works. If even this failed to work then I would have just scrapped the entire game!" ====================================== Name: Nathan Blackrose Age: 27 (Getting old now Gramps?) Race: Arch God Title: Creator God Level: 255 Dominion: 5/5 Faith: 2000 Words Of Power: None Unlocked Current Relations: None (Lonely Fool) Current Missions: - Primary - Lend a word of power to someone in need - 0/1 - Secondary - Gain 250 Faith from the lending of the power Gain an increase of Dominion points to 10 Extra Abilities: Admin Menu: Locked ======================================== Looking through the menu, he could see his status and abilities. His brows furrowed into a frown as he viewed it. Something was wrong. "I never had a title like that in my game, starting with any dominion and faith is not part of the base game, you have to work for that!" He continued to shake his head as he looked at the menu, slowly feeling his life draining, as he could not even open the options menu to log out. It was like the game was trolling him. "The helmet automatically cuts out every four hours or fully turns off every twelve hours for safety reasons. I just need to wait for that amount of time!" "This game is going in the virtual bin. Can''t have this turning into an anime now, can I?" He pushed his glasses up again as he began to walk across the sand, his entire body sweating as he let out a deep sigh. "I need turn down these effects, or I may die!" He complained many times as he trudged through the sands. He had no sense of bearings, as he headed in a random direction. Harsh winds howled as though to cover up his complaints. ... Feya struggled to catch her breath as she continued walking. Each step was a struggle as she cleaned her forehead of sweat. She had been leading survivors and refugees across the desert to find any place with shelter and tools to survive. The group she currently led had started around two thousand strong, but had dwindled down to the current 738 members which she directed at this time. Only 62 of them had weapons or weapons training, and each day brought a new disaster as they came to the south-east part of the vortex. "Sandworms, carrion beasts and dusk seekers." She cursed each of them, her previous title meaning nearly nothing in the vortex, as everyone could do anything. The vortex was a massive area that previously belonged to the valley of the gods. When the goddess Saleh had returned to the world, she decided that all criminals had to be sent to the vortex, exiled as punishment. It was a harsh punishment, and some thought that the demi-god had become jaded from previous wars. "Three hundred years have passed, she is holding onto some baggage!" Feya said with spite. Feya was the previous royal princess to the empire of Celepha, but when she spoke against the goddess and her depraved discipline, she found out who was more valuable. Goddess, or Princess? The choice was easy to see. Feya was nothing compared to the goddess, and her life was forfeit along with any others who voiced their complaints. "I will get these people to safety, then I will find a way out of here!" Feya was a tall woman, roughly 5''11 with long blonde hair that seemed to be sun-kissed, freckles across her face, and lovely blue eyes that looked like deep pools of crystal water. Her figure was toned by many military exercises, as succession in her empire was down to performance, rather than gender or popularity. "I bet my younger brother did this. To ''get rid of a problem,'' as well." She was still thinking of many issues when one of the soldiers approached, clearly distressed. "My Queen!"he said, as he bowed with respect. Feya shook her head. "I''m not a queen here. Call me Feya, please." The guard seemed to be reluctant to use her name, though he continued with his report. "The dusk seekers are back with an archbishop leading them. They are coming to slaughter us all for questioning the authority of the goddess!" Feya felt her lips pull back in annoyance, slowly shaking her head again. "There is more than one god, and there is also the creator god as well! How dare they do something so evil!" She paused for a moment. "How many are coming for us?" The guard swallowed saliva with difficulty, the spit in his throat drying up as he spoke his next words. "Almost ten thousand soldiers." 5 C5 - Lost Hope Feya had a short amount of time. She knew that the soldiers would be fast on her trail. She had limited resources, bodies, and time to get any plan in place. She knew that the result of this would be down to her skills, her soldiers and a whole mountain of luck. "If any god is listening, please lend me a hand... I will surrender myself to you if you save these people." She resolved herself, as she knew that no one would come, it was her fight to save these people, and at the end of it, she had to resolve any problem that came her way. "Bring the soldiers! The scouts have found a valley past those large rocks and boulders, it will be good to slow down the army. For now, we will perch ourselves on the cliffs to the sides of the valley and ambush them. We can hold off a greater number of troops with the height advantage. Doing this will also allow all non-combatants retreat into the valley to hide." She supervised her soldiers as they rushed to pass along her orders. Soon, the strongest and strangest woman in the entire army came to stand next to Feya. The woman was entirely made out of plant and organic material, her eyes were like tiny bright yellow suns that seemed to burn with conviction. Roughly 6''4, abnormally thin, with a wire-like frame, she sported two curved blades on her back. The woman''s name was Kai. She was from an unknown race of plant-people. Despite Feya''s protest, her kingdom had gone to war with Kai''s people, blinded by conquest and greed. In the end, the entire army of Feya''s nation was destroyed, and only a handful of survivors escaped. It was a complete massacre, and the race of plant-people came to be known as ''War Dancers.'' War dancers could rarely exit their territory in the deep south. As to cross the vortex was a difficult and arduous task. "How do you feel about the plan, Kai?" Feya asked, looking too her. "It''s my destiny to be here. Our leader sent me to support you, no matter the plan." Her voice was sweet and light, but it was not spoken out loud. Rather, it echoed through Feya''s mind, as the strange woman spoke telepathically. Feya had heard a similar speech from Kai many times in the past. Each time, she wondered at the meaning behind those words, never understanding why Kai was lending her aid. It seemed possible that she wanted to use the royal bloodline in her veins to stake a claim in the country she had been exiled from. "Tell me why you help me. Do you want something from me?" She was skeptical. She always hated making deals that would come bite her in the ass later, though at this stage she would take any help she could get to survive. "We are not here for you, you just so happen to cross the same path as he does," she said cryptically. Feya was glad for the assistance, but the arcane nature of the woman''s race always threw her for a loop. She had said ''we,'' but Feya could only see one of them. It mattered little, though, as long as she received help from the woman in her time of need. "My Queen, the barricade is as good as we can make it, the hill is reinforced as best we can manage with the lack of supplies. Anyone who can''t fight has passed into the valley below." Twenty minutes away, thunderous marching boomed through the hills as an army of seasoned warriors continued to move towards the location that their most recent scouts had indicated. Each moment passed by slowly as they creeped up towards the cliff. The defences there, by comparison, looked shoddy and makeshift when placed across from the professional army wearing white and black uniforms. That same army soon began to spread out, each and every soldier wearing a magic stone to protect from the heat of the desert. Standing in the middle of the column, riding on one of the giant desert beasts, a large Gazebo sat comfortably on this mount that was large enough to carry almost a dozen people while moving. Inside this open space was a group of poorly dressed women, chained to the poles that supported the roof. One large man wearing priestly robes sat in the centre on a massive throne made from pillows, cushions and other soft materials. The man''s assistant stood next to him with a meek and crestfallen face. "Archbishop, we are almost caught up. We can soon kill the heretics who do not worship the Goddess." The large Archbishop chuckled, causing folds of fat to rumble as he looked up to his assistant. His bald head glowed in the sunlight. "Excellent, yes?" He continued to laugh, and the building shook slightly under his weight. "Remember, the princess is to be caught and captured. If we let her die, then I cant chain her with the rest. Even the royal family won''t be anything in the face of the church!" As the giant army closed in, encircling the small defensive area, the scent of fear was ripe in the air. Feya felt apprehension coursing through her as she gazed down on her enemy, over ten-thousand soldiers lined up and ready, versus her nearly one hundred. How could she even fight against that? It seemed a joke that they were even attempting such a feat. She felt the urge to turn and hide in the corner, crying for someone to help her. "Do not fear, everyone! They may outnumber us, but remember the women, children, and families through the pass! They require us to win. We have the high ground! Defend with your lives! She shouted at the top of her lungs, rallying the other guards to raise weapons and scream their passionate battle cries. Feya took a step back, sighing, as she clasped her hands to pray one last time. "Gods, please send help. I''ll take anyone, but please help!" She sent this prayer to the sky, but was jolted when she felt a tapping on her shoulder. She turned her head to the scene of what looked like a ghoul with glasses. "Holy creator god!"she cursed as she jumped back. A few people looked at the man in surprise, wondering how or when he had arrived at this location. All the terrain around them was surrounded, save for the cliff face at their backs. "Do you need some help? I heard you praying, and came as fast as I could!" He smiled as he gave her a thumbs up. Leaving the rest of the small army staring slack-jawed at him, in disbelief. Just who was this pitiful budget-saviour? 6 C6 - My First Power Word Nathan stumbled across the sand, his feet burning despite the protection of his shoes, as he screamed into the air again. He was utterly pissed at the current situation, as he started to get annoyed by the whole experience. Desert life was miserable, and one of the reasons why he would never program such a realist experience into his games. After wandering for roughly an hour, he felt something that made him pause for a moment. Concern abruptly hit him as he gulped, realizing his throat was bone dry. "I''m thirsty... I never programmed that in..." He started to panic. This was not something in his control, he had no options. He couldn''t escape, but he needed items to survive. Nathan hurriedly pulled open his menu again, letting out another groan of displeasure. ====================================== Name: Nathan Blackrose Age: 27 (Still old) Race: Arch God Title: Creator God Level: 255 Dominion: 5/5 Faith: 2000 Words Of Power: None Unlocked Current Relations: None (Very Lonely Fool) Current Missions: - Primary - Lend a word of power to someone in need - 0/1 - Secondary - Gain 250 Faith from the lending of the power Gain an increase of Dominion points to 10 Extra Abilities: Admin Menu: Locked ======================================== "Hey! Damn system¡­ You sure are gutsy! When I''m free, I''m going to destroy you!" He shouted at his system, and just as the words left his mouth, a small box appeared in front of him. ''System Message: Deducted 100 Faith Points - Have a nice day!'' Nathan felt blood rushing to his head, as he felt the impulse to tear someone limb from limb. "I''m sorry, system, please refund the points!" he said through a tense smile and gritted teeth, clearly annoyed by this. ''System: Declined - Have a nice day!'' He almost screamed again. Have a nice day? How about you go¡­ He again stopped himself, shaking his head and continuing his walking. Thirty minutes passed by as he kept up his march. Eventually he came to a stop when he heard a distant rumbling, the sounds of activity. ''Let''s check this out; maybe someone can help me¡­'' Eventually, he came to the top of a cliff. He could see, to the left, a massive valley, with a large group of people trying to flee. Further away, a group of warriors stood on a smaller cliff below him against a hoard of uniformed soldiers. "This will be a slaughter, though I see no arrows or magic from the soldiers... Are they retarded? That will just increase the number of deaths, those fools." He could already see the outcome. The soldiers would overwhelm the smaller force on the top of the cliff, and the army would then march into the valley. While it would take time to locate the stragglers, it would not be difficult. "One entrance, one exit, a final stand, it seems." His eyes locked onto the war dancer, but he was surprised when the woman''s eyes caught his own. He felt a chill down his spine. She had noticed him before he had even spotted her. He soon heard her soft voice in his mind, the signature move for the race he had created years ago. "Please, God, save us all." Her voice was soft and light, carrying the words of wisdom and kindness. He could intuit the respect and knowledge that came with it. She knew who he was. This was not something a standard NPC would understand or do. Something was wrong, but this made the entire situation feel even more real to him. "Fuck..." He cursed to himself as he checked the system menu again. Pulling open the shop area, Nathan sighed. He would have to spend some of his limited points to gain a power to help defeat them all. ======================================== - Welcome to God''s Store! - Power Word Sale! (Monthly) Bow (80% Discount): 1700 Faith Fertility and Aqua Bundle (50% Discount): 3000 Faith Journeying (20% Discount): 10,000 Faith ----------------------------------------------- -Card Effects!- (Monthly) Loyal Vassal (1 Left) (Popular!): 2500 Faith each. Tempory Power Word (3 Left): 500 Faith each. Power Upgrade (2 Left) 250 Faith each. ----------------------------------------------- Vassal Power Upgrades No Vassals, you must be lonely! ----------------------------------------------- Legal Items 1. We are not responsible for damage, destruction or loss of property due to these effects 2. No refunds. 3. No discounts for creating the game. ----------------------------------------------- Next month, on the first, the shop will rotate the stock. Please make sure to purchase all the items you want or need before the end of the month. ======================================== The entire menu made him twitch in anger. Lonely, and no discounts for creating the game... The system was poking fun at him for this. He resolved to obliterate it when he had the chance. Looking at his options, he saw he only had one at this point. He had never used the bow power word all too much in the past. Luckily for him, he had created it and all of its workings himself. He would be able to use all the powers for it instantly. "Buying upgrades. I can just follow the system I made and discover the solutions myself!" He accessed the shop. Requesting to buy the ''Bow'' power word, he watched his faith plummeting before his eyes, this limited resource draining from 1900 to 200. System: Thank you for the purchase, you now can use Power Word: Bow! Nathan open his system menu in a hurry, looking at his new power word. ====================================== Name: Nathan Blackrose Age: 27 Race: Arch God Title: Creator God Level: 255 Dominion: 5/5 Faith: 200 Words Of Power: (One) Power Word: Bow Sub Skills: None Current Relations: None (Q.Q) Current Missions: - Primary - Lend a word of power to someone in need - 0/1 - Secondary - Gain 250 Faith from the lending of the power Gain an increase of Dominion points to 10 Extra Abilities: Admin Menu: Locked ======================================== He had no skills yet, though he could create them on the fly, which was the beauty of this system. While one could acquire one through the system, it was better to make them yourself. "Excellent! Let''s go greet them and lend some aid!" He jumped from the cliff, flowing through the air as he landed next to a woman shouting orders, her face full of worry as he stood unnoticed next to her. Standing as tall as Nathan could, he puffed out his chest as he said the most refreshing line he could think of on the spot. "Do you need some help? I heard you praying and came as fast as I could!" He blinked in surprise as the woman cursed his name. Did everyone know who he was? He felt somewhat worried, though he stood tall. God had arrived! 7 C7 - Impossible Sho Feya stared at the man who was standing behind her just a moment ago. A few guards whispered to each other at the sight of Kai bowing her head with respect. Kai had never shown any connection to anyone before, leading Feya to feel intrigued by this stranger. Who was this man that could command such respect, yet look so strange? His clothes looked so foreign that they made no sense, and his appearance led her to wonder if this man had been on a diet of grass and nothing but for his entire life. She felt worried, despair filling her heart, as she watched him walk forward and grab one of the bows laying against the barricade. "Sir, we do not have any arrows left, it''s useless," came the voice of one guard, as he watched the stranger test the bowstring. This guard held the same hopelessness as Feya in his eyes and heart. He knew that this was going to be a gruesome massacre, and had only stayed to buy time for his family. Nathan smiled as he marched forward, eyes looking out at the soldiers ready to march to their deaths. His gaze came to rest on the guard that had sputtered out nonsense. "Who is the leader of that group?" The guard seemed to be taken aback, looking over at the giant beast obscured by the enemy''s rear-guard. The same beast that carried the archbishop, his assistant, and his slaves. "That person, on the throne, just over two sectors away." The guard answered earnestly, but couldn''t help but wonder what the strange man intended to do. "Good, just a moment then," Nathan said, pulling the bowstring back. The guard suddenly understood. "One bowshot is accurate for only half a sector at the most!" he sputtered, wondering what god gave this fellow the balls to try something like this. The guard continued to talk about how ridiculous the situation was, word after word, as Nathan pulled bowstring further, his mind coaxing the power of the word through him. "Listen to me. We are fighting today. Not for the end, but for a bright start!" He needed to give these hopeless idiots something to chew on for a moment, else the guard''s distracting words might distract him and cause a misfire. He grew the power from the word as a bright yellow light slowly formed in the arc of the bow, stunning those watching his actions. As his fingers released, the arrow of light flew from the bow, shattering the wooden frame in an instant. The loosed arrow sped up, faster and faster until it broke the sound barrier with a deafening boom. Death was oncoming! The Archbishop sat in his chair. Lust filled his eyes as he dragged one of the chains towards him, not paying any heed to the upcoming battle. His assistant would rolled eyes as he looked towards the general who also wore the same expression of disdain. "General, can we get this started and finished?" The general nodded his head, ready to begin. As he was about to issue the command to charge, he noticed a frail man with bow in hand, aiming directly at them. He was such a far distance away that it was laughable. A few of the other generals started to chortle in response. "What is he- Shit! Get down!" His words came too late, as he watched the Archbishop stop, his hand dropping the chains as he gasped for air. Everyone looked on in horror, as they saw the massive gaping hole in the middle of his chest, almost five inches in diameter. The entire back of the Archbishop''s throne had also blown out with the power. The Archbishop rolled from the seat, sliding off the side of the beast, crushing several unfortunate soldiers below. The general''s assistants flew into a panic as they gazed at the man in the distance who had killed their boss. They rushed to flip over tables and chairs, hiding behind their slaves and doing anything in their power to break line of sight. The general himself stood watching the frozen battlefield. Everything had shifted, as the soldiers now stood paralyzed in fear of the man who could obliterate someone from such a distance with a shoddy bow. "Is he a Demigod?" He had heard and even seen the Dusk Mistress before, during one of her speeches, before he was assigned to the vortex after a campaign failure. She had an aura of power and strength that gave people hope. Although, she also had a nasty streak deep within her heart. The general''s eyes shone as he looked at this man, his power flowing during this shot. Something inside the military man gave him profound hope, as he knew he had to join this new Demigod and serve by his side. Perhaps the creator god had sent someone to help after such a long time. He needed to get his daughter, and find those loyal to him. He had to get plans into motion! "What are you all doing! Soldiers grab some bows and fire! I order you all to fire!" The Assistant to the now deceased Archbishop had become the de facto leader at this point, and started to give orders. The general nearby, however, let out a small hiss when he realised he did not have enough time to counter the order. Soldiers had already pulled up their bows, aiming at the man. "Fire!" Twangs of bowstrings rang out as the arrows launched into the sky. The general''s central unit launched their arrows into the air. The orange desert sun was blotted out by the black dots of arrowheads, each one shining with deadly intent. "Eat that, you stupid archer!"the assistant to the Archbishop screamed, his face contorted in pleasure, an ugly sight for anyone close enough to watch. It was not long, however, before his face turned from joy to sheer horror. Suddenly, thousands upon thousands of arrows stopped dead. They sat floating in mid-air as the man who fired the bow earlier held his hand to the sky. It became evident that he was holding back all the arrows with just one hand, power erupting from him. His body was engulfed in white light that cascaded around him, even flowing down the cliffs. Quiet weeping could be heard from the Assistant, apparently having a breakdown in the face of this nightmare foe. The trained military was terrified, but as disciplined soldiers, they continued to fire volleys, only adding to the grim scene. "Stop! Halt firing!" the general warned, knowing something terrible was about to happen. He gave a secret command to retreat his troops rapidly, before the first volley had even landed, and by now he could see his forces pulling away. At least, the ones that were still loyal to him, roughly over one-thousand troops had already made their retreat. "This cant be good... Bring the shield unit here!" General Lee Shee had always hated being right, and today was just not his day. 8 C8 - Total Victory The backlash of wind flowed over the battlefield, sweeping up the sides of the cliffs. The guards stationed against the barricades braced themselves, each of them stunned, as they watched a large figure roll off his mount, slamming into the soldiers below with a splat. Blood could be seen squirting out like water from a balloon, leaving each of them feeling horrified, but slightly relieved and impressed that this man was on their side of the battlefield. Feya watched in stunned silence as she saw the mood on the battlefield change in an instant. She could perceive the moral of the groups. Her side had been outmatched in all aspects until this man appeared. With only one shot he reversed the entire situation, changing everyone''s future with a single bolt, shining brightly to lead them to victory. "Are you a god?" She muttered this quietly, as she was stunned. The war-dancer, Kai, had shown respect, and now Feya understood why. She felt her knees wobbling as she looked over to the army, hearing a man screaming on the other side. She even felt glee as she watched the general''s staff cowering behind the slave women and furniture, fear spreading among the ranks of those in command, which would soon spread to the soldiers. That glee soon turned into a bottomless pit in her stomach, as she watched the enemies knock their thousands of bows and start to aim. Their actions were unexpected. She''d assumed they would be captured, rather than killed, but due to the Archbishop''s death, it seemed the plans had changed. "Well fuck me," she muttered, as she looked around at her soldiers, quickly raising her voice to them. "Stop gawking and raise the shields! Hide behind the barricade!" She stopped for a moment, realizing that the strange man hadn''t moved a muscle, she screamed at him. "I don''t know who you are, but put your head down!" Nathan looked at her with a serene ambience, power leaking from him as he just shook his head. "Hide away like scared children. With my power, how could I let these ants intimidate me?!" Two Minutes Earlier - Nathan POV Nathan had watched this entire event unfold. He was even laughing inside as he watched the fat bishop roll off his platform like a bowling ball, the troops below as the pins. ''Strike!'' he screamed in his mind before he heard the system start to ping him. System: Godly Act - Faith increased by 200 System: Godly Act - Faith increased by 450 System: Godly Act - Faith increased by 350 System: Killed Archbishop of a rival faith - Faith increased by 1000 Internally screaming with joy as he pulled open his system, his eyes grew wide in response to the massive amount of incoming points, ====================================== Name: Nathan Blackrose Age: 27 Race: Arch God Title: Creator God Level: 255 Dominion: 5/5 Faith: 2200 Words Of Power: (One) Power Word Bow - (Rank Copper 50%) Minor Sub Skills: Bolt Of Unstoppable Might - (Rank Copper - 12%) This ability fires a single bolt that is unstoppable by non-divine beings, If non-divine being lives after the blast then they will be permanently terrified around the caster. Current Relations: None (I recommend making a friend, loner boy.) Current Missions: - Primary - Lend a word of power to someone in need - 0/1 - Secondary - Gain 250 Faith from the lending of the power Gain an increase of Dominion points to 10 Extra Abilities: Admin Menu: Locked ======================================== He noticed the massive increase in points. He would soon have enough to purchase some extra items. It seemed the system was rather generous compared to his older system, which gave him some indication that something had changed. "Better farm for some more easy points." He watched everyone panic around him, and heard the shrill command from the woman next to him. Nathan would not run away when he had some points to earn from this new system! "Hide away like scared children. With my power, how could I let these ants intimidate me?!" He held up his hand, activating his power as he began to spread his influence through the air in front of him. Sweat plastered his brow, as this power was still new to him, causing some discomfort as the arrows flew. Thousands of arrows hung in the air, as though frozen in time. More arrows soon followed suit as the archers loosed more and more. It took several volleys before the archers stopped, noticing the terrible situation before them. "You all dare to fight against a god?!"he shouted with divine conviction, everyone flinching as they heard this word, pulling away. He listened to a few of the soldiers below starting to scream and run, pushing each other down as it became a panicked rampage to flee. "Receive your gift. It''s time to enter my domain!" System: Godly Act - Faith increase by 50 System: Godly Act - Faith increase by 25 System: Godly Act - Faith increase by 25 He grinned at the small increase. This was not even the start of his power. He exercised his ability, and each arrow turned in mid-air, aiming back at the senders. By that point, even the archers in the back began to sweat as they joined in the chaos, fleeing as fast as they could. Time resumed as the arrows were flung back towards the archers, soaring through the air like bolts of light as screams echoed across the battlefield. Thousands of bolts landed simultaneously into the mass of fleeing bodies, and waves upon waves of soldiers crumpled to the dirt below, each one crying out in a despair. System: Broken an enemy force - Faith Increase by 1000 System: Godly Act - Faith increase by 500 System: Godly Act - Faith increase by 200 Nathan smirked as he watched the stampeding people run off into the desert. Those that were uninjured helped to carry away the overwhelming majority that had sustained injuries. The dead, as well, were dragged away, leaving an empty battlefield with nothing but red-stained dirt to mark the massacre that had occurred. Nathan cared nothing for his fallen foes. He cared far more about his new stats. He opened his status window once more to look at his new skills. ====================================== Name: Nathan Blackrose Age: 27 Race: Arch God Title: Creator God Level: 255 Dominion: 5/5 Faith: 4000 Words Of Power: (One) Power Word Bow - (Rank Bronze 25%) Minor Sub Skills: Bolt Of Unstoppable Might - (Rank Copper - 12%) This ability fires a single bolt that is unstoppable by non-divine beings, If non-divine being lives after the blast then they will be permanently terrified around the caster. Major Sub Skill: Lord Of That Which Falls - (Rank Bronze - 8%) This ability allows the user to redirect any ranged weapon that is fired in your presence. Non-divine beings cannot stop this process. Current Relations: None (I recommend making a friend, loner boy.) Current Missions: - Primary - Lend a word of power to someone in need - 0/1 - Secondary - Gain 250 Faith from the lending of the power Gain an increase of Dominion points to 10 Extra Abilities: Admin Menu: Locked ======================================== He nodded his head in satisfaction. He had gained a fair amount of points during this, and his skills had levelled up past copper to the bronze stage. His skills even had cool-sounding names. "I wish I could have named my skills myself. These names are too cool for my tastes!" He chuckled to himself as he thought for a moment. "That last skill I would have named... Pew Pew Stabby Stabby!" System: Poor name choices are not acceptable -100 Faith. He screamed internally again, as he saw his faith points being removed for a suggestion. Nathan swore once more to destroy this system when he got out. He just shook his head. He was enjoying his time here, it was turning out to be rather fun! If this were his video game, then maybe he would not change anything, for one reason alone. He was happy. 9 C9 - Unexpected Friends Feya watched the entire scene, the image of tens of thousands of arrows hanging over her head, held back with nothing but that man''s bare hands, guards around her gasping as they all felt so close to death. She burned the images into her mind, never to be forgotten. "Holy fuck," one of the guards cursed, as he watched this heaven-defying feat. All of those present couldn''t help but bow their heads to the man who had saved them all, each of them looking at the arrows fly, seeing the enemy''s frontline crumble and flee in terror. Feya stumbled in the face of this miracle, her eyes almost dreading to see what came next. She still didn''t know why until her head moved up, and she watched as row after row of arrows spun around, aimed back at their senders. "Please have mercy on them." She offered a silent prayer to the gods, before hearing the arrows whistle, each one launched back like multiple repeater cannons firing in unison. She stood up, resolving her spirit, as she watched the enemy soldiers being cut down, arrows landing in the hoard of fleeing bodies. She could see nearly a thousand soldiers cut down, almost two thousand injured, while the rest continued to escape. The giant beast carrying the Bishop and other leaders rushed away through it all. Feya still hadn''t recovered from the shock, her eyes watering. Eventually, it sank in, and she leapt into the air, screaming with joy. The last few weeks all rushing back to her. She had had to escape the capital and flee, watching her comrades falling by the dozens with each day that passed. Now that they had come across this incredible luck, the floodgates opened, and she cried happy tears. Each of the guards acted in the same way, bawling with her. Everyone felt like a child as they dropped all pretenses, a river of tears flowing from their eyes. Everyone cheered in reverence of the man who had saved them. "It''s not over yet!" Nathan spoke out as his eyes still looked over to the east side of the battlefield. A smaller group was approaching. Over one-thousand soldiers marching in unison, each of them full of vigour. Two people lead at the front, looking much more fearsome. While the first army seemed like a militia, this one was closer to an elite task force. The scattered forces on Nathan''s side turned silent, unsure once more. "We might be fighting the true force here. Hand me a bow." Nathan commanded. One of the guards quickly grabbed another spare bow and passed it to him. "Wait here. Let me see if I can talk to them." Nathan hopped off the cliff, landing without any issue on the ground. The distance fallen would kill an ordinary man, turning into a pancake. This feat alone clearly indicating Nathan''s status as someone no longer human. Feya, Kai, and the rest watched from a distance, unable to support the man who had saved their lives. One of the guards still tearing up. Feya shook her head as she then commanded. "He is our master, the one who saved our families and us. We will follow him to the ends of this earth. If you disagree, then you must say so to his face!" No one would disagree. One battle, one impossible battle, was overturned in a matter of moments by that man. Nathan started to walk forward, looking at the group. After a few minutes, he stood before them, staring at the two standing at the centre of the column, each one holding authority similar to each other. "Must be family, then," he muttered, while taking a look at the older gentleman. The man was roughly 6''2, with long white sun-bleached hair and sideburns, but an otherwise clean-shaven face. His body was trained, but slightly let go due to his time in the command tent. He held an aura of command and experience. The other one was a woman, undoubtedly much younger, at the age of twenty, maybe twenty-two at the most. She was shorter, around 5''8, toned, with a sharp, cheeky smile coating her lips. Long blonde curls fell down her back, taken care of well enough to remain in such a beautiful state even in the desert. The gleam in her eyes betrayed her inexperience, but it also showed courage, command and strength. "Have you come for another round? Ten thousand against one hundred is a poor show on any side. Civilians involved is also bad form!" Nathan shouted. Some of the soldiers behind both the generals seemed to become agitated by this, which threw Nathan off. The older gentleman stepped forward, his smile sharp and professional. "My name is Lee Shee. This is my daughter, Ameria Shee, and behind us is over one-thousand of our loyal forces. We are here right now not due to our allegiance to the Dusk Mistress, but another reason entirely." He pulled out his sword, turning the blade down and stabbing it into the sand. His leg kicked back, leaving him kneeling on one knee. His daughter mirrored the motion. The entire army behind him followed in suit, as over one-thousand soldiers unsheathed their swords and stabbed them into the ground, kneeling to him. Nathan moved forward to reach out his hand, grasping the general''s shoulder, his voice loud enough for all those present to hear. What would follow became a memory all of them would remember to their deathbeds. "Lee Shee, I do not know the struggles you faced, and I do not know why you align to my side, but you have much to make up to the people beyond here. I may accept you, but unless the rest of them do, I cannot accept this gesture." He pulled the general to standing at ease, his strength surprising the general, given his thin frame. Nathan''s hand grasped the general''s in a handshake. "Forgiveness takes two, but one person must take that first step. Do you understand, General Lee Shee?" The general felt tears forming in the corner of his eyes, nodding his head as he resolved himself. "Yes!" 10 C10 - Uneasy Union Feya and the rest had taken time to scale down the cliff, and almost five minutes had passed before they even started to move towards the group. Each of them was full of courage, and they began to form groups as they approached, distinctly a militia compared to the army they faced. Feya slowed down, as she felt her eyes bulging from their sockets. The entire foe was kneeling before the man that had just saved them, and the enemy general was nearly crying with happiness. What had happened while she was not around? This scene almost made her feel like coughing out blood. Just how many miracles could this man perform? "Ahh, this is the General Lee Shee. He is surrendering to us to help us all out. I see no ill wishes from him, so I assume he and his men will be fine." Nathan said, pursing his lips. In truth, he had forgotten the name of the woman who stood before him. Had he even been told her name? He smiled lightly as the general and his daughter both looked unsure, each of them looking to the other as both armies gazed mistrustfully at one another. All those present seemed worried that things would escalate. "They just tried to kill us, now you want us to work together?!" One of the guards from Feya''s side argued, upset at the sudden turnaround. Many of the others agreed, but Feya herself remained quiet. Kai moved forward quickly and bowed her head, kneeling soon after, leaving everyone else stunned. War-dancers never submitted to anyone. They were free spirits that could never be tamed. This was truly a fantastic sight. Nathan shook his head, looking to both sides as he let out a deep sigh. "Nothing is black and white. Clearly, this man was not in charge, but he came here without a single wounded member in his party, which means he pulled out of the battle during that whole incident. Not a single arrow would have been from his group. So it can be assumed that he has made no aggressive move." He looked to Lee Shee, who nodded his head at that statement, impressed by the man''s level of insight. "They are now outlaws as well as you, so why not open your arms and give them a chance. We are stronger united than apart." He paused to look towards the general''s side once more. "Though please, make note that if you do betray us, I will kill you. Naturally, if the other side starts anything due to the past, I will also dole out punishment." He gave fair warning to both sides, and the corresponding representatives nodding in recognition. They understood that this man could truly back up his claims. Feya shook her head as the guards had become silent. She was the de facto leader of her group, so she acquiesced as she responded to Nathan. "Sure, that is a fine idea. I agree with it and hope that the other group do not betray this union. I would hate to see more blood flow," she said. Nathan nodded as he looked at the general. Lee Shee nodded his head as he replied in turn. "We are looking for freedom from religious oppression, as well. The current Dusk Mistress has fallen to hate and depravity." Nathan bit his lip as he heard the last statement, the Mistress of Dusk was Saleh, his daughter and one of his first creations. She was always a happy child, and this news made his heart ache. What had changed her? This turn of events had also proven his theory again. He was no longer in a game. This had turned into reality, which gave him cause to worry. Many things had changed, and he more knowledge to be able to combat this new era. Feya turned to her guards. "Let me go gather the group together. I''ll send one of my men back once we have gathered everyone. It''s too risky for everyone to come separately, as they might flee in different directions if they see a massive army." Nathan nodded his head as he watched the group of guards heading off, a few of them looking worried at leaving the man who saved them with this group of strangers. Kai remained behind with Nathan as the two groups stood uneasily. "Why are we all standing around so uneasily? Sit down and have a rest!" Nathan broke the silence, sitting onto the ground. He looked up at the War-Dancer who still stood, looking slightly confused. "Oi, Bothanical, you may as well sit down as well. I bet you have some serious dryness up as well." Lee Shee, Ameria, and the others looked to each other, confused. "Do you mean the War-Dancer?" Lee Shee asked, confused. "War-Dancer? Is that the name you gave them? They are called Bothanicals, pronounced Both - Ann - Ick - Alls." They all looked confused as they watched the plant-like woman who seemed to let out a small rustle before sitting down obediently. "I''ve never seen one so obedient. Normally they rampage and kill so easily! it''s like she''s a pet..." Ameria said, with a small giggle escaping her lips. Nathan motioned to one of the soldiers who was resting, holding his hand out. "Can I have that bottle?" The soldier slowly handed it over after getting a nod from his general. They all watched as Nathan moved back towards Kai, beginning to empty the water on her leaves, making sure to drain specific amounts onto each part. None of the water poured onto the sands, but was instead absorbed completely into the creature. "I''m surprised you managed to last that long..." Nathan muttered as Kai shook around, her leaves growing slightly due to the water she had taken. Her mouth pulled closer as she looked up to him with an almost childlike expression, her nature different to the typical cold attitude she usually bore. "Thank you, o'' great one!" she said. All the soldiers heard her echoing voice, and couldn''t help but blush slightly. Everyone could only think one thing, just one word that stuck into their minds. "Cute!" Ameria muttered, as everyone nodded in agreement. Lee Shee stared strangely as he wondered in his head: How can a plant be cute! 11 C11 - Groups Reunited Time went past quickly, the soldiers taking a rest, as Nathan kept his eyes peeled after watering Kai. The retreating army that he had decimated still headed north-west, away from their location. He had a hunch that the first military must have come from a large city based in this desert, meaning that the entire land was not just a ruined wasteland of sand and despair. He continued his work, watching the area for any signs of people trying to sneak up. It took almost thirty minutes before a guard from Feya''s side approached them, gesturing for them to walk towards the basin. While the entrance stood blocked with massive boulders, it seemed possible to navigate between them, the cliffs on each side providing a good defensive bonus. Lee Shee moved up to walk alongside the young man. While he had hoped for someone older, he expected him to be young. Demigods tended to represent eternal youth. Even the Dusk Mistress looked rather young, though she was almost five-thousand years old at this point. He looked towards the gentleman as he realized something. "Sorry, I don''t think I ever caught your name." Nathan stopped as he turned to the man, thinking for a moment as he wondered if a fake name was better at this point. He figured it didn''t matter, so he simply shrugged. "Call me Nathan." Lee nodded his head as he could tell it was not a fake name. The person hesitated to consider it, but the resolve clearly stated that he thought giving a fake was not a good choice at this time. "Nathan, interesting name. Have you known this group for long?" Nathan was surprised at the questions, but just shook his head slowly as he answered them truthfully. "I just met them nearly ten minutes before meeting you. I saw the unarmed folks and this massive army. I was right to join in. This world is much different than what I imagined." Lee felt confused at that point, looking at the man as he stopped in his tracks before the giant boulders. "Different? What did you imagine?" Nathan again had a choice. He could lie, or give the full truth. He thought for a moment before deciding to be truthful. "I thought I was coming into a warzone between all seven Demigods." Nathan stopped moving at this point, the soldiers staying still as they looked nervously at the Demigod that was leading them forward. "The Age of Downfall?" Lee asked with curiosity. He felt worried now that the wrong answer might anger this young man. He had only just arrived with these fundamental questions. "Yes, that is right. It should be 668 A.E at this moment?" Lee''s face grew pale, his eyes staring at Nathan as he felt his throat tighten. His actions made it clear to Nathan that something was wrong. "What year is it, General Lee?" Nathan turned his body to face the man properly, staring at him not with rage or anger, but with understanding. "It''s 997 A.E, my Lord." Nathan slowly sighed, relieved. He let out a deep laugh as his hands placed themselves on his hips. "Oh my, seems I missed everything. Well, three-hundred years is a large jump! I guess I will need a refresher course later!" He laughed before turning around and continuing to walk towards the entrance to the valley, squeezing through the rocks. The entire army behind him was left dumbfounded by the calm and happy response. Even Lee Shee was surprised. Ameria and her guards moved forward, her smile growing as she looked at her father. "Stunned, father? He''s not like our old Mistress." Lee nodded to his daughter as he and the rest of the army followed through the gap. Kai was moving at the back, merely watching in silence. Feya and the rest of the guards had taken almost twenty minutes to collect everyone together. Aside from Feya, there was another woman leading the group. Her name was Auryn Zey. Auryn stood at the front of the group that had regathered, her pale skin almost like snow with a tall, thin figure that made women jealous and men stare. She had long white hair, each strand perfect as it floated down her back. Two long elven ears stuck to her head, and she had piercing silver eyes. She had lived for a long time before being thrown into the vortex. She had seen the Demigods in all their power. She had enjoyed the era before the Age of Downfall, and had watched it all. She was somewhat knowledgeable about most facts. As such, she was confused about how or why a new Demigod had appeared here when she heard the news from Feya. She watched as the sunken looking human approached, the others behind him showing respect. Those around her tensed up at the fact that the enemy was also with them. Though Auryn herself was not all that bothered, she needed to figure out if the man who looked almost like a skeleton was an ally to them, or someone who would doom them all. Each Demigod received their power from the creator god. Each of them could do certain things within the limits of the powers they had received. It was not easy for the Mistress of Dusk to do certain things that her fellow Demigods might be able to do. Auryn resolved herself, taking prideful steps forward. Feya almost choked when she saw the resolved footsteps from the Elf, each movement causing her heart to sink, as she knew this would cause trouble. She decided to watch it to the end, not interfering. She needed answers as well, and knew that Auryn would get them. Nathan, Lee and Ameria, including the army behind them, stopped. The tall elven woman now stood before them, towering over even the old General Lee. Her eyes betrayed her intelligence as she looked directly at Nathan. "You claim to be a Demigod. Prove it to me, or I will denounce you here!" Everyone drew a sharp intake of breath. The guards, soldiers, even Lee Shee, Ameria, Kai and Feya all stared at the woman who seemed to cross the boundary. This was going to be terrible. 12 C12 - Legends of the Eira Nathan came with the group, noticing the Elven woman coming out, hearing her challenge echoing into the valley around them. Nathan was confused. When did he deserve this challenge issued against him? He could easily just use some power to show her what he was capable of. He could also just ask those around him to verify his status. He took a moment to think, before deciding on the best course of action. He knew that the best way to gain this person''s trust was through knowledge. He may not know what happened between 668 to 997 A.E, but he was still a master with everything before that point. "It''s rather odd to see an Eira elf, I would have assumed you would still be up in the northern wastes, hiding away from the world, and since Saleh is the only one around, I would have assumed that you would remain in hiding." Auryn felt her face growing cold, she would have believed the man after muttering her ancient race name. Most people called her a snow elf. Slavers would drool over enslaving her to sell for a profit, but her ancient race name was lost in time. She was about to apologise, but could not even get a word in, her mouth shutting tight as the man continued. There was fire in his eyes as he wanted to prove his point, showing his superiority to the ancient elf who had lived more than five hundred years. "Eira Elves, supported by the God Ingros, God of light, sun, and hope. He was also the patron of soldiers and army officials. Eiras originally came to his side as the white snow looks oh so beautiful in the bright sunlight. Now it seems you are lost in the darkness." Auryn felt her heart spilling out, her memories flooding to her, the younger years she was promised had been snatched away when the great war started. She watched her race dying out, and her own life becoming hollow when they fled to the north. "It''s all lost. Hope is gone for you and your race in the north, I can tell just from by looking at you. Ingros was a stable force for an unstable race. You lost something, and now I can tell, you are withering each day. You are all infertile, if I''m correct, unable to have children." Auryn felt like dying, her heart sinking as the man had not only uncovered her heart, but ripped it out for everyone to see. Tears started to stream down from her eyes, her body starting to shake as her knees became weak, collapsing down onto the sand as she sobbed. She had lost hope in her own future. Auryn had come to this place to seek hope, thinking that maybe she could find Saleh and request her help. Only a Demigod could help them resolve this issue, but this man had just taken all of her cards and tossed them into the open for everyone to see. Saleh instead had just thrown her into this place to wither faster. "Fear not, Eira, there is hope. I can provide you with a seed of fertility and grant you a power." Auryn looked up at the man, her eyes wet and messy from crying, confusion written all over her face. She had never heard of a Demi-god giving power to a mortal before, it was a strange thing. Nathan smiled gently as he mentally pulled open the store. He had over four thousand points to spend. It was time to create some miracles and complete some quests. ======================================== - Welcome to God''s Store! - Power Word Sale! (Monthly) Bow (80% Discount): 1700 Faith (SOLD OUT!) Fertility and Aqua Bundle (50% Discount): 3000 Faith Journeying (20% Discount): 10,000 Faith ----------------------------------------------- -Card Effects!- (Monthly) Loyal Vassal (1 Left) (Popular!): 2500 Faith each. Temporary Power Word (3 Left): 500 Faith each. Power Upgrade (2 Left) 250 Faith each. ----------------------------------------------- Vassal Power Upgrades No Vassals, you must be lonely! ----------------------------------------------- Legal Items 1. We are not responsible for damage, destruction or loss of property due to these effects 2. No refunds. 3. No discounts for creating the game. 4. We offer no technical assistance, deal with it yourself! ----------------------------------------------- Next Month, on the first, the shop will rotate the stock, please make sure to purchase all the items you want or need before the end of the month. ======================================== He quickly scrolled down to the power word bundle. Two words for the price of one was almost a steal, he knew he had to get this. While these two powers tended to be less combat based, he would still use them. He had to create a power base of worshippers to increase both his faith and also increase his dominion. While faith could be spent on consumables, powers, and other such items, dominion let him affect the world in a more permanent capacity. He could do many things with it. He was going to spend most of his dominion in this coming moment, as he knew this first day was crucial to establishing his base of power. "My name is Auryn. Master, how are you going to do that?" She asked, confused. Nathan almost felt like spitting his lungs out, hearing ''Master'' from a beautiful older woman did still have some effect. He kept a poker face as his eyes adjusted and watched her. "Simple, I will grant you my power of fertility. It''s a powerful word that can affect a province." He summoned the power of fertility inside him. Instead of using it normally, he started to focus on giving it to someone else. System: Would you like to give Auryn the power of Fertility? This will require an upkeep of (1) Dominion. (Y / N) Nathan smirked as he pressed the Y option in his mind. He extended his hand as a white warm glow came from his fingers. Its light extended from his body as it wrapped around Auryn, entering her mouth, ears and eyes as she let out a loud moan, clearly affected by this power that penetrated her body. Only a minute later had she stopped struggling against the power coming inside her. The last of it finished oozing out of Nathan, and she looked up at him, feeling the power inside her. It was like a beacon that gave her hope. When she was younger, she had the feeling from Ingros himself. This time, she owned the power on her own, and it was stronger. Who was this man? "My God, I will serve till my final breath," she said, getting on her knees and bowing her head. She pressed herself into the lowest and smallest form possible, showing utter defeat and submission. Nathan nodded his head in a powerful manner. In his mind he could only think one thing. ''Bestowing her with fertility will cause one issue. She was already beautiful... But now she''s smoking hot!'' 13 C13 - Fertilitys Growth Auryn felt the power flooding into her; she had accepted this power willingly as she knew that any help with her race could be something to help her turn the tides. The power was almost like a wave crashing against her, each second passing causing her breaths to multiply as she tried to hold onto her mind, the sensation of pleasure and pain mixing as her body became ravaged by this intense feeling. She started to change, not all too much as she looked the same as before except for some key differences, all of the lines, wrinkles and ageing marks had vanished, her appearance closer to a thirty-year-old beauty, clearly between the lines of a young girl and an older woman, the men around her staring at her with such intense eyes as she had become more than beautiful, she had become untouchable in the mortal realm. The power settling down in her stomach, each moment that passed made her feel more at ease, the ability not causing any deep issues as she just stared at the ground, taking a few moments of breathing as she stood up fully, her energy radiating around her as she appeared like a goddess who descended from the heavens. Auryn reached inside herself to use the power, her curiosity getting the better of her, it was a strange feeling as she tried to pull the power to the surface, it quickly started to get out of hand as the power expanded faster then she could control it, this was not looking good. It only took a minute before she gave in, letting the power go off like a bomb around her, she was scared, but an inner voice told her it would be fine. Feya watched with disbelief, the woman who was questioning him had gained such power, she wondered if she should have asked his every move beforehand. She watched as the so-called Eria elf rose, her eyes so pure it made her almost gulp. "Beautiful..." She said gently, her voice croaking as she felt like she would bawl her eyes out at this beautiful woman. She had turned from someone who was lovely to look at into a person who should be worshipped. It was at this next moment that Feya felt confused, white light expanding from Auryn''s body, everyone gasping and taking steps back as the woman was now a beacon of pure white light. Everyone except Nathan seemed worried, Feya taking note as she calmed herself down and just watched. The white light expanded rapidly after a few minutes, like a dog taken off a leash as it went wild, growing to roughly ten meters wide in all directions from Auryn. Eyes shut tightly, Feya felt worried as she fell forward onto her hands, grasping the cold and damp grass between her fingers, coughing as she opened her eyes quickly. In a ten meter radius around the Snow elf was a beautiful visage, life had bloomed in this small region, without any hope in a barren wasteland a small patch of grass, flowers and even a single tree had matured, the tree was tall and thick at the base, small bulbs growing from the branches. Auryn stumbled, taking a few steps forward before her eyes closed, body crashing towards the ground. Nathan moved forward quickly as he grabbed the woman, pulling her up in his arms as he smiled brightly. He looked more like a proud father than someone traced by her beauty. Nathan let out a soft sigh as he was satisfied, the small area has grown by her power as he looked at everyone else, clearly happy by this site. Everyone was staring at him as this was an image they wanted to burn into memory as history took place. System: Godly Act - Gained 1000 Faith Points System: Taken a New Vassal - Gained 500 Faith Points System: Small Community Worship - Gained 5 Dominion System: Quest Completed - Secondary''s Completed. He blinked as he would watch the system push out many messages to him, his eyes looking through the words as he would nod his head to them. System: Reward - Discovery Box: This box can is openable for one of three items, you may choose which one of the three random rewards you can keep. He stood for a moment staring at this, basically, it was going to give him a random reward, but he could choose from one of the three outcomes. "What a cheap game," He said with a small smile, his mind opening his new character sheet to see what was new. ====================================== Name: Nathan Blackrose Age: 27 Race: Arch God Title: Creator God Level: 255 Dominion: 9/10 - 1 In Use Faith: 2400 Words Of Power: (One) Power Word Bow - (Rank Bronze 25%) Power Word Fertility - (Rank Copper 0%) Power Word Aqua - (Rank Copper 0%) Minor Sub Skills: (Bow) - Bolt Of Unstoppable Might - (Rank Copper - 12%) This ability fires a single bolt that is unstoppable by non-divine beings, If non-divine being lives after the blast then they will be permanently terrified around the caster. Major Sub Skill: (Bow) Lord Of That Which Falls - (Rank Bronze - 8%) This ability allows the user to redirect any ranged weapon that is fired in your presence, non-divine beings cannot stop this process. Current Relations: (1 is the loneliest number!) Auryn Zey - Eria Elf - Fertility Vassal Current Loyalty - 63% Status: Healthy Current Missions: - Primary - Increase Followers to 10,000 - Secondary - Increase Vassal''s to two. Create a Miracle Extra Abilities: Admin Menu: Locked ======================================== He checked out the new missions; it seemed the not game wanted him to build up his follower base and also increase his vassals, though the Miracle was difficult. He knew in the past that a Miracle was only possible when one had been pushed to the limit, about to die and it was a last-ditch effort to stay in this mortal world. "This system is giving me harder challenges." He then placed Auryn down onto the grass, gently patting her head as he would open his item collection area for the reward, opening it inside as he would look at each of the rewards. System Reward One: Senshi (Bow) System Reward Two: Eternal Springs (Building) System Reward Three: Ten Thousand Clay Soldiers (Items) He looked at all three items; they seemed to give no stats, the system was different from before as he had to pick this blind which made him somewhat annoyed. He selected the first reward, he could quickly make water with his ability, and the ten thousand clay soldiers were useless to him till he had gotten other words, while the first option was the best use to him with his current words. He moved his hand forward as the bow summoned, appearing between his fingers as the black oak sprung from his fingers, entwining to make the bow as it formed the outside of the item, eventually emerging closer to a longbow with the beauty of an ancient weapon. The string was starting to unwind from the ends of the bow as it floated to each other, connecting in the middle as it formed the full bow. He smiled gently at this beautiful weapon. System: You have acquired Senshi Name: Senshi Rarity: Demi-God Weapon Effect: This bow can be summoned and unsummoned at will, requiring no arrows with those with the Power (Bow), each honourable kill with this weapon will infuse the power of this weapon, once a day it can unleash seven ballista bolts at any target within sight. Mortal Effect: If a mortal touches this bow without sufficient will and honour, they will wither and turn into a black oak tree. He stared at the bow in his hands, quickly fading the item away as he could see everyone watching him, better to not turn people into trees just yet. He then watched as everyone started to drop, falling to their knees as he felt himself become speechless. "We pledge ourselves to you Nathan, Demi-God of the future!" 14 C14 - The Valley Feya stood with the rest, watching Nathan place Auryn down onto the grass beneath the tree. The sight was inspiring, beautiful. A moment later, they would almost describe it as heroic as they watched Nathan pull a weapon from thin air. The majestic black bow that seemed to grow like a sapling from his hands, the string pulling from the bow, they had the aura of a divine weapon. Feya felt an urge to grasp the bow. It was a sincere desire that all of them held. It seemed that Nathan could tell, as the instant he saw the hungry gazes, the bow vanished from sight. Many guards and soldiers snapped back to attention, feeling embarrassed. Feya felt such her cheeks flush, knowing she should have restrained herself as well. She was a princess with countless hours of military training, not some kleptomaniac layman. Nathan came over to the group, his eyes landing on Feya. "Feya, Lee, Ameria and Kai. Care to walk with me?" His words were soft, a smile on his face as he eased their minds. He lead them away from the group. It was time for a serious discussion about the future, and he had high hopes for these four, as well as the currently unconscious Auryn. "Just some questions. Since this place is a rather nice location, we need to discuss supplies, current population and the delegation of tasks." He said this without any force, indicating that he wanted to let them be the ones to decide on these matters. While he could use a heavy hand and just give out tasks, he knew it was better to allow people to take responsibilities naturally. Though, in the end, he would still have to hand out the more disliked tasks. He looked to Feya first. "How many people do you have, and what are the supplies looking like now?" Feya slowly pursed her lips, knowing that out of the two groups currently, hers was the weakest. It was impossible to give a good report, so she decided to bring it out. "Bad. Our supplies are gone, and we have been eating carrion meat for the past few days. People are tired and sick, and our water supplies are almost gone..." She stopped herself from getting into more details, thinking about the numbers roughly. "Including the guards and a recent headcount, we have eight hundred and two people. That includes the guards who are most likely going to go back to normal work with the soldiers being here." Nathan nodded his head as he turned to look at Lee Shee. The general understood the look and began to speak, his voice calm as he gave the information to him. "We have one-thousand one-hundred and thirty-two troops, including my daughter''s elite unit of knights. Our rations are not great, as we could only take a small amount. Most supplies are taken on a supply train by beasts which are with the retreating army. I''d say we have about three days of food, and the same for water, as we have a water crystal with us." Nathan nodded his head as he thought to himself. The supplies would not do too much. They would last only a short time. He looked to both groups as he asked the next question. "What about this valley? Has anyone taken a good look around?" Ameria stepped forward as a smile covered her face. "Sir, my knights scoured the area when we arrived. It''s a perfect oval basin with one entrance on the north-west side. It''s an ideal area for shade. We have found a few cave entrances, and what appears to be a dried up river bed running through a place that is slightly south of the centre." She thought for a moment, remembering that Nathan had only just arrived. "In the vortex, most areas struggle for food. This is because we have nearly no farming land. This area has no land suitable to farming, no water, and no wildlife. We have yet to explore the caves, but I doubt any resources will become available." Feya felt ashamed. If she had Auryn with her, then she was sure the woman would say the same things, but right now she could only bite down on her pride. Her group was the least useful for now. She had one card now, though, since Auryn had her gift. Nathan took all this in, sighing as his shoulders relaxed. "That is a relief. If we can go to the source of the water, I may be able to find whatever happened and resolve the issue. With my own power, and now Auryn, we can resolve the soil fertility issue. It only requires time." He continued to ponder as he looked at the group. He could still feel some tension as he gave out commands. "Well, Ameria, you seem good with the scouts. I need you guys to keep looking around. Find any sources you can see in regards to food. It''s vital to our future plans." Ameria nodded her head and saluted. "I will not let you down!" Lee looked at Nathan. "What about my group?" Nathan nodded again as he held his chin, thinking as he sighed. "Tension between your groups is still rather high. We need to build cohesion. I want you to get your soldiers to start sharing food. Get them to make the food then come over and start sharing meals, stories, and mix in together. I do not want any group divides. I also need you to be careful with all the food." Lee nodded his head, Feya just blinking as she looked at Nathan. "What about us?" "Just rest for now. You have had it rough, so take some time to relax. Eat and drink as well." As he was about to break the meeting up, he saw Ameria come forward. "Sir, what about yourself? I know you are strong, but you should take some of my girls with you, as well as some men for protection who can also carry some water back if you do find a source." Lee cheered his daughter on internally. This was a good idea to increase her value to him. He knew that the Demigod was capable of transferring powers, and his daughter would become stronger with Nathan''s power mixed in. "That is a good idea. Send a small group with me, then. Let''s start this. Remember to make no mistakes, and if an army shows up, hide and wait for my return. I shall not be long. Oh, also, make sure Auryn does not use her powers yet without me around." Everyone nodded before breaking up, they all had a job to do. 15 C15 - Climbing To The Source Nathan had spent the last few minutes planning. As he felt like he had missed someone, his eyes turned to look at the woman he had forgotten, Kai, staring at him with barely any emotion. It was hard to tell her feelings through a regular standard, mainly due to her race communicating by scent and smell. It was easier for them to do everything this way. The communication via telepathy was due to him not wanting the race to be stuck unable to talk to anyone else. It was a compromise, since they had no way to speak to anyone vocally. He turned to Kai and nodded to her. "Kai, want to come with me?" He saw the woman nod her head, coming over almost instantly. He could swear she was happy. He just sighed as he started to move towards Ameria''s group. He saw her talking to three women, each of them slightly older than herself. Kaye listened to Ameria, nodding her head as she looked to the mission. Apparently, the Demigod had assigned tasks to everyone, and she was assigned to find the source of water. She was about to hear who else was coming on her mission, as Ameria had been somewhat vague. Kaye stood at an impressive height of 5''11, her muscles defined and able to put any man to shame. Confidence and pride showed on her face, as she knew her mission was of the utmost importance. Short rough-cut brown hair hung on her head like a mop. She also sported freckles and one large scar along her jaw that showed her skill in previous combat. Her armour was made of iron plates and silver inlining, magical runes carved onto it, with magic stones attached in the sockets to allow cooling of the armour. Kaye had her two sergeants with her. While she was with the logistics group that did not dull her sword or her member''s blades, she saw her job as the most important of the entire group. Supplies had to do with the whole army, and she even gave aid to the regular army. She also had seven days worth of supplies for her small group, showing that she was prepared for this. Ameria saw Nathan and Kai coming, and she clasped her hands together while nodding to them both. "This is the group. You three will go with Kai and Nathan to find the water source and bring back some fresh water. I know you will do best to..." Before Ameria could even finish her words, Kaye''s eyes widened as she stared at the man who was coming to assist them. He was skinny, almost like a bag of bones. She had expected them to gain some assistance from the locals, but this was insulting. The Demigod had requested this mission, and when she finally met the Demigod, she wanted to be successful and not regretful due to the extra baggage. "Commander, I request that we do not take this peasant. He is malnourished and should stay here." She had even noted his strange eyewear and clothing, seeing that he was a foreigner as well. She had nothing against people from other countries, but she knew that culture boundaries could cause friction, and she needed her first mission to go flawlessly. Ameria stood, shocked. She felt like the woman she had just assigned to this mission was going to stab her in the back with her dealings with the Demigod. She bit her lip, about to speak up for Nathan, but sadly she was beaten to the punch. "Oh, you think I will be useless. Well, we shall see now. Come along, tin can, let''s see if you can keep up." Nathan sent out a verbal bash of his own as he turned and walked towards the dried river bed to the south. Kaye felt her rage surge, her face turning red as she charged forward after him, her two sergeants looking to each other before following. Kai took up the rear. Ameria was stunned, but decided not to say anything. If the Demigod had a plan, then she would trust him. Following the path west, it seemed the tension between the small group had grown to new heights as the knights glared at the man. Kai and Nathan just ignored them both as they continued to ascend to the west, eventually reaching what looked like an old fall area, a small indent into the ground. "This must have been an old waterfall, it''s eroded away this wall, and the water must have created this hole at the bottom. We have to continue up and over to find the source. I hope you can climb well, Tin-can." Kaye seethed as she looked at the man. Maybe he was more intelligent than what she had pegged him to be. He could potentially be a noble, but in the vortex, that did not matter. "My armour is made out of highest quality iron with silver inlines and magical inscriptions that you could only dream of owning!" she spat back at him, defending her prized equipment. Unfortunately for her, it seemed that Nathan did not even care about this, his bored face seeming to taunt her. "Okay Tin-can. Let me know if you need some oil on those joints. Let''s hurry and climb this." Kaye charged past the man, unhappy with the situation, but keeping her cool. She did not want to get caught punching a non-military party member. It would cause too many issues thanks to her rank. As she approached the wall of stone, she began to climb, switching out one of the heat crystals for a weightless gem, making the climb easier but not by all that much. Ten minutes went past before she finally reached the top, her body sweating crazy as she smiled. She must have been first, given the weak strength of that man. Her smile disintegrated rapidly, however, as she saw not only the man, but also the plant woman from before, standing at the top and looking bored. "How-- That is not possible! She must have helped you!" Kaye shouted, indignant. Both her sergeants pulled themselves up and over at that moment with an expression of death. Climbing in armour was horrible. Each one of them had to switch out the heat crystal for a weightless one, but now they all felt cooked on the inside. Nathan just stared at them, a smirk spreading across his face as he just shrugged. "Kai climbed herself. I beat her here. It''s fine, I know that the metal around you probably cooked your brain, but fear not. Once we get some water, you will be fine." Nathan and Kai continued walking up, following the dried up riverbed, leaving the knights and Kaye foaming at the mouth behind. 16 C16 Ancient Water Temple Nathan, Kai and the three knights continued to make progress, the sun beating down on them as everyone looked worse for wear. Kai looked rather unhappy about the weather, and the three knights were all sweating horribly, taking drinks from pouches when they felt the need. Kaye stared at Nathan, who still maintained the lead. His movement were fast, showing no signs of stopping or slowing down. Hatred continued to fill her soul. Her need for revenge rose as she continued to push on, her throat feeling dry and sore. Seething, she continued to stare at the man''s back. Nathan continued moving. He did not need to eat, sleep, or even drink. The sun was annoying, as he was used to the damp and mild climate of London. The climate here, however, felt like hell. After coming to this world, his form had also changed. He could no longer feel any of the issues that stumped him previously. His athletic skill was terrible before, and he usually had to stop after a few minutes of running. But now, he felt like he could keep going. He could only attribute this to the system. Becoming an Arch-God had its benefits, though right now he had access to none of his abilities. So did he have the right to be called an Arch-God? He felt a small tugging on his shoulder, his eyes turning to Kai, who nodded ahead. He stopped as he turned to look forward, seeing the strange carved stone building ahead that stuck out of the cliff Two large sides of the structure had aqueducts and other areas that water could pour from. It was clear that this place was the origins of the river, a non-natural source of water. "What is this place?" Kaye asked as she looked at the large stone building. "I''m guessing it is a temple to Elnas. She is the goddess of water, the sea and travel." The three knights looked at the man, wondering how he knew so much. Kai, on the other hand, just nodded her head, accepting it. Nathan moved forward, not allowing any more questions. He had a mission. Water was necessary, and he needed to figure out what had happened to this place. Stepping inside was a relief for everyone as they no longer had to suffer the ravages of the desert sun. The inner area felt cold to the touch, the stone keeping the temple cool, allowing everyone to rest for a moment. Nathan and the group continued after a few moments, the room opening up after around one hundred meters. The size increased from a two person wide corridor to being so massive that one could not even see the sides. To the left and right could not be seen, but ahead was an enormous drop downwards, leading to a small shining liquid at the bottom that seemed to reflect some light. "This is the water reservoir. It''s a large one, and it seems sad that nearly no water is here. Normally this would be filled with rainwater or magic, though it seems no one has been here in some time." He continued walking across this vast reservoir, leading to another corridor. After another five minutes of walking, Nathan stopped again as he saw two directions. One lead down, while the other lead forward. Nathan assumed that going down he would find the source of the water and maybe find the location to fix this mess. He figured he should do this alone, as he could not fully control his water power word. "Okay, let''s split up. I''ll head downstairs and have a look for the source of water. You guys carry on ahead and see if you can find anything to carry the water." Kaye stared at Nathan for a moment. She knew this was stupid. It was better to stick together. If anything happened, they could defend each other, though she figured in the case of that man, it was better for him just to run away. Maybe this was the best time for revenge. She hoped the man would find something scary and run away screaming. "Sure... Nathan, was it?" she said. "You head downstairs, and we head forward. If you see anything too scary, please come back and get us. The big strong knights will protect you!" she smirked, but her smile was soon scraped from her face once more. "Alright, Tin-can. Don''t rust in here. Water is bad for your metal." Kaye seethed with anger as Nathan started to walk down the stairs, almost wanting to shove him down so he might break his soft and weak neck. Kaye had to satisfy herself with rolling her eyes as she headed on, the other two following behind as she walked forward. After several minutes they entered another room. This time it was smaller than the last, with a centre platform that held a dull round and slightly cracked crystal on a podium. All around the room were shallow pools of water that seemed to shimmer, a soft blue light coming from them that looked magical. Each step they made echoed through the tall room. "Look, in the walls, I can see small holes. It seems that the water starts here and drains into the big area. Seems Mr Know-it-all was wrong!" She laughed her head off as she stepped up to the podium, staring at the dull crystal as she nodded. "If we take this, maybe the Demigod can use it for water, draw out the energy!" She touched the sphere with greed and pride as she attempted to lift it, but her smile was again pulled away as she saw blue water leak from the crystal and form into a solid fist, colliding with her and catapulting her back several meters. Her body crashed to the floor as she let out a hiss of pain, her suit shielding her slightly, but not to the blunt force. In the centre, a giant water elemental formed, its figure slightly deformed as parts of it had holes. One of its fists was somewhat smaller than the other, and its entire body took on a shiny red colour once fully formed. It was weaker than a standard elemental, the crystal in its centre almost out of power. "Who dares defile this temple? I will destroy you all and let the carrion feed on you!" The giant elemental was eight feet tall, with hatred in its eyes as it looked at the four who intruded. It was no use talking to it, as it was ready to fight. "DIE!" 17 C17 My Luck Will Shine! Kaye stared at the creature with fear. This was not a beast she was normally capable of taking on. Elementals had to be countered by magic casters or pinpoint snipers to hit the core in their centre, and each second fighting against this beast was a disadvantage. Elementals never tired, while mortal races normally did. She pulled out her blade as she watched the elemental. A small smirk came to her face, despite her disadvantage. This was a perfect chance for her to impress the Demigod. "I will kill you and take your crystal!" Kai shook her head as she pulled out both her curved blades, moving into a strange pose as she pointed one blade forward, the second blade behind her head as she leaned lower to the ground as she prepared herself. "Do not use shields. this creature will either use blunt force or the water can just go around." Kaye gave commands out to her soldiers as both of them tossed the shields to the side as they pulled swords out. Kaye gulped as she knew what she had to do. "Can you both buy us some time, we have one chance at winning this." She prayed to the Demigod she had never met to grant them the strength to win. The elemental moved first, its speed slower than what anyone expected. It almost looked drunk with its strange movements, gliding sideways before moving straight towards one of the sergeants, its large arm moving upwards as it swiftly came crashing down. While the soldier had managed to move to the right, avoiding the main blow, it was sadly not the same for the aftershock. The water fist crashed into the floor, the entire surface below smashing and cracking as a thunderous echo boomed, the sergeant tossed away by the aftershock, smashing into the wall with a thud as she started to cough up blood. "Mina!" Kaye moved to block the path to the injured woman, the other Sergent moving to pick her up and move her out. It was already down to two on one, as she wanted to have no casualties. "You have disturbed my sanctuary! The goddess may forgive but I! Do! Not!" The elemental boldly proclaimed in a guttural tone as it charged again towards Kaye. Kaye braced herself, knowing she would have to take the blow head on. The two soldiers behind her trying to escape would be caught in the water if she avoided the blow. Her sword pushed forward as she watched the elemental stumble towards her. She shut her eyes, bracing for the impact as she felt fear holding her. But the impact never came. She heard instead the tapping of footwork against the stonework, and hissing from a clearly annoyed water elemental. Her eyes opened up again as she looked at what was going on. Her jaw dropped wide in surprise. Kai was dancing, her body twisting past the slow but strong blows from the water elemental, her form twisting as the dual curved blades struck into the elemental''s body, slicing chunks out as the water-like goo hit the floor. The creature seemed annoyed as it was struggling to fight such an agile creature. "Stop moving!" It shouted, slamming its large fist down to the ground again, attempting the same trick as last time. The ground shattered again, the shockwave even stronger than before. Kai swung her blades upwards, pulling her body back as the water fist came down against her. She moved like a blur, stepping forward and jumping above the fist as it was about to hit the ground, plunging both her blades into the beast as she held on tight. The shockwaves rattled the ground and air around her, almost blowing her back. After a few moments, she pulled another chunk of flesh from the creature as she stepped back, twirling a few times as she got back into her stance. The elemental grew a deeper shade of red as it charged again towards Kai. Its large fist crashing down a second time as Kai prepared to perform the same maneuver once more. But the elemental was not a stupid creature. Its large fist slammed into the ground as it felt Kai''s blades slice into its gooey water-based flesh. Quickly shifting the mass from its right hand to its left, the other fist became massive and full, quickly swinging a right hook with speed much faster than before. Kai quickly pulled her blades free without doing much damage, pulling back as she cartwheeled away several times before spinning and dropping into a stance. She had avoided the blow, and was even holding her own against the elemental. Kaye felt in awe of this woman. It was no wonder they won the last imperial expansion war. She had heard all these plant women were capable fighters, but if each one of them could fight to this extent, it would be horrifying, to say the least. The water elemental screeched loudly, pissed that this woman was winning in the fight against it, its body glowing as it used some of its magic to control the blobs that had come from it, quickly turning them all to water as the ground became soaking wet within an instant. Kai struggling to keep her footwork on the floor. The elemental glided across the water, appearing before Kai once more, its large fist slamming down to the ground. Sadly, this time, Kai was unable to launch herself due to the surface. She was barely able to get out of range as the fist slammed to the floor, causing ripples and another force explosion, catapulting Kai into the nearest wall. Kaye felt fear come back into her heart, staring at the creature that had turned back towards her. She was now alone against this creature, her sergeant still tending to the wounds of the other woman. Kaye gulped down her worry as she stared at the elemental, boot smashing into the floor as she used her own weight to push aside the water and dig her feet into the ruined stone floor. She used the broken parts of floor for grip as she moved forward. "Dieeee!" she screeched as her sword pierced upwards. The tip pierced of her sword plunged into the orb that was in the elemental''s chest, her arm buried deep inside the elemental. The core cracked slightly, but remaining in one piece. She watched the elemental freeze and stop moving. "I¡­ I''ve done it! I''ve defeated it!" she squealed with glee, her smile growing as she cried tears of joy. An impossible feat had just been accomplished. "Thank you, Demigod, for looking over me!" she said, grateful for her good fortune. 18 C18 No Luck Required. Fifteen Minutes Earlier Nathan wandered down the staircase, the long winding stairs seemed to be doused in a soft and slightly gooey substance. It was like slugs used this trail every day. It required his strength and careful steps to make his way down, each level more dangerous than the last. "This is stupid... I''m glad I''m alone, or I may have fallen on my ass already." He had an image to uphold now. Kai was one of the few who he knew trusted him to a point, but it was strange, as he never understood why. This woman had absolute trust and faith in her gaze, which haunted him. "How can someone like that have so much faith in me? I don''t get it¡­" Things had never appeared so different since he had come here. The world had advanced onwards in time and left everything he designed behind. He used this alone time to reflect on the situation. "Is anything I made still here? The seven divine cities, for example, do they still stand?" He had many issues that he needed to resolve. Who had sent him here, and how did this video game become an actual world? He had no way to leave, either. "I need to concentrate on finding a way to escape this nightmare. This isn''t what I created..." His words died in his throat as he stopped in his tracks, his head hanging low as he realized he was wrong. This was the world he created. He had designed every inch, including all of the races. "They may not be those that I''ve created, but they are all my children, descendants of many years." He held his head high once more as he looked back at his objective. He needed to stop worrying about the future, but rather push one foot ahead of the other and continue his march towards the endless grasp of time. Nathan eventually landed on the last step, his footing slipping as he came crashing down onto the slippery floor, spinning in a circle twice before stopping. He let out a loud growl of pain, a few moments passing before he finally laughed out. "Oh fuck! I''m glad that I managed to avoid landing on my ass with so many women around. That would''ve been embarrassing!" His laugh was echoing through the hallway as he shook his head, pulling himself back up from the slimy and rather gross floor, sliding a few more times as he had to get his balance. It took him several minutes before he managed to get into the next room, a wide space opened up before him, as he was below the large water reservoir room. His eyes looking up at the glass bottom, staring as he was wondered about something. "Why would they keep a glass on the bottom?" He stopped as he noticed something moving in the depths. His jaw hit the floor as he stared at the movement. "The entire bottom of the glass is not dirty! All of those are fish!" He stopped for a moment as he moved up and tapped on the glass, none of the shapes in the bottom even flinching. Though, as soon as he got closer, he noticed them becoming more active. "It can''t be. They..." In the distance, his ears picked up a faint but distinct roar, a screech following shortly afterwards. This was bad. "They must have activated something. Fucking hell, just my luck!" He turned and began to charge back up the stairs, struggling up the slimy floor as he started to gasp and groan. "Fuck this designer... Wait, did I make this?" He looked around before seeing his signature overlapping of the stonework with a small cut on the corners. "Fuck me, fuck me so much right now!" He had designed this? He couldn''t remember the place at all! Once he arrived back at the top, his eyes turned to the left, noticing the two sergeants in the doorway. One was bleeding and crying while the other was doing all she could to stop the bleeding in time. "What are you doing? They are fighting inside!" the busy sergeant said as she watched Nathan walk past, unable to stop him as she had her hands tied with work. Her jaw fell to the floor as she watched the man who was supposed to be a weak peasant start to glow a bright blue. Water flowed around him like waves as it started to obey his commands. Nathan moved forward, locking onto the massive water elemental as he raised both his hands. He had only just acquired the aqua skill, which he knew could cause some issues with control, but he did not need full power to destroy the crystal in the centre of the elemental. His powers were surging through the water as the substance started to obey his command, shaking with energy as it eventually entered into the large water elemental. He watched as Kaye started her desperate charge, rolling his eyes as he knew it was not needed now that he had restrained the beast. Her blade perfectly hit the crystal, causing a crack on the side. Nathan was surprised at her accuracy, as he used the opportunity to apply pressure on the crystal, the crack spreading rapidly as the elemental stared at him with hatred. It understood its loss was due to this man who was holding him in place. The water no longer obeying it. The orb was smashing into thousands of small particles, and the water was released, splashing onto everyone nearby as Nathan let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, Nathan, came to see my victory over that massive water elemental?" Kaye boasted pridefully, despite being shaken by the fight. Nathan swallowed his urge to push her down a peg, forcing a smile. "Well done, Kaye, you did well." Nathan moved past her and over to Kai, quickly checking her out, making sure she was fine. Kaye walked past as she went to look after her sergeants, but something in the back of her mind twitched as she thought about something. "Wait, I never told him my name. Neither did the commander... How does he know?" 19 C19 Mistakes Made Kaye checked on her soldiers, making sure they both were out of harm''s way, her eyes turning back to Nathan as he seemed to be working on helping Kai who seemed to also be out of harm''s way at this point. "Nathan what did you find downstairs?" Nathan finished checking over Kai; it seemed she only suffered some light blunt force that had stunned her for a moment, his eyes looking over to Kaye as he walked to the centre of the room. "Nothing but a maintenance area, it''s an area where you can check on the water levels from below and then make adjustments from above." Kaye felt her face drop as she knew that the only drinkable water was down in the reservoir, she had no way of getting to that water without climbing equipment or any other sort of magic. She felt disappointment coming on her face as it was not how she wanted this to end, coming back with buckets of water was much more impressive then nothing but future hope. Kaye looked at him with false hope, smiling as she shook her head as she had sent the man into a potentially dangerous area alone due to her need for petty revenge. She needed to say sorry to this man before continuing. "I''m sorry Nathan, I should have sent someone downstairs with you, it was because of a petty anger I had against you. Please forgive me." She bowed her body as she ditched her pride to give this sorry, she had to work on becoming a better person, and it all started with a step. Nathan stared at Kaye with surprise on his face, smiling as he felt warm inside with this sorry. He was very unsure as to what had caused the woman to give this apology, maybe the close encounter with death had something to do with it. Perhaps it was his response that helped after he defeated the elemental. "Thank you, Kaye, please do not look hopeless." Nathan moved into the centre of the room, his hands stretching outwards as he started to pull the pools filled with mana towards himself, four tendrils of water pulling out and quickly moving towards Nathan as they formed into a water orb in front of him. System: It seems you are trying to create an Orb of Water. System: Orb''s of water provide endless sources of water depending on the amount of power. Either mana or celestial power could power it. The latter being much more potent for providing a source of energy. System: To continue operation two costs will be taken, one upfront cost of Faith and then an ongoing cost of Dominion to supply the orb continuously. System: Cost 1400 Faith points and three ongoing Dominion points. System: Accept or Deny? Nathan looked at the cost and felt his entire body shudder, he could feel his anger rising at such high prices, he needed this item to move forward otherwise he would have many other issues. ''Bastard system, taking all my money. You bloody monopoly, getting away with taking it all!'' He thought as he hit the accept button, finishing up the last parts of his work as the orb turned into a bright blue object. Unlike the previous orb, this one was three times the size, the colour a brilliant ocean blue that shined to the small parts of light that were active in this room. It gave the brilliance of an item created by the gods. Nathan released the orb to the centre of the room, letting it hang in the air as it glowed a bright blue that seemed to cassacde the entire room in waves. Nathan looked around the room; he could see two large funnels on the left and right side, he assumed this was the location to funnel the water directly, his head nodding as he focused his power into the orb again, activating it as he felt the power surge inside the structure. A few moments passed with nothing happening, his frown starting to appear as he waited for this stupid thing to activate. ''Hey, if this does not work can I have a refund.'' System: No He was wondering who was in charge, the system or him. He dared to not think of the answer as the room started to shake, the rumbling causing everyone to gasp as small drops of water began to leak from it. "Is that all, come on!" His hand moved up to the orb, smacking against it as the pressure was released all at once, torrents of water stronger then several firehouses at once being unleashed as two streams extended from the orb, one to the left and another to the right as each stream went into one of the Aquaducts on the side of the room. Stepping back as he smiled at Kai who was standing at his side, apparently happy that he finally managed to get this stupid system to work. "Let''s head back. We have some work to finish off. Gosh, this was a fun little mini-adventure." He turned around, his eyes staring at the three soldiers, each of them in total stunned silence as they had seen this miracle happen. Kaye was the most shocked; she had insulted this man many times, she had even tried to contest herself against a Demigod. She was the biggest idiot on the entire planet right now. Wait, she had insulted a Demigod, not once but many times. She was dead, worse then dead she might as well sign her entire life away. The Demigod who managed to slay someone from a distance that no standard bow could reach, a range that was almost impossible even to see, this many that were powerful enough to cause ten''s of thousands of arrows to halt in the air naturally. She had made a mistake on such enormous levels, only one thing that remained in her mind as she stared at the skeleton-like man. "I''m so fucked..." 20 C20 Let The Water Flow A few minutes before. Kaye had finished checking on her fellow soldiers, her eyes looking over to Nathan again as she asked him what he had found. After learning everything, Kaye gave her apology, feeling better as she saw a smile that would be with her forever. This man''s smile was like the sun shining down on her. It filled her with hope and pride. She felt proud to have gained such a smile, which confused her, as this was a pure human who was weaker than herself. "Thank you, Kaye, please do not look hopeless." Nathan''s words hit her like a wave as she watched him enter into the centre of the room, the waves of magical power coming from him like a tidal force, the room basking in a light blue light that shone brightly, her sergeants taking a deep breath, Kai standing, looking proud, as she bowed her head in respect. "What is he doing?" She asked the question, and a few moments later, the water around the room began to vibrate, shaking, as four large water tendrils pulled from the magical pools around them, forming a sphere in front of the young man who still radiated power. An almost deafening boom was heard, exploding rapidly with power, and almost blowing those present away. They all struggled to keep standing as they watched the shining aqua orb slowly hover in the air, moving to the centre as it lined up and eventually flew above the pedestal that held the old one. A few moments passed by, as tension grew in the air, a pressure building as they watched the man move up, his hand rising before slamming down onto the orb. The pressure released all at once as two massive torrents of water flowed out and into the system of networks connecting the room, the rumbling speeding up. She watched him turn around, his eyes still soft. She knew she had made many mistakes up to this point, her mind starting its blaming mechanic as it ran like a machine, arriving at the same conclusion over and over. She was doomed. Nathan stared at the woman, his smile growing as he just laughed it all away. She had apologised earlier, and that was all that was important. "You have already said sorry, let''s just put it behind us and head on with our lives!" he said with a bright smile, walking past them all, not saying much more as he heard the group following behind him. The vast reservoir continued rumbling as dust blasted from the large channels at the top of the walls, apparently designed to flow water. He watched as the water from his orb started to cascade down the sides of the walls, the reservoir at the bottom filling up quickly. He knew everyone was in for a lovely surprise once they found out the other secret that came from the place. "Well, let''s hurry or we may be washed away when the river starts to gain fresh water!" He started to make his way outside as she looked up at the bright sun, his smile growing as he began to make his way back down the sides of the rocks. Eventually reaching the top of the waterfall, he gazed down towards the bottom, seeing many people. Inside the water temple, the water levels had finally reached the amount required to start pushing out water. The two front parts were quickly spitting out dust, dirt and rocks that had accumulated as the surge of water began to spill out like a small wave. Eventually, the trickle turned into a stream which then turned into a full river. The water flowed down into the previous riverbed, following the path of least resistance as it grew into a torrent, gushing over the waterfall like a force of nature as it crashed down, filling up the hole at the bottom and eventually flooding down and into the valley below. The river bed which had long been dry quickly started to fill, the people at the bottom screaming as they had to run out of the way of the water that flowed eastwards. He smiled as he watched everyone starting to jump into the water, dancing and drinking as they laughed. The people who had fled from the army that had chased them since entering this hostile land finally had a chance to rest and relax. This play time was something that they all craved. A simple thing that was required for life could be cherished only when one was without such a thing. Nathan watched them all with a smile as he heard Kaye moving up next to him, her voice shaking, as she was still suffering from what she had done earlier. "I''m sorry, sir, but why are you just staring at them from here?" Nathan looked over at Kaye with another soft smile as his hand moved, planting it on her shoulder as his next words escaped his lips, almost like magic flowing from his mouth. "This is only the beginning. Each miracle has two parts. Kaye, keep watching as we restore hope for a bright tomorrow!" Inside the water temple, the fish at the bottom of the river stirred, the movement of the water causing them to awaken as they started to move around the bigger space. Each of them quickly swam up and into the flowing pipes. Kai turned as she heard the movement, watching small silver-like fish bouncing from the water, each one making a splash as they landed back inside. It was almost like a swarm was coming to get them all. Kaye and the others turned to watch as they dived towards the cliff. "Nathan! They''re almost about to jump from the cliff!" She was worried for the safety of the creatures, her heart still pure in that regard. Nathan was sure that someone who had fought so many wars must have little fear, but for such small creatures, she seemed to worry for their safety. "Don''t worry. This is a miracle." Nathan and the rest watched as the first fish dove off the top, its body flailing as it jumped from the rapids and into the open air. It almost looked helpless as it wiggled into the open sky. A few people below pointed them out as several others began to watch. Eventually, the first fish opened two flaps on its side, large white angelic wings appearing. Feathers emerged as a white light started to flow behind it, slowly descending as it glided down into the water, causing a splash as its wings were quickly pulled back inside. "Celestial flying fish, or flying fish for short, really. They are rather old, and must have survived at the bottom of the reservoir for many years." System: Godly Act - Gained 400 Faith System: Godly Act - Gained 300 Faith System: Godly Act - Gained 100 Faith System: Many people have become your worshippers. - Dominion increased by 2. Nathan ignored the system menu, simply watching as the sun bathed the valley, people screaming and enjoying the water and the fish flying down the valley with such grace. A single tear fell down Nathan''s cheek, landing on the ground. 21 C21 Auryns New Gif An Hour Previous - Auryn''s POV Auryn had slept deeply, the power that she had gained settled inside herself as the entire process was taxing on her own body, her eyes fluttering as she opened them to look at the bright sun overhead, looking around as she was somewhat confused about what had happened. The tree above her fluttering lightly in the wind, the warm grass under her soft to the touch as her gaze moved around, looking at everyone else. She noticed that everyone had mixed, soldiers and regular people seemed to be together, eating and sharing a drink. She found the entire situation strange as she looked at the groups mixing without any issue, she even saw some people laughing and enjoying the sun, it was the first time the group had enough time to sit and rest. She saw Feya and Lee talking, each of them discussing topics together, Feya catching her eye as they both turned and started to walk towards her, Feya looking concerned while Lee is looking stoic and distant. "Hey Auryn, how are you doing. what happened?" Auryn was confused by the question; the answer was a rather simple one. She knew the answer, but no matter how many times she ran it by herself, she kept wondering if it was even possible. "I''ve gained power, the same power that the Demigods use." She stopped to think about it, her power was much smaller than prior, the explosive power that was inside her was now but a small strand that she could feel just inside her heart. It was like the difference between a siege weapon and a bow at this moment. "How is that possible, why did he give you the power and such a strange one at that?" Auryn looked at Feya with just a soft smile; most people did not understand her culture. It was all down to the legends that had been passed down and misinformation that had been spread due to rumours. "We as a people have lost the ability to reproduce, have you heard of divine creatures?" Feya looked confused again as she had never heard of such a concept, her gaze shifting over to Lee as she wondered if the man had any knowledge on the subject. "Please Feya, giving me such a look will drill a hole into my soul." Lee chuckled as his expressionless face turned softer due to the gaze, his hand massaging the sides of his chin as he took a moment to think. "Well, I''ve heard some tales, divine creatures that are unable to survive without the assistance of the Demigods. The creator god having made such creatures in the Great Holy City but some of his divine children having taken them down into the world." Auryn nodded her head; this was the simplest way to say it, her eyes looking around as she looked at the grass and flowers around her, this small patch of paradise in the desert making her smile. "Yes, well when our Demigod lost his life, we lost a lot of our powers, including the ability to bear children." Her face grew sad as she shook her face, looking at them as she pulled her smile back on. "Nathan''s power which has been given to me is a chance for me to revive my people, our race is on the brink, but with this, we can have a chance at a future." Feya nodded her head as she had accepted this fact, though Lee was not so easily convinced at this being a pure blessing, he knew that something was wrong as his hand continued to stroke his face. "Small thing, Auryn you know the Demigods as you must have been around during the great war. Have you ever heard of a Demigod giving a divine gift of this scale on someone." Auryn stared at the man; she did not expect that he was so well versed in ancient history to know that this was such a strange thing to happen. She took a few moments as she put a smile onto her face. "You are right; it has never happened before. Some Demigods have powers to grant boons on people or to do miracles, I''ve never seen one give away an actual divine gift before." She took a moment to think as she needed to be careful, this man must be someone special if he was here at such a time and could do such unusual actions. "When Ingros was around, he told his allies that his powers had been given by the creator god, the all mighty one who had control over our lives. He even said that with the flick of his wrist he could delete entire areas just by his whim. He also said that the powers given could never be transferred, they were only to be received by the creator god." Feya started to open her mouth, apparently in shock as she listened to this part, looking at them both as she began to laugh with a smile. "You can''t mean that he is the creator god! He''s so skinny and famished!" Feya said while laughing, Lee also laughing at the joke as they both did not think it was possible. It was closer to being something different or maybe a different power that allowed tempory transfer or part ability transfer. Auryn laughed with them; she felt different from them as she held her thought''s deep. She would need to speak to Nathan when she next saw him as this was almost too crazy to think. She remembered the words spoken by Ingros, the words that stuck with her when he talked about the creator god. "The creator god is not someone you should underestimate. If you look at him and judge with first impressions, then you will be in trouble. He looks powerless until you watch him shift entire continents around just because he likes the sunset on certain beaches!" She still remembered the words from her mentor and Demigod, while he may be gone at this point she could always keep a place in her heart for him. ''It can''t be, is he the creator god... No, It cant be.'' She thought. Though the doubt had already started to grow. 22 C22 The Fruit Tree and The Flying Fish Some time had passed after the initial departure of the water and food gathering groups. Auryn watched from a distance as she saw the people talking and resting, a few groups of soldiers working hard to train, she watched as several groups started to pitch tents from the soldier group. Feya and Lee stood together working on different parts of managing the area, making small districts and assigning people to tents, at the moment it was roughly three people to a tent which was better than the previous nights which all the exiles spent time sleeping under the sky. Auryn looked around as she noticed the tension being more relaxed than prior, it seemed that Nathan''s plan had helped lower pressure within the group. Her eyes softened as she watched children running around laughing, a young boy chasing after two girls; the screams echoing in the air due to friendship and fun than pain and suffering. She noticed the three children running up to her, the male waving as he jumped close to her. "Hey, Auryn do you have any food!" She felt a twinge of guilt hip her heart, she had very little food left even for herself, she knew the entire group was on rations and this would cause suffering on the youngest and oldest of the group. While the oldest would hold any issues tight inside to make sure no one worried the children still held innocence inside as they asked such a question. The mother of the boy came running over as soon as she saw her child wandering off, panic on her face as he was talking to someone in the high position. "Jee what are you doing here?" She said in complete worry, her eyes looking to Auryn with fear as she bowed her head in respect. "It''s fine; he was just looking for some food." Auryn tried to mediate as the young boy was confused by the question. "Jee! I''ve told you that we will be getting some food soon, you should not trouble Ms Auryn with this, she''s a very busy woman." Auryn felt like chuckling as she heard the last part, she had just slept below a tree for who knows how long. It was a shame that the boy looked sad at this fact, he was hungry due to the lack of any food. Auryn tugged on the small amount of power she had; it was power relating to fertility, she knew this from the words of Nathan. She knew that the power word itself was fluid, if you brought the subject back to the main word then it may be achieved in reality. She was a lucky mainly due to her many years spent with other Demigods. She tugged on that small thread of power, holding it up to the tree as she tunnelled the energy from herself into the tree, her mind focused on the aspect of fertile land and food, the power struggling as she was having issues trying to grasp it. While the first time she used the power, it was hard to even to contain, this time the ability was just too impossible also to summon. It was almost like trying to chase after a dragon as a dwarf. The image of that though just filled her with a giggle. She pushed her mental ability to the max as she grasped that strand of power, pulling it out and into the tree, within a moment she heard the gasps around her as her power started to fail and wither, turning even smaller. This string turned into a small bead of power, withering and cracking as she felt her eyes starting to force themselves closed, it was almost impossible for her to reopen them as she felt her body growing heavy. Auryn took a few breaths, her body sitting on the fresh grass below her as her eyes opened slowly, the tree much more abundant then before, blooming as if at the beginning of summer. Hundreds of golf ball sized crimson fruit sat on many leaves. Feya had seen everything; she had seen the children and mother coming over, she had planned to help Auryn mediate depending on the situation. She felt her breath catching in her throat as she watched pure white energy passing through Auryn''s arm into the tree, expanding it and growing it rapidly as these large fruits started to grow and then sit inside the leaves of this tree. "..." She and Lee both felt this fantastic divine ability with amazement, the fruit on the tree looking so unusual compared to standard fruit trees. The children seemed to stare with wonder as they did not know what to say, the tired Auryn was the only one to speak as she rested at the base of the tree, her breathing slow as she looked fatigued by this. "You might as well have a taste. Let the children have some." Feya moved forward as she reached up, hand grasping one of the crimson fruits as she tested it first, her teeth sinking into the juicy, moist and slightly succulent fruit. The taste exploded into her mouth, somewhat sharp in flavour as it hit her tongue. It would be very nice mixed with some ice with reducing the sharpness. In a few moments, she had finished the first fruit and instinctually reached for a second one. It took her a few moments before she realised that she was doing something rather greedy as she pulled back. "They are safe, but make sure only to take one each. Please make sure to share them with everyone." She watched the mother and a few other villagers come, starting to take the fruit as the children got to taste the amazing fruit, the laughing and giggling echoing to all as pure joy was heard from them, lifting the mood of all. "Auryn, you can use Demigod like abilities. Are you one?" Auryn let out a soft laugh, shaking her head as she looked up towards the cliffs, her eyes spotting the man who had given her these powers. She had instinctually looked over at the cliff when she felt his presence. He was not a man anyone would forget once met. Lee Shee and Feya both turned to look at the Cliff, a few others stopping as the looked at the leaders of the group, turning attention to the man on the cliff. In a split second later they watched as the crashing water came rolling over the sides. "He is much more amazing; my powers can just do this while he brings an entire river." She watched as people started to enjoy the water, the next moment making her face almost drop, the fish flying from the end of the cliff, wings so pretty that they almost glistened in the sunlight. "Amazing does not cut it. He is a Miricle in himself. The creator god deserves to be thanked for it." She still did not know what to believe, the only thing she knew was that the man had permanently marked her soul. He had also stolen her heart. 23 C23 The Fool Falls Fas Nathan''s gaze crossed the entire valley, it was rather vast, and the only central entrance inside the valley was down the north-west alley which was already a crowded place, with massive rocks and boulders that had already crowded the main entrance. He could already see the tree and already turned grassy area near the newly formed river; this was a perfect starting point for the town. He turned to the small group to his left as he smiled at them all. Each of them looking at him with tired but proud faces as they had completed the mission that was assigned. He had acted godly and achieved extra points, which he had to eventually spend to buy some nice upgrades from the shop. "Let''s head down; I can see tents going up and I bet you all want to rest." Kaye nodded her head as she started to head down, her eyes looking over as she watched Nathan beginning to move across the rocks, water already making all of the area wet as she was about to warn. "Sir that area is rather wet, you may want to be careful..." She felt her warning hit just a second too late as Nathan turned to look at her, his foot slipping across the smooth surface of a stone, his body twisting as he tripped over the side of the cliff, water and flying fishes ascending past him as he plummeted to the ground. The stone below catching up quickly as an echoing crack flooded across the valley. Kaye, Kai and the others looking over as some citizens, Lee, Feya and Auryn coming over as well to the hole; which was around the size of a small crater. Nathan was laying face flat into the pit; surprisingly not a single scratch remained on his body as he struggled to pull himself from the human-made hole he had created. System: Clutz -250 Faith Points. You are an Embarrassment. System: New Title Gained - The Fool System: New Title Gained - Freefall Expert Nathan let out a soft groan, the screens flashing in his face as he was still stuck inside the rock, trying to pull free as he let out a growl. "Stupid fucking system!" He said cursing into the stone as he continued trying to free himself. This time it was his fault that he had slipped, he had even worked so hard to avoid this exact situation. Nathan let out a hiss as he eventually pulled himself free, his eyes looking at everyone with shame. He tried his best to hide it all down as he walked from the crater, passing by everyone with his eyes looking past them all as he continued walking. He could not make eye contact. System: Godly Act - 50 Faith Gained... Good Save! Feya''s POV - Same Time Feya''s eyes had followed Auryn, looking up at the man as she watched the miracles happened, her heart beating rapidly as she knew this was going to change everyone''s future. Water alone could provide them with the chance to expand; she knew many villages that had much in the way of food or supplies to get food. Water was the central issue in this massive place and towns in more remote locations needed water to survive. "Let''s go greet him and the team and get the reports. We need to plan the next operations as nightfall will be coming soon." Lee said stroking his chin as he started to move, helping Auryn up as they both walked together, Feya coming alongside them as a few other guards and villagers followed behind. Feya noticed that Nathan started to move towards the edge, his body moving in an unorthodox way as he seemed to be wobbling. "Is he going to fall?" She commented as she watched the man as if he was on a tightrope. "He is the Demigod, I doubt that will happen," Lee said with a bright smile, which a few seconds later turned to a frown and then worries as he started to sprint over, Feya on his tail and Auryn getting helped by some others as they watched him fall from such a height. A thunderous echoing crack moved across the valley as a massive cloud of dirt and stone came up, flying fish still flowing through the dust and landing into the water. The group stopping just at the edge as the dirt cloud obscured vision. They waited, no one wanting to check on the potential flat corpse of the one who had saved them all and had provided such boons. Several other cracks could be heard in the distance as a figure in the distance rose, turning and walking towards them. Feya felt like screaming zombie till she saw the resolved and focused face of Nathan moving past her and the others, continuing to walk like nothing had happened, his entire body seemed to be in outstanding shape with nothing wrong and even his clothing completely intact. The cloud of dirt slowly fell to the floor, clearing up as the hole was rather large for a single man, it seemed that a battle against him and the earth took place, he won as the planet was dented and broken while the man walked freely past them. "Did he do that on purpose?" Feya asked confused; she was wondering what the point of this. If someone did that on accident, then they usually acted humble and tried to play it off, while Nathan quietly moved on like nothing had happened, like it was meant to happen and was a regular thing. Lee Shee and Auryn just stood stunned as they both looked over the hole and then back to the Man who was walking past everyone without saying a word, his back so large that everyone felt dwarfed behind it. "How can a Man so small and skinny be so large." Feya mentioned as the others nodded, watching him move off towards the west. This was how the legends began and how the Sanctuary was born. 24 C24 War Of Words Nathan sank to his knees, his hands diving into the water as he splashed his face over and over again, the shame still washing over him like a tidal force as he wondered if he could buy something to remove titles. System: We can remove titles for the low fee of 10,000 Faith. Nathan just laughed at this point, something had changed inside or more accurately snapped. His head was pulling back from the water as he saw numerous fish crowding around him, all staring up at him with agape mouths. "Oh, watching the show, are you. Keep doing so, and I''ll put you to the flames myself!" He jumped at the first fish, trying to catch it with his hands, the fish quickly diving into the water and away as Nathan just chucked, his entire top half soaked in water as he pulled himself free, sitting on the shore as he looked towards the group approaching him. Feya, Kai, Lee and Auryn all approaching him, each of them looking slightly worried. It was clear they feared to ask him if he was ok with such a drop, only Kai took a step forward, making a motion with one of her hands, pulling it from high and making it fall to the ground before smacking it against the solid earth. Making a joke against the fact that he had pancaked the ground. Feya, Lee and Auryn stood shocked that this woman could undoubtedly make a joke this grave, no one naturally could dare to make such a mistake and destroyed all memories about it. Nathan stood up, staring at Kai for a moment before his lips turned up into a smirk, his chuckles growing louder as he just started to laugh. "Yes, Kai I became a Pancake. I did worse to the ground though!" The rest of the group sighed with relief, though Feya and Auryn felt something prick, it seemed Kai knew the man better than themselves. Both somewhat confused as it appeared, the plant woman was more open to this person than anyone before. "We should get into the command tent; we have a few things to discuss." Lee suggested as he walked towards the most massive tent, it was slightly away from the rest of the group, clearly indicating that it was meant to be off limits. While most of the hundreds of tents around had been clumped together to protect from the wind, five large tents had been placed away; this was for the officers, leaders and the Demigod himself. Inside the main tent were a large board, some supplies, markers and some basic maps of the area. Nathan was very interested in as he still had to learn more about this area after coming here. "So Sir, what did you manage to find?" Lee said towards Nathan with respect. Nathan felt slightly nervous, he hated when people called him Sir or used any professional respect. "Please call me Nathan. Its easier on us both." Lee felt his heart twitch as he had drilled military training many years and the code was pressed into his heart. He needed a way to give respect to the man who was going to lead them all. "Our leader needs to be given respect. Using the first name shows close friendship while a commander and leader needs to be given such respect first." Nathan frowned as he shrugged, smiling as he needed to get this part out of the way, while he may give commands, he still wanted to keep himself out of that role. "I''m not the leader; I think Feya is best for that role. She will be the town mayor, Leader, Queen." He gave some suggestions. Nathan was not stupid; he knew that in a system like this, paperwork could kill people rather quickly and leaders had to look through so much. He stepped away from this role and allows someone else to spend hours on this borning subject. ''I''m not an idiot. I will not be a paper jockey!'' He shouted in his heart proudly. Feya felt her heart flutter as she saw the rightful man to rule them all put himself down and pass the torch onto herself, she thought that this must have been some test, something to prove. It also weighed down on her as she felt like something was wrong. Why reject such a role unless he was planning on leaving eventually and could not accept such a permanent role? She felt her sorrow hit her as she knew that his time had to be used correctly. "Thank you for the honour My God!" Feya bowed her head as she kneeled onto the floor, in the end, a God was always higher than a Queen, but now she had the perfect chance to prove herself against her family, throwing her out to the wolves when she even tried to improve things. Lee and Auryn seemed to interpret the same thing as Feya while Kai who continued to stare at Nathan looked to understand something more. The group nodding as each of them still felt tired from the earlier marches and other workloads. Nathan was the one who spoke up, his mind still laughing as he managed to get out of paper hell. "I think we all should head to bed; this is a good time to rest up for the next day and get ready for the work that is to follow." Lee nodded his head, both Feya and Auryn bowed as Kai just continued to stare, expressionless as she watched them. "Well, you have the side rooms. The one at the back is yours." Lee indicated to the back, his room was the one to the left, and then he had left the room to the right vacant, it was clear a power struggle would happen for this room. Two of the large tents to the left and right of this one had been left empty as well for those that did not. Nathan nodded his head as he entered the room, yawning as he closed the fabric behind him, Lee merely sighing as he looked at them all. "Behave all; there are other rooms so pick between each of you and don''t cause the Demigod any troubles." He said this while almost treating the rest like children, retreating into his and Ameria''s room. The silence in the room somewhat tense as both Auryn and Feya looked to each other as it was an issue. "Feya, It''s clear that this room is not that special. As the future Queen of this place. We know what should happen." Auryn smiled as she said these words, her emotions hidden well as she nodded her head. "You should take one of the other large tents to yourself, sharing this tent with the command staff and a few others is not for one of your future statuses." Feya felt like biting her head off as she knew what the woman was doing, staring her down as she held her head high. "It''s only right that as the future queen I should stand by his side. So I will take the room. As one who has used so much power maybe you should take the room alone. it''s much more comforting to take a room alone without roommates." She hissed back, both of them about to start this protracted war of words before they watched Kai moved past them, entering into the spare room and looking at them with disinterest, claiming the place by opening and shutting the flap. Both Feya and Auryn stared at the woman, having both lost the room now as they felt anger rising. "Crap a third contender has appeared." Feya spoke lightly. "It''s always the quiet ones. We will need to be prepared." 25 C25 Time Visits Nathan did not hear the commotion that happened outside, his head already hitting the pillow as he quickly rolled onto his back, eyes staring at the ceiling as he went through the events of the day. It had been a somewhat unusual day with meeting so many people, being transported here had been one of the most successful events to happen to him. He would have been editing and releasing items onto storefronts if he was back home, doing many boring and tedious admin uptakes. His life back then was filled with revenge and hatred as he still felt the wound on his back, the knife again sliding in. Now he was free, he had the limits of the sky and his imagination to take him far. He relaxed his body as he wondered how he got here, his mind working back on the system that spoke to him. Who was the one who brought him here? System: Good night Nathan, sweet dreams. Nathan smiled as he saw this message, his eyes slowly shutting as he pushed the questions to the back of his mind, it was time to rest, and he could ask all of those complicated questions later when he had spent some more time looking. A figure stood standing above the Valley, overlooking it as the water continued to pour down, fish flying around with some people still enjoying the nightlife and the scenes. This figure was standing way above them all on one of the cliffs that overlooked the valley below. The almost six-foot figure, flawless porcelain-like face. She looked Timeless in nature as she had an eternal youth to her kind toned face, long black hair coming down her back, perfectly straight and ebony-like colour. She was a flawless person in body, and her smile sent shivers down anyone''s spine. Next to her, slightly behind was another plant-like woman, smaller than Kai with more shrubbery around her leg''s and waist, colour more towards a darker blue. She had a softer face and showed emotion as she looked at the woman in front of her. "Madam, I''ve had word from Kai that she has found him and she has begun the operation. She will take it from here." The blue plant-like woman was speaking wordlessly into her mind. "Excellent. We should head away; we have much work to do for him in the future." "Very good Madam Blackrose, I''ll start preparing right now." Celorian turned to look back at the clusters of tents, happy that her father was enjoying his time here. She knew that timing and placement was everything, she was one of the lucky few who had the power to do such a thing. Her hand moved to the right, a console menu opening as she opened up another smaller box, a keyboard under it as she would start to type. System Message: Good night Nathan, sweet dreams. Her hand was hitting the send button before she would turn around, her body fading into the sandy dunes behind; almost like a ghost who was never around. Nathan woke the next morning rather early, his body requiring less sleep due to his change, if he actually wanted to, he could go without sleep entirely. His arms were stretched as he pulled himself from the bed, moving out into the central area as he could see the night sky above. His body taking him outside the tent as he noticed a familiar face standing guard on the side of the tent, his eyes focusing as he started to smile, the woman looking back at him with a nervous expression as he merely began to laugh. "Kaye please do not be nervous. How are you going to cope when around me." He said with a big smile as he still saw some people around, a few soldiers still up on guard and a few others who seemed to be cleaning clothes at the river, some bathing at this time and even a couple who had caught the fish, gutting them and starting to cook them in different ways. Kaye stood silent for a moment as she looked at the man who she offended, while she had apologised and he had accepted, it still made for an awkward moment because she did insult a supposed god not too long ago. Her eyes were looking at him directly as she just bowed her head with respect as she listened to the words, a smile cracking on her face as she just nodded her head to him. "I guess you are right. How can I a person of great heritage become so humble!" She joked as she saw Nathan''s smile increase as well. "I see you also drew the unlucky slot of nightshift as well." Kaye just laughed at that part, her eyes looking away as it was her self-imposed punishment, maybe it was also a chance to run away from her mistake as she had never guessed she would meet the Demigod again. "You can say that, may I ask why you are up so late?" Nathan started to move towards the River, Kaye following him as she was supposed to guard people from this tent, another man taking over from her as she followed him. "Well, it''s not that. I went to bed, and after a few hours I could not just lay around and be lazy now!" Kaye felt her heart jump as she listened to that, the man only slept for nearly two or three hours at most, yet he was back up. She usually had to get at least eight or nine hours; she could even take more hours to get rested. "That''s impressive I guess, Demigods are scary!" She said laughing as she walked past the remaining tents, moving up to the river. "I do not need sleep at all; I simply do it because It''s nice." Kaye looked to him confused as she looked back towards the water, watching as the many fish inside slowly came to the surface, looking at the man at her side. "Why even bother to sleep, If I was like you I would never sleep, able to get so much done!" She said with another smile, a light giggle escaping her lips as she saw those same fish starting to grow in numbers, a considerable amount now coming to the surface. Nathan sat by the river, taking his shoes and socks off as she slid his feet into the water, his smile growing as he watched the fish scatter due to his feet being pressed so close. "Sometimes Its just nice to let yourself go, to embrace the darkness. Nothingness is not that bad, its a time to rest and relax, recovering the soul. Life is hard, and we need to take it easy sometimes." Kaye looked to him, her face in awe at his words, though turning to worry as she looked back at the water. "Nathan..." "Hmm, Yes Kaye?" "The fish is biting your toe..." Nathan looked back at the water, lifting his left foot out, one of the larger flying fish stuck to his foot as it was merely gumming his toe, lucky for him these fish did not have any teeth or sharp points inside otherwise his toe would be a mess. "Stupid Flying Fish!" Kaye would laugh again, her time enjoyable around this man and those words gave her much wisdom. 26 C26 Look to the Future. Nathan and Kaye laughed together as the fish eventually was released back into the water, the night air refreshing as a few people watched from a distance in interest, mostly with interest in regards to Nathan. Nathan slowly moved his body back, leaning until he felt the earth below his body, laying flat with his feet still in the water as his eyes looked up into the night sky. He had modelled the entire stars above slightly. Differently, he reversed half of the stars, adding a few more stars into the night sky while removing a few others. It was supposed to be a fantasy land afterwards. "May I ask why you came here, Nathan?" Kaye''s question took a moment to respond to; he had to think about what was the right answer, he needed to give an answer that was not a lie but did not also tell the whole truth. Telling people that he came here was his divine plan was a lie, while telling people he was sent here because the system screwed him would only raise many more complicated questions. "I was supposed to be here a long time ago; some time went wrong. I suppose, and that is why I am here. Is the date currently 997 A.E right?" Kaye nodded her head as she felt the mood grow sombre, answering his question as she looked at him. "That is right. It''s the twenty-second of New Coming of the Year 997." Nathan nodded his head as he slowly rubbed his head, clearly thinking as he chose his words carefully. "Well, I was supposed to be here roughly at 669 A.E, During the Waring period. I guess that plan has gone haywire. I need to find out what happened; maybe I should speak to Auryn about that and find out more." Kaye bit her lip, shaking her head as she looked at him with a severe expression. "You should not, I do not know the full details, I''ve heard that it was hell, gods fighting each other in a nightmare landscape with a flick of a finger thousands die, it was a cruel time, and I know others who were alive at the time have horrible memories of it." Nathan looked at her as he sat back up, staring at her with intent as he needed to know more about what happened. He needed to ask rather simple questions so he could get a baseline as he stared at her. "What happened Kaye. I need to know; I need a rough outline please." Kaye thought for a few moments, wondering if it was right for her even to discuss this topic, it was history in the past, but it seemed to have some weight to the man she was speaking. "Well, you know about the Seven Demigods right?" Nathan nodded his head; he would begin to list off each one of them, the memories of each coming back to him as he knew all of the children he had created. "Saleh, Goddess of the Night and Dusk, Elnas Goddess of the Ocean, Yztrix Goddess of Fertility, Aelina Goddess of Death, Ingros, God of the Sun, Oana Goddess of Wealth and Fortune and Cyris God of Beasts and Nature." He named the Seven off, though he knew this was not true. Two other Demigods existed, the first daughter he had created was Celorian, his daughter which he named and gave his last name, the other one was the main antagonist for his game, and this was the real mastermind behind the war. Kaye nodded her head as she would begin. "Well, Aelina started a war, killing many of Saleh''s people, Saleh went mad and started to lash out at everyone, hurting people from other camps and eventually the whole world went to war, some siding with Aelina claiming that she was not involved at all with others joining Saleh after the massacre had happened." She paused for a moment as she tried to remember the facts, this was not a strong suit for her, and due to the upbringing, Kaye could tell some of the events had been altered to fit with her kingdom since she was living in a place that worshipped Saleh. "The war lasted twenty years, I think it ended roughly 699 A.E, the war ended when the final gods died, Saleh and Aelina fought, while Aelina won the fight Saleh''s armies had won the battle. With her power so drained, the armies finally managed to kill her, and that ended the period of Downfall." Nathan felt his heart sink, all of his children had fought to the death and had killed each other; this was not how he had planned the game at all, his children were meant to come together and become one, stronger united then weaker alone. He felt his heart ache as he fought back the tears. Why was he close to crying over characters he had designed, it was stupid. He needed to get ahold of himself. "Thank you for telling me, but you said Saleh died, how is she around now then?" Kaye nodded her head as this was something more recent, she had even seen the event with her own eyes when she was a young woman, it was something she could never forget. "In 987, roughly ten years ago Saleh was brought back to this world, the leaders of the old empire performing a ritual that sacrificed themselves to bring the belief of the goddess to a strong height, which caused the Goddess to become reborn into the world." She could still remember the sight, the entire world going dark around her, lights getting snuffed out as the sun went completely dark, the body of the Goddess just barely seeable as she appeared in the sky, her words still ringing out inside her head. "I''m reborn to put people of pure evil will be sent to the vortex of life itself." She remembered those words as she repeated them, soon afterwards the valley of the gods turned into the vortex, anyone who supported another religion then her own had been sentenced to the vortex, the Empire that was prosperous slowly turned stagnant. She still wondered if it was a mistake to bring back the Goddess. "Thank you; It must have been hard Kaye." Nathan spoke softly as he looked at her, his own heart heavy as his daughter must have suffered many issues, it was his fault for a few of them as well. It was never meant to be like this. Silence hung in the air heavy, the stars shining above as both continued to sit and listen to the gentle river going by, the fish swimming and the sounds of distant snoring. 27 C27 Expanding Her Power After some time, Kaye finally stood up, making sure to thank Nathan for the talk as they would eventually part ways, it was a shame that everything was left on a sombre note, but she was still happy to have patched things up better with the man. She had to go back to guard duty, making sure the guards rotated correctly, then after some time she would have to get some rest, she had many duties to perform and defending this area was just one duty a small part of the actual role she was able to accomplish. Nathan sat next to the river, his mind still processing all the information, hours went past as he stared at the river, the fish swimming past as his mind was still in shock. It was not until he saw the sun passing on the other side that he realised how long he was sitting in an almost trance-like state. He would need to fix all these issues, no matter how long it took. Auryn rolled in her bed, the sun coming through and hitting her eyes as she finally opened her eyes, she had been restless the entire night, struggling to sleep more than a few hours even when her body craved it, the power inside her having grown back to its regular size after she had used up so much. The small string of power was feeling slightly more significant than before, though only about a centimetre more substantial than before which was not all that impressive. Pulling herself from the bed, getting ready as she put on some fresh clothing, she had spent a few hours the night before washing her spare clothing, even taking a bath herself. She would have to be careful as her body was much different than before, it had a much more youthful aura, and with the many eyes on her body the previous night, she could tell that she was affecting others. As she stepped out of the tent, the morning sun was hitting her face. She saw Kaye coming back over to the shelter, the sombre mood clear as she stood guard again. Auryn was stepping up as she spoke to her. "Hi, Do you know if Nathan is up right now?" Kaye blinked as she looked to Auryn, she had never spoken to the woman before, but she knew the reputation, rumours spread fast as it was clear this woman was the one who had gained power from Nathan, it was clear the power as well due to the looks of the woman. "He''s down next to the river." She lightly spoke as she watched Auryn nod and moved onwards to the River, her stride bringing many stares as her aura caused people to stare and smile directly. Auryn eventually reached the river, her eyes landing on the man who had given her this incredible power, she owed him much, and she would continue to owe him this debt. She still had to learn to master these powers, and she needed to request him to teach herself. "Morning Auryn, lovely dawn, right?" Auryn felt her skin prick, she had not said a word, she was rather quiet and had approached from a distance, she was sure the man could not hear her approaching but still he had known, the shiver going down her spine as she moved next to him, looking at the river with a small smile. "Morning Nathan, please be more considerate when I approach, at least look towards me before saying my name. It was scary that you just knew I was here." Nathan turned his head, looking up at the woman as his smile grew a small laugh coming from his lips as he just shook his head. "Well I''m very sorry, its a bad habit I guess. I just knew it was you due to the power inside. Its a beacon to us and we can tell who is around due to it." Auryn nodded her head slowly due to the response, apparently not too sure how to respond to such a thing. She currently could not sense anything from Nathan; he was just like everyone else to her from a normal vision perspective. Auryn stood by his side as she was trying to get her words out, thinking about how she should ask the man to train her. She knew that it was a simple request but she already received so much from the man, and this was something more on top of it. "Auryn would you like to train?" Auryn was stunned as Nathan came out with the question himself, her eyes starting to water as she was about to come to tears, she was worrying over things that did not even require such a response. She would nod her head as she watched Nathan stand by her side, his smile almost intoxicating as she watched him, heart pounding as she knew this was a man with a pure heart. "Thank you, Nathan I was going to ask you for help training. I need to thank you so much for everything and training me is a bonus." She would bow her head in respect, Nathan just laughing with a sensitive smile as he still did not know what to say. He had done so out of pity and kindness but never expected such a response from the woman. "It''s not a problem Auryn; It''s the least I can do. Everyone deserves a chance to shine, and it''s a shame that one cannot shine without the help of another. So I simply gave you the chance to shine brightly." He nodded at her again as he began to walk towards the shallow part of the river. "So let''s get to training, it will be rather hard since you only just got the power, but we shall make some fertile farming land for now, as it will be important for future growth. This way you can grow not only your future but others as well." Auryn understood as she followed, looking at the water as she saw Nathan quietly walked across the river, the cold water going up to his thighs as he eventually came out on the southern bank, turning back to her as he extended his hand. She would move forward, reaching forward to that hand as she was going to step into her new future, one with power and hope. 28 C28 Never Look Back Auryn took his hand, arriving over at the other side. Auryn felt almost like she was flying as she was pulled to the other side, the water nipping at her heels as she landed on the bank of the southern side. Auryn followed Nathan as they took a few steps away, setting up as she was about to train and learn more about her ability, she was rather excited for this moment, her heart pounding as she was about to learn something new. Nathan moved along the waterline, eventually running slightly up the bank as he took a seat on the hard stone ground below him, the entire valley made of rock, dirt and sand. It was an area devoid of any life or love as it had been subject to magical events that had drained it. He could already tell such an area did not happen frequently, this event that was caused by Saleh must have been the catalyst that created it and he still needed to figure out what had happened so he could get things back to normal. One step at a time though, he first needed people he could trust. "Take a seat, let''s have a chat. The lesson will have both a verbal and physical lesson." He watched as Auryn sat down confused, looking at him with a look that told him she was confused, it was nothing to be ashamed about as he needed to show her how to control the power, words and action both had to be taken to learn most subjects. "The power I have given to you is not truly yours. I''ve given it to you so that you can help yourself and the people you deeply care for. I give you this warning so that you do not make any mistakes as well, If the power is used against me or to even harm me, then it will be removed." Auryn felt this warning as not a threat, but as a clear warning that this was not something she should do, she would never dare to anyways as Auryn required this power and as far as she knew no one else had this kind of power which would make her rebellion far too stupid. "I understand, please understand Master that I will never betray you. I will do as you say!" Nathan felt like his tongue had tried to drive itself down his throat, almost choking on his own words as he heard the term Master being thrown around, though he would not try to stop it. He rather enjoyed the term and decided to let her continue to use it. "That is fine, The first thing you must know is that this power has to adapt inside you first, while it''s adapting it will strengthen and change you. I also must apologise now, as you are no longer an Eira Elf, you are also not a Demigod, you are something in between." Auryn understood this part, the divines themselves received the power she had received, her body was a mortal one at best, so it was not so strange that she had changed. "I give you this warning as well; I can take back my power which would be easier for you, in the end, you will change." His voice drawn out as he tried to find the words to tell her. "I warn you now that if you do not show willpower and motivation the power inside can consume you, turning you into something horrible and deadly, Demigods are a rare breed for a reason, the power they wield can destroy you. I only gave you this power because I thought you could handle it." He looked at her, waiting for a response, this was the primary response he expected for so he could see if she was ready for such a huge task. "Master, I''ve spent my life wandering, trying to find a solution to my races issues. My dedication knows no bounds, and I will not fail you or my race. This power will become mine, and I will make sure it submits to my will, I will not become corrupted by it!" She said with determination in her eyes, apparently ready for the challenges that would come with such a risk. "Excellent, then we can begin then. I need you to relax so we can start to channel that power." Auryn stopped for a moment, her eyes looking to him as she had some questions for him, one that was burning a hole in her heart as she would whisper it. "You are not a Demigod I guess. Demigods do not give powers away. I know this after spending some time with Ingros. The only person who can give these kinds of powers is the one person who gave them in the first place." Nathan stared at the woman; he would shake his head as he knew that this woman was far too smart, she knew his role rather quickly and had called him out for it. "That is true; I can give powers. Though right now I''m limited in what I can do due to some circumstances." Auryn just shook her head as she began to relax, her eyes still on him as she just thought for a few moments trying to figure out the correct words. "Well, let''s just say that you are different from Ingros described. His words of cold, calculating and driven are not what I use to describe you right now." Nathan blinked as those words washed over him, this was true as the words used could not describe him anymore, he used to think about revenge in his daily life when he had been taken here and when Nathan quickly found that he could not leave, he had merely given up on that idea. Revenge was pointless if he could not escape. He had built this world, day after day to merely satisfy his need for revenge but then being stuck in here he had to find out new goals, the system gave him a purpose to continue and push forward, then these people had given him an original meaning. "I was blinded, but now I truly see." He softly spoke, his head slightly nodding before he smiled at Auryn. "Do not say this to anyone; it''s not for anyone else to know, now let''s get to training, enough talking for today!" 29 C29 The Valley Blooms with gold. Nathan stood up, looking down to Auryn as he took her hand to pull her up onto her feet. Nathan slowly moved behind her as he would just look her over slowly. "I need you to wait just one moment and prepare. You need to relax so that we can start the process." Auryn stood with Nathan, relaxing her shoulders as she tried to calm herself for the process, she could still feel the small amount of power inside her slowly pulsating, it was like her heartbeat except it seemed to pump with a slow almost pound beat. "Ok, So I need you to close yourself off to the world around you, just focus on yourself." Auryn did just that, her vision closing as she focused on her own body, the sounds in the distance getting cut off as she slowed her breathing down, her heart beating in rhythm with the small amount of power she held. "Now, when drawing power, you need to make sure not to use the source as the energy. If this happens, it can hurt the vessel, which causes it to shrink and become weaker. I can see some signs of this so please be careful." Nathan spoke quietly, his voice inside her head as she tried to put all these pieces together, she still wondered how even to do this, how could she not use the source but still have the power. "It''s best to imagine a growth inside yourself. Think of the power as the source but do not use it directly, pull the power from it. Once you have pulled it then you can pull it to a body part to use, hands or eyes is normally the easiest to start with." Auryn was slightly confused by this whole thing; it sounded so fake and wrong that it would be something so simple. She took a second to sit herself down as she got herself nice and comfortable, try the process as she was struggling to pull anything from her source. "One last thing, each power is different, and you need to find the perfect way to draw it out." She listened to the last sentence as her mind finally clicked onto something, her word was about fertility, while she was trying to draw upon it like water. She turned her focus onto nurturing the power, growing a small seed into a little sprout. She focused on this power, a few moments pass as she felt the small tiny string turning itself up, small leaves starting to grow on the end as it began to grow. She could feel her power beginning to improve as she felt her body glowing, the force inside her surging slowly as she eventually took this power into her hand, the sapling continuing to grow inside her as the power also increased. Her mind focused on a small patch of green with a little sunflower; she wanted to make this vision into a reality. The power continues to grow as she was struggling to hold this amount again, it felt like she was going to explode as she let out a gasp, the sprout growing to such a large size, four leaves coming from it and a small bulb at the top. "Auryn Stop!" She felt two strong hands on her shoulder, the light flooding back to her vision as she looked around her, hundreds of people over the river watching in disbelief as she was pulled back to her senses. Sunflowers, bright yellow with life surrounding her, not one but several dozens in a hundred meter radius around her. The grass around her lush and wild as it grew without abandon, the area much larger than the one before as she had created previously with the single tree, each sunflower moving in the breeze as she felt her breath getting captured. "This is beautiful, It worked, I did it, and I managed to control the power." She said with tears coming from her eyes as she saw the marvel and beauty around her now. She had said this; she was so close to letting go and releasing the full control of her power, exploding her power again and maybe causing more damage, she had to learn her limit as she kept pushing herself. "Congrats Auryn, there is one slight problem with this." Auryn felt her heart beat fast as she heard a problem, her eyes turning to him, tears soaking her face as she looked like a child who was going to get told off for stealing something from the snack drawer. "This is not farmland!" He said bellowing his voice as Auryn felt her mind going blank, listening to the laughs from the other side as this was indeed not farmland. She felt her body going number as she looked to her Master, tears still coming from her eyes. "I''m so sorry, I tried to think about something clear, and this was the first thing into my mind." Nathan just shook his head as he looked around at the people and then back to her. "It''s fine. Its a small area and we can use it as a rest area. Sunflower Shore has a nice ring to it. You will need to practice that power every day, to make sure it grows stronger." Auryn nodded her head, her smile coming back as she listened to the praise and the right idea that came along with such an area. She stood as she looked around the area and would smile at the people watching. "Come on everyone, lets rest with the sunflowers!" she said as she watched the children and others coming over, running through the cold water. Nathan watched the group coming, stepping away to the side as he looked at this vast area, it would be best for him to transform the entire area and save some time, the constant upkeep would deem that he would require Dominion as well as maybe some faith to start the process. ''System, Id like to open an area view of this area, it''s time to create a beautiful zone. What are the charges for this?" He would think this before the system finally came back to him. System: Well, One thousand five hundred faith for the necessary items, the more significant upkeep is the Dominion for everyone. I can support up to twenty-five thousand people in this area with a cost of Eight Dominion points as well. Nathan nodded his head; he would let out a small sigh as he knew he was going to have to begin working. ''System, Take me into design mode please for this area.'' System: Roger! 30 C30 The Valley of Miracles Nathan opened the system; it had been some time since he had opened the designer, he had used this for many years to build this world, piece by piece before it became a reality. The design window took a snapshot of the valley around him; he could see the water temple in the west part of the map with the oval shape of the valley easily seen from the bird''s eye view. The north west had the entrance still blocked by the large boulders; he could even see that the eastern side of the map was colder than the rest of the area due to the higher cliffs. "It would be best to put something in that side, maybe a forest so they can gather some raw materials. Wooden houses would be best for now till we can quarry for stone." His hand moved to the brush tool, quickly choosing the templates for forest terrain, his hand making a crescent moon at the end of the eastern part of the valley, allowing that entire section to become a natural source for the community. His attention moved back to the southern part of the map, the entire stretch of land between the river and the southern cliff face, this land was large enough to allow him to produce enough farmland for the community as a whole while separating it from the central town in the north. His hand brushed across the southern part as he broke it up into two pieces, everything east of the sunflowers would become regular farmland for growing crops, everything to the right he would make into orchards, unlike with regular groves he could increase the trees and bushes at a fast rate to produce the fruits and nuts straight away. The right could also produce a single crop without losing any damage to the land; this was the fundamental principle of fertility. The sunflower area was entirely centred in the middle of the southern farming region; it would make a nice divider between them both. He would also add this area and the small area north with the tree into his map; this would allow them to continue to live without withering. The final part was the main issue; he had to decide how to make the central part of the town look, he took a few moments to think before he decided to make the layers of earth roughly half a meter deep and then to make it rough stone below. Nathan could not make it anything more elaborate as he did not have the correct power word for it. He finalised the whole section as he looked over the world he had created, his mind nodding as he was lucky that he still had access to this section. Normal Demigods would not have access to this tool, having to do it all in imagination, while he could do this via this system which he created. His hand was hitting the accept option as he would begin to channel his powers. He felt the energy coming through the earth as the entire world was his creation, his ability did not stem from inside himself but from all his creations as he felt the power starting to take effect. All of the power coming into his body before cascading out into the surrounding land, like a wave that changed everything it touched as everything appeared. System: Godly Act - 1000 Faith Points Gained System: Godly Act - 400 Faith Points Gained System: Godly Act - 800 Faith Points Gained System: New Religious Home - 2 Dominion Points Gained His eyes opening as he finally felt the power starting to fade, his eyes looking at the area around him as he could see the vast fields of green, wheat fields to his left and trees filled with many fruits to his right all neatly arranged. His smile was growing as he created this area, he did not need to continue as this was self-sufficient. Auryn watched as Nathan just closed his eyes and opened his arms, a few moments going past as she was confused as to what he was doing, a few giggles from the people across the river as he had drawn quite the crowd to this display. Auryn could only guess as to what he was doing, it was not till she felt the ground shaking, the massive amount of energy flooding through the earth itself into him that she could finally guess as to what he was going to do. "Holy fuck, that amount of energy, a tiny amount caused me to explode with him taking so much like a whirlpool of energy. The difference is scary." Only Auryn could feel this kind of energy; everyone else could feel the vibrations as they knew something was happening, her eyes growing wide as she felt the waves coming to a crescendo. A violent shockwave erupted from Nathan, the air exploding into a loud roar as the wave expanded faster then one could even see, the land starting to crack and change as vast fields of wheat began to grow, what usually would take four months to fully mature only took four seconds. To the right of Auryn, she watched as the trees started to increase rapidly, over the course of a few minutes the trees had fully developed. Apples, pears, bananas and many other fruits had grown, all native to different areas but all still living together happily. The many blades of grass quickly wiggling between the people''s feet as they saw the miracle happen right below them, each of them gasping as they noticed the entire large valley becoming a green paradise, this was much of a change for the long time they had been roaming the desert. Feya felt her eyes watering as she watched this entire thing, she had joined the people who had been waiting as she had been curious as to the training, the whole valley changing was something that surprised her as she felt her smile curling up. "Everyone, we have been given another Miracle. We must not waste it, and we shall make this place. Our Paradise. " Everyone nodded, each day lived in fear and panic, trying to hide what they felt. Today was the first day they could feel genuinely open to this place. This was a true Paradise. 31 C31 Planning for the Future. Twenty-Second of New Coming of the Year 997 - Nathan Pov - Later in the day. Nathan sat inside the main tent, the groups around him working as he watched Lee give out commands to the soldiers, each team running about almost like headless chickens, he could see two areas in the distance that had been pre-dug with work starting to building more permanent housing. One of the more redeeming factors about the vortex was that it hardly ever rained, one did not worry about items getting wet within such an area. Inside the tent currently working was Feya, Kai, Ameria, Lee and Auryn. Everyone now working on the current issues as Nathan just sat back and relaxed, he had created this incredible land, but he still had much to discuss with them all, including the next parts of the construction. "Currently, we are doing well. Looking at the amount of food the already filled fields, we will receive roughly twice the amount of food per month than an average field. The growth is slow but still much faster than normal." Auryn spoke, she did not understand her new power all to well, but she could still grasp this. "The fruit trees are another story, the growth for the fruit seems to be much faster, the fruits tend to grow back rather fast. Normally a tree would give around 60 to 80 kilograms of food each year depending on the time frame in the climates they grow; it seems they will give us this amount each month at the rate of growth." Everyone took a deep intake of breath, eyes looking at the man who had done this all. This kind of food production was the largest in the entire vortex, everyone who fought for scraps would envision this place for as pure paradise. Water, Food and Security of the Demigod. This was what everyone dreamed about inside the vortex, that and escaping. This place had it all and yet was only just founded, something strange was bound to attract people, including the Dusk Order. "Next is in regards to the forest, the forest is made out of massive trees made out of beautiful wood, it''s perfect. I''ve never seen any trees like this before." Auryn spoke before Nathan would interject as he knew the forest before, he had seen these trees when he took his last holiday, his only holiday abroad. "It''s Redwood, Large trees that are good for construction and timber." He had remembered the magnificent redwood forest in his old world, the only time he went on holiday to see a forest, he was initially sceptical but the cheap holiday gave him the excuse to see it. He was still glad to this day as he left that forest with his breath stolen and his heart missing a small piece. "It''s good for Timber and Construction; the only issue is that the trees as so massive that we are struggling to cut them down, we have some tools but currently we lack to take the largest ones down, we have to cut the smallest ones down." Lee Shee would say, his arms crossing before his hand moved slowly up to his face, stroking his chin again as he began to sigh. Ameria was staring at him as she would nudge him. "Father you are doing the thing again." Lee started to cough as he pulled away from his hand, shaking his head as his eyes looked at everyone else. "Food and water are good, but everything else is rather grim. Let me list out the things we need right now." Pulling out the list, it was clear how much of a dire situation the future village would be in, many items on the list included primary materials, tools, medicine, weapons and armour, ingots, stations and the list goes on. Nathan stared at the list with intent as he did not have powers that could help with such a thing, his influences included fertility, aqua and bow. These helped with the basics, but he could not help with construction, items or anything advanced. Feya nodded to the list as well as she then spoke up, looking at them as she sighed. "Well, It seems we have only one solution, trade." Everyone began to nod as this was currently the only viable solution, trading with another town for the necessary resources was possibly the best plan to gain the resources necessary they had to gather. "What do you think Nathan?" Auryn spoke as she looked at him, her smile gently as she was encouraging him to speak up. "If it''s down to me, I think a trade is the best plan; we have to be careful though. We just routed an Army of the Dusk Goddess, I doubt they will leave us alone and when she finds out another Demigod is alive, I really can''t guarantee that she won''t come herself." His words brought doom as they hit them all rather hard, everyone looking to each other before back at him. "We have food, water and wood. Valuable Resources in this horrible land we now call home; we should use this bargaining chip, we need to think of a place to trade with." Everyone was quiet as they tried to think, again it was general Lee who spoke up. "I know of one group that will trade. They are a perfect match for us, though, in the end, it may be impossible to even speak to them." Nathan was interested as he slowly leaned forward, looking at the General who was trying to find the correct words. "Sengi Underway, Over two years ago I was tasked with leading a scouting party to convince them to join the Dusk Order in the Vortex, this failed mainly due to the hatred. It started out as a group of Dwarfs, Dark Elves and other creatures that could not bear direct sunlight." He pulled open the map, pointing to the northeast of the vortex, showing a rather vast open expanse of rocks, sand and more desert. "It''s built under the sand, deep in the rocks. This place produces tools, weapons, armour, metals and many different pieces of equipment." Nathan brightly smiled as he listened to this news. "They hate the Dusk Order because of religious tensions; I can already tell they will be suffering from lack of food and lumber in such a place. Its the perfect trading partner!" Nathan nodded as he stood, moving up to the table. "Ask Kaye for some of the few kinds of transport they have spare. If we take food, water and some lumber and offer it as a trade, then we may be able to get things set up with them." Everyone began to agree; they would start this work, though Nathan would make one suggestion. "I will go with Auryn, that will be the best. Dark Elves should be somewhat receptive of Auryn, humans who are normally loyal to the Dusk Goddess may cause some issues." "Let''s get this done. Pack up Auryn as we have some travelling to do!" 32 C32 Setting Ou Twenty-Third of New Coming of the Year 997 - Ameria Pov - Morning Ameria had woken up early; her eyes still fixed on the shoreline as she watched Nathan and Auryn training together, they both seemed somewhat close at this point, it made her stomach slightly ache as she knew that her job was to gain trust from the Demigod. She remembered the words from her father, his talk the previous day deep in her mind as she recalled it. "Remember Ameria; you need to get close. You will be going with Nathan and Auryn to help. Prove yourself and become trusted. Feya may be in charge, but we all know the true power lays in the gods. I''ll handle Feya. Take Kaye with you as well as she has already an established friendship with him." Ameria just shook her head, the wagon behind her filled with supplies, lumber and barrels of water from Kaye working diligently, her hands still working as she always seemed slightly tired from working the night-shift, which she would continue to work during the trip. "Kaye, Make sure to have everything stored correctly, we need to make way today. We have a massive list of items that are required, and we can''t even start work till we get the correct tools." Kaye felt her sigh growing as she was still sorting supplies, having nearly zero sleep and having to lift and deal with heavy cargo, she felt like biting her commanders head off, maybe she would become a desert sandworm and devour her whole. No evidence that way. "Yes Madam, It''s all stored correctly and ready. We are just waiting on the lovebirds" She said in jest as she was talking about the Demigod and Auryn. "What was that?" Ameria harshly spoke as she looked at Kaye who bowed her head quickly as she realised her mistake. "That is the Demigod, respect is required. Do you want to make an enemy out of someone that can eradicate an entire battalion of troops?" Kaye shook her head as she bowed her head again, shaking her head as she gritted her teeth. "No Madam!" "I''ll let you off this time, just be aware and think before you say something careless, your words affect not only you." Ameria spoke as she would eventually move away to prepare herself with other business. Nathan sat against the bank, his vision still taking in all the different flowers, trees and other growths. His power was one of the more impressive ones. It was a shame that when his word became rather general, he could only change certain aspects, everything else left to chance and random nature. He did not choose the type of flowers that grew for one example, and he could only ask for the growth of flowers and not the kind. It was different when it came to specific larger items or when he spent Dominion or Faith. When he spent resources, he could make a choice, but it usually was only the family and not a specific type. Similar to the redwood trees; he had only requested that type of tree and not a specific family of redwood trees unless he had the Power Word Tree he would be unable actually to choose a particular family of trees. "You are thinking rather hard. Nathan is everything alright?" Auryn had been sitting next to him for some time, just looking at the same items he had. She was expecting to head out straight away, but it seemed the supply group was still getting everything together. Cutting and processing lumber was difficult, and they could only give some small samples. "I''m fine; I''m just thinking about how a few minor things, are you ready to head out?" Auryn would softly smile as she nodded her head, her eyes looking at him with curiosity. "I''m ready to go; I hope you are. It''s going to take a rather long time to reach the next town." Nathan blinked as he was slightly confused, staring at the woman as he would finally take the chance to ask her about the journey. "So I failed to ask at the meeting, how long will it take us to get to the location." Auryn looked at him with a devilish smile, apparently knowing that the man had not taken the time to think about the actual time frame, he just had accepted that it needed to be done and cared little for the timeframe. "Well, it will take us roughly eight days to reach the first town, the key town of Baski which is the trading hub of all the towns to the east. Once we have spent time in Baski, we will move to the head of the underground tunnels which will lead us to Sengi Underway." She would think for another few moments as she did some rough math in her mind. "If we get good conditions and are not interrupted. I''d say roughly around seventeen days?" Nathan chocked slightly on his spit; he would have to travel for so long, his eyes looked back to his system shop menu as he would need to get the Journeying Power Word. Otherwise, this would take far to long. It was a shame that the price was just so high, the utility of the word would undoubtedly be way too powerful with his Bow combo. The only beautiful thing about the ride would be the fact that he was stuck with three rather beautiful women, his eyes smiling as he looked over at Auryn with a soft grin, his eyes moving over to Kaye and then Ameria. He felt his smile growing as this was going to be a beautiful and pleasant trip, he continued to look till a shadow blocked his view, Kai standing above him with arms crossed, it was like she could read his mind as he stared at her with a laugh escaping his lips. "Oh Kai, are you joining us?" Kai would nod her head quickly as she looked back to Nathan, his head turning swiftly to look away as he could swear the woman was reading his thoughts. While he knew it was not possible the stare and gaze still made him feel slightly worried that she had developed superpowers. He knew one thing at the very least. Becoming an Arch God did not kill his human functions in the slightest. "Well, we better start heading off. Kai, Auryn lets head off." He said standing, walking towards the carriage as the first adventure out of the valley would begin. 33 C33 The Corrupted City Twenty-Fifth of New Coming of the Year 997 - Capital City of the Vortex - Senoa The ocean of sand covered many kilometres of area, the entire zone once a vibrant and lush area that once supported many magical creatures and religions. Change always comes when one least expects it as this whole area became drained, destroyed and dead. Vibrant springs turned to dried, cracked beds of water. The many temples abandoned as the worship of any other religion became heretical, these bastions of religion abandoned as they slowly sank below the desert sands. Some to never be seen again while the others become bastions of survival to those lucky enough to find one. During 989 A.E period, the first criminals got sentenced to the vortex, the church quickly coming up with a system to keep criminals working and productive inside the prison that used to be for reform rather than profit. They would issue the pardon system that allowed people who showed faith and repented against the crimes they had committed, they would be granted a pardon out of the vortex. Sadly within a few months, the system became corrupted like the entire empire it was founded on, the pardon''s only given out if someone with enough coin was able to pay for the blessing of the church, even then it was still rare for someone to get one of the pardons. Inside the vortex traders could charge substantial fees when taking across simple items, with a special pass from the church these traders could go through the divine gates that blocked the exit for all those who had committed the sins from leaving. Anyone with this pass could enter and exit which caused many merchants to become even more productive and wealthy. The price of a loaf of bread and a jar of water customarily cost only half a coin of gold, in the vortex, the same meal and food became five to ten times the same price, some even desperate enough to pay a higher fee. When one could not afford such a cost, they were just left for the desert to swallow them whole, if lucky they could be used as bait for the desert creatures so that the others could then eat the meat from that creature. Senoa was the largest city of the vortex, founded in the year 990 on one of the ancient temples that existed in the area. It was the foundation the church built for operational service in the Vortex, which expanded to taking donations for freedom at a later date. The city was broken down into two sides. The east side was known as ''Purity'' by the church, anyone living inside this area was considered clean of all sin and free to enter or exit the vortex, you had to have a pardon or visitors pass that was magically bound to one''s soul. The Eastside was built originally inside the old temples and church that existed while the original temples religion is now unable to be told as the alteration and modification has turned them all into religious sites of Saleh the Mistress of Dusk. All the old temples, churches and other miscellaneous buildings currently built on top of a massive rock formation, which stood isolated from the rest of the land. A large trench was surrounding all sides which were eroded due to many years of water going through the area, which now had also dried up due to the change in magical energy now present. To connect the east side with the rest of the world was a massive bridge which was constructed a very long time ago, records that had survived only shown the smallest fragments of knowledge that would even suggest the briefest hints of its origin. This bridge connected to the west side which was known to the church as ''Unforgiven'' Anyone living in this area was someone who was Unforgiven in the eyes of the church and the Goddess that was rightful to this world. Unlike the clean and beautiful east, the west was dirty, dreadful and deadly. One wrong step could end one''s life in a backend alley with no hope of rescue. While the guards did patrol this area, everyone was chosen by the church, ruled by the church and in all retrospect were also freemen and women. The residence of the west and east had very different lives, while the members of the east partied, drank and overindulged in life. The west members scrapped, fought and tried to survive for the basic life necessities, some lifelines were available to those who were willing to work. The bridge that connected both sides had a small entrance in the middle, inside lead down into the catacombs, many people buried inside and eventually it would reach the bottom of the gulf, the large basin below the bridge as well as a few other temples and buildings are long forgotten. The one downside to the location the temple had built was the massive death energy that resided inside the catacombs; undead started to rise after the settlement came into existence. In response, an adventurers agency was established, due to the bonus and money offered by the church to remove the undead scourge which was hated even more than the unforgiven themselves. To the church, it was a great system which involved either the unforgiven scum dying or the undead scum dying, either way, they won out, and it only costs small amounts of gold which they would get back in through taxes, supplies and other necessities required to live. While this was an excellent chance for people to earn money via fighting, the unlucky masses remained outside the city; massive slum city''s encircled the city as you required a fee to enter into the city, those without the charge suffered outside the city to rampant crime, corruption and gangs. Senoa, also know as the two face city was one of the worst places in the entire vortex, survival came at a cost and barely anyone managed to gain a valid method of freedom from this city, only those at the top earning more power and money. Inside the city, a group of four adventurers began to prepare for another delve into the catacombs, each of them ready to sacrifice life and limb for a pocket full of coin to survive another day. 34 C34 Four Companions Twenty-Fifth of New Coming of the Year 997 - Capital City of the Vortex - Senoa West Side, Adventuring Guild On the west side of the town, weeping deep in the back streets, people were giving up on life as they struggled to sustain a necessary existence, the only area in this place that even resembled a regular peaceful town was the main streets. The guards pushing the dregs and scum into the back alley, slums and abandoned sections of the city. Adventures, traders and the rich all walked the street with no worry while the dregs watched silently from the shadows, loathing the existence of those who could stand in the light, guards hitting back those that dared try to come forward. Only those with any visible coin would be allowed even to come close to the market stalls. The Adventurers guild, recently established to give organisation to groups of people wanting to go into the dungeon under the bridge, each one tasked with either a certain number of killings, item collections or mining of the natural Mana Stones that seemed to form in the dungeon. The building''s exterior had nice decorated with red tiles, the painted wooden walls giving off a beautiful vibrant blue with the doors a shade deeper of the same colour as the tiles. The windows reinforced with iron bars which supported the stained opake dark windows not to allow people to view inside. The adventurers guild supported a large open dining area with a counter at the far end which allowed people to turn in items and quests, the turning in the field supporting large iron bars, safe doors and numerous magic locks to stop people entering to steal things. Sitting at one of the numerous tables was a small group of four individuals, each one more interesting than the last. Two men were flanking one side with two women on the other. The largest of the males seemed to be brooding over the massive pile of gold on the table, being the tallest of the lot at 6''6 with clear signs of Orge blood inside his veins with pale white skin and a small pair of horns on the side of his head, directly on the temple. His golden eyes were scanning over the contents of the gold as he let out another gruff and rather short grunt as the gold moved slightly around. His long shaggy black hair going all the way down his back, his armour rather sparse as it was just bits of scrap tied to his chiselled chest, it was more patchwork then anything else. "Hey Bull, what is wrong with my counting, you keep grunting like you are about to explode!" The other male who spoke, his hand covered in red scales that seemed more patchwork over his body then the armour from Bull. He looked strictly human being only 5''10 except for the man red scales that seemed to cover his hands, neck and face. His eyes not human at all as two large slits stared at the large man who was unhappy with the shares. The deep crimson base of his eyes seemed to wait before they shifted back to the pile, a large wooden staff resting at his side as the man wore a long silk robe with a few black gems inside his pocket with one on the end of his staff. Azerth Kenth was the parties accountant which caused much tension between him and the Ogre man who seemed always to want an extra cut. "Azo, you always share this strangely, why not give me control and I can do this faster!" Bull roared as he nodded at his capabilities to split this pile faster then anyone else, his muscles flaring as the small scaled Azerth seemed to sigh himself. "Because each time we do, you always seem to take an extra cut or two, I always get the least, and the twins just get the rest of my share!" Across from both of them, twins sat watching them with curiosity. Both women looked remarkably similar; it was almost impossible to tell them apart. Both had light brown skin that seemed to be a similar colour to chocolate, skin so fair that it seemed to have no flaws, both having glowing green eyes that seemed to look at the same thing, following each other''s exact movements to the letter. They both had a similar height at around 5''6 inches tall with the one of the left having slightly longer and curlier hair than the other one who had shorter hair that had a single small braid in the back. The only other defining feature was a small mark above each eye. The left was having two small blue markings above her eyes while the right sister had one blue and one red marking above each eye. The one on the left opened her mouth as she would begin to speak. "We are fine." She would start talking softly, her voice smooth and devoid of worry as her twin would respond next. "This arrangement suits us well but we should..." As the one on the right continued her sister''s sentence, the one back on the left would interject again. "Should let Azo finish the work as we..." Again the twin on the right would interrupt her sister as she finished. "Trust him." Both Bull and Azo stared at the woman, apparently confused by the conjoined speech as they looked to each other before back to the twins. "Can you both not speak correctly! It hurts to put it together like a puzzle." Bull scratched his head, apparently confused as he looked back over to Azo for some support, the scaly man just shaking his head as he continued counting, finishing his duties as fast as he could. Mirya Teesee was the woman on the right, hair shorter with a single small braid in the back, one red and blue markings above each eye. Renade Teesee was the sister on the left, having the long hair that curled at the end, two blue marks above each eye. Both of the woman smiling to each other before sending that same smile over to Bull who was still annoyed. "Come on ladies. It''s not the time to argue. I''ve counted the gold, and we each receive 459 coins. It''s because we only attended the first three floors so we could meet with a client today for our next mission. Ahh, I think that is her now." The group turned around to watch the woman approach them, both Azo and Bull taking a deep breath as they felt like they had been punched in the gut, their breath getting carried away by force. The woman was dressed in all black, almost six-foot figure, flawless porcelain-like face. She looked Timeless as she had an eternal youth to her kind toned face, long black hair coming down her back, perfectly straight and ebony-like colour. She was a flawless person in body, and her smile sent shivers down both men''s bodies as they stared. "Greetings, May I take a seat... I''ve much to discuss with you all; this could take some time." 35 C35 Ticking Time Bomb Twenty-Fifth of New Coming of the Year 997 - Capital City of the Vortex - Senoa West Side, Adventuring Guild The group would quickly relocate to a side room, one of the perks of being a top adventuring party came at requests coming from individuals, while these requests usually paid much higher than those given by the church or the guild itself, they came with more significant risk in return for the much more substantial reward. The client they were meeting was one of the few that no one had any idea who or what she was. It was clear that this woman with her otherworldly beauty was not human, even if she almost perfectly matched one. The information brokers could tell them nothing; it was almost like she was a ghost. When a person entered into the vortex, a trail was established, entering towns also created a log with the guards. She had nothing; she was a living ghost who had entered the vortex and then into the capital city without alerting anyone. She was either a person with power if not at least she was someone who had connections to allow passage without notice. Either way, it was not good news for him, it was a meeting he could not refuse, and the request would be something that he would have to stick to the end. Azo knew that this meeting was going to be interesting at the very least. Azo, Bull and the twins sat across the table from the woman, while she looked fragile and very noble they could not mistake this as weakness. Both Bull and Azo had seen this before, it was not weakness but a disguise, they knew that beneath the sheep''s clothing was a very dangerous dire wolf that was hungry for someone to try and pounce. "So Madam, I think you have a job for us." He said casually, trying to play this whole thing cool. He knew that one step could cause trouble for them all. He could never allow that as the group was getting close to enough funds to request pardon. Celorian softly smiled as she looked at them all, giving off a gentle and kind aura as she waited for them to be finished talking, she already knew two of them mistrusted her. The senses of an Orge could always sense someone who had the battle experience of a warrior while the other man was someone who distrusted naturally, his intelligence making him research into things and when he found a lack of knowledge on a subject the mistrust only became stronger. "It''s a straightforward mission. I heard you are currently the highest ranked team in the depth of the dungeon; I think you managed to get to the eighth floor?" Azo watched the woman, her aura and attitude betraying her true nature as he decided to play along with this game, his smile growing as he slowly nodded his head. "Yes, we managed during a quest to locate the eight-floor entrance, we managed to collect samples and magical essence from that floor to prove it. Do you require us to get something from the floor?" The woman across them just smiled as she would slowly roll her shoulders. "Well, it''s not that I need anything from that floor. I need you to go to the tenth floor which should not be hard for a group of valiant warriors such as yourself?" Azo felt the chill going down his spine as he looked at the woman, heading down the floors was not a simple matter, it was life and death. When one reached the eighth floor, undead skeleton minotaurs became somewhat familiar, and the amount of death magic increased, the power of these beasts multiplying as they descended into the dungeon. His eyes glazed over as he stared at the woman with slight anger, it was clear that she did not know about the entire system and conquest of the dungeon. "Oh, my. It seems I may have said something offensive as I can see you all are upset with my wording. I''ll be frank I''ve had a few of my scouts reach the tenth floor with high-level stealth techniques. It won''t work for you guys, but I''m sure you can do it." Azo looked to his teammates, apparently worried that this was not good, something sounded off by this whole thing, and he was wondering why his guild even accepted such a crazy woman to request such a mission. "I''ve already paid the guild in advance, They can tell you the cut, but I think it will still be in the six figures of payment, either you or another group will do it." Azo''s eyes flashed as he heard the sum, this was getting more troublesome. He knew that if the guild had already accepted the fund, then it would be nearly impossible for him to reject, he would suffer penalties if he even tried denying it. His eyes were staring at the woman intensely as he knew that he was stuck in a horrible situation. "What is the actual request?" He asked, feeling his breath catching as he was regretting this meeting. "On the tenth floor, after you step off the staircase you will need to keep heading left, keep going left as far as you can. Eventually, you will reach a dead end." She took out a small pouch, sliding it across the table as she looked back to them with the same calming smile as she waited for them to take it. "Press this against the stonework, and you will gain access to a secret area. Inside you will find a great treasure that will shake you all, but I''m sure you will do fantastic." Celorian stood up, pushing the chair under the desk as she started to leave without saying another word. It was clear that she was finished giving her mission. Azo took the pouch as he looked up at the woman with worry as he quickly asked. "Wait for a second, what are we supposed to do with this item that we find inside the dungeon?" Celorian stopped at the door, hand on the doorknob as she looked back at them. "I''m sure you will know what to do with it. Trust me it''s not that hard to work out for an intelligent man that''s been requesting information about me for almost a week now." Those last words hit Azo hard as he felt the sweat sticking to the back of his shirt, the woman leaving as they had just received an impossible to decline quest with nearly to no information and a reward so high the guild signed the acceptance without even informing them. 36 C36 Friendship and Planning The meeting ended as quickly as it had started, the group still in shock as the woman exited without another word. Azo even thinking through multiple options as he felt like tossing furniture around the room. He had never been discovered before when doing recon; the woman was someone with connections that allowed her to sense the dogs sniffing around her. "Hey, boss man, no worries man this will be easy, just another mission we can crack down and complete!" Bull stuck his thumb up, his smile reminding of a child who had just done something mischevious. He would then let out a laugh that also sounded like he had just done something that would get him in trouble. Azo felt his spirits lifting as the man tried to calm him down, while Bull was not the brightest he was very emotionally sensitive, able to tell the mood and also ready to cheer people up. "What about you becoming the boss, it won''t work well if you keep calling me boss you know?" Azo responded while leaning in the back of his chair, a smile cracking onto his lips as he started to let go of the anguish and torture this woman had brought to his doorstep. "Oh come on boss. I want to count the money and split it correctly, the management stuff is boring and suits you perfectly." Bull laughed again while his hand slapped Azo''s shoulder, his body moving closer as he continued to smile, trying to cheer the man up. "Oh, so now I''m boring. Thanks, Bull you know how to cheer someone up." Azo laughed as he turned to look at both the twins, both of them raising a thumbs up at the man to show support. He felt tears trying to push past as he quickly looked away from them. "My, my. What shall I do with you three?" He let out a sigh as he let go all of the worries that clouded his heart, pulling himself forward as he pulled out bits of paper. "Well let''s get to planning, shall we." Azo started to put out many different papers that they had kept over the many years of adventuring. He had been with many teams before, but his current one had been the longest and most successful due to the previous mistakes he had made. "Last time it took roughly four days to get to the eighth floor, the floors get shorter the deeper we go, so it should only add another day or so to get to the tenth." He nodded his head as he made some adjustment''s, Azo would have to get enough supplies to cover this lengthy adventure, he would need to consider many other areas. "So, let''s say two weeks of supplies, sadly we will be eating dehydrated mage food since we are unable to carry all that much food and everything will start going off fast with the amount of death magic." The mood shifted when hearing about the food situation, they all hated the dried biscuits that they had to eat, they tasted rather unfortunate, and after a few days inside the dungeon, they would begin to smell like someone''s backside. "I''m out; I can''t take eating ass biscuits!" Bull would begin to stand up, making up his mind that he would rather eat like a king then die while eating something that smelled worse than his backside. "Sit" "Down" Renade began with Mirya cutting her off quickly in the sentence, both woman looking at him with serious expressions. Bull would slowly sink back into his chair, a few inches lower than before as he just nodded his head. "Fine..." "Bull do not worry; the biscuits are safe to eat even when they do smell funny." "That does not make it easier to swallow ass!" Bull''s innuendo made the rest of the group laugh as his face was bright red in frustration. "Well, we have gotten the food situation, I think we should buy some magical potions this time around, we used our backup potion last time, and I think this time we will need more. I''ll cover things through our mutual funds, so we don''t use personal expenses." The group nodded to the idea, magical items tended to be expensive and in the vortex having that price jacked up five or six times would generally make it so expensive that only the super wealthy could afford it. "Can you make it cherry flavoured?" "Bull, I''m not going to ask the Alchemist to brew you a cherry flavoured healing potion." "Can I ask them? I have no shame!" "We all know bull that you have nearly zero shame." Bull laughed again as his hand slammed against his chest, brightly smiling as he knew his attitude was childish still. "Do what you wish. Next item is the consumables. It''s going to be difficult, but I will have to ask that we try to be very sparing with our items, arrows only on high-value targets, if we find a large node of Death Mana Stones, then we should mine them so I can cast more spells. Arrows, potions and all other consumables will not last very long. So let''s be careful." The team would conclude as they stood, ready to spend the money for the mission as they left the back room, heading to the counter as they would pass over the list of requested items. The male behind the counter was very short, his appearance not as stout as the usual Dwarf but not as sharp as a halfling. His ginger beard was covering his entire lower face as he started to collect the items, calculating the prices as he went. "So, what crazy mission are you guys going on this time?" Azo smiled at the small man, nodding his head as he had some respect for this former mage who retired from adventuring over a year ago. "Well, Benard we are heading into the dungeon under a private request from that woman." Benard stopped as he looked to the man, his hand moving over to a particular package as he pulled the covered item over, placing it down in front of Azo. "I was told by that woman to give this to you; she said that everything is covered and that you need not worry for supplies. She hopes for your success." Benard''s face was pale as he was still part of the guild, he had seen the details of the job posting, but he did not know who was going to accept it. He had adventured down deep but still only managing to get to the fifth floor himself. "Good Luck," Benard said, his final words to them as he would look at them with worry. 37 C37 Deep Divine Friends Azo stared at the small box sitting in front of him, covered in a brown paper around it with strings tied around the box, nothing else could be described about this little box except that it looked more like a birthday present gift than an actual gift you just gave to a band of adventurers on a mission for you. "Hey, Benard do you know what is inside this." Azo stared at the man as he picked up the box that fits into the palm of his hand, his eyes questioning the man behind the counter. "She did not; she just said that you should never lose it." Azo took a few moments to process as he eventually held the box tightly, his eyes looking back to the room he just came. "Can I borrow the room for another hour or so?" Benard would look surprised before nodding his head, unsure as to why he needed it but would accept anyway. "Sure, no one else is using it." "One last thing Benard, how much did she pay and what is our cut." Benard stopped for a few moments, his held his breath as he would look back at Azo, clearly, he was not allowed to give out the regular figures on what the guild had earned if Benard did not trust the man he would have just told him to go away. "You will be getting two hundred thousand." Azo, Bull and the twins sucked in air as they heard this figure, it only cost twenty thousand gold for a chance to be forgiven, this money was way higher then they had expected. The typical mission cost around a few thousand to a few ten''s of thousands depending on the floor. "Benard... How much is the guild getting?" Azo pressed the question, his eyes staring at the man as he knew he could break him into giving this information, it was vital as it could tell if the church approved or if it was done under the table. "Five hundred thousand..." His words came like a silent echo that only the people in front of him could even detect, Azo''s face dropping as this was a mission under the radar, this was turning out worse then he had expected. "We will be boring the room again Benard." Azo quickly turned around, dragging his team with him as he moved inside, holding his staff to the door as he would start to chant under his breath, dark energy flooding into the lock and handle as he would ward the room. If anyone tried to listen in or peek into this room, they would suffer a bad counterspell. The box getting placed in the centre of the room, the entire team taking a few steps away from the item like it was a cursed artefact that they had to collect. "This is bad, really bad. The last time the church found out about the underhanded dealings nearly forty people got shoved off the bridge into the pit below." Azo spoke as he felt like his mind was racing. "It''s not all that bad; we just can''t get caught." Bull said with his usual childish grin coming to his face. "Bull, we need supplies other than the basics. Potions, arrows and the likes are third party items; we will have to travel to vendors who will surely get suspicious that we bought so much." Bull would wave his hands as he continued talking. "Look Azo, if we decline this mission the guild will get rid of us, that price is enough for them to cut risks, if we take this mission we could be fucked on the other end. We need to take the best option and do the mission as the guild is our lives while the church will fuck us every day." The twins would both nod, both of them agreeing silently with Bull as it was the best option. "Maybe whatever is inside this box will help us out." Bull said with hope, Azo moving forward as he picked up the package, tearing the paper as he would pull out a smaller wooden, glossed box. It was rather nice with a set of golden hinges. The lock was made out of the same plated gold as he moved his finger to unlock it via the hinge lock. Opening the lid after unlocking the box, everyone crowding around Azo as they all peeked inside to see a simple silver band resting on a soft bed of silk, the ring sporting an embedded black opal that seemed to shine in the dim light, it looked rather bland and boring otherwise with nothing special on it. "A ring is supposed to solve all our troubles, are we getting ripped off with the supplies!" Bull would gruffly speak as he stared at the puny ring with annoyance, while the twins looked to Azo who looked shocked and speechless. "This is a magical ring. I can sense an enchantment on it." He would put the box back down onto the table as he raised his staff, the crystal on the end of his staff rapidly dimming as he began to inspect the item. "This is a ring of Anti Undead, any undead within a ten-meter radius will explode if unable to resist the magic, this is a Tier Seven spell... The highest level of spell possible." He would pull the ring from the box, slipping it onto his finger as he would begin to shift his powers to match with the ring, he felt something rapidly magically scan him, almost like the ring was looking inside him. Azo quickly moved his hand to grab the ring, attempting to pull it off. It was too late at this point, the ring fusing to his finger as he struggled to try and remove it. The ring now one with him. "It fused with my finger; the item is cursed!" He would slowly stop tugging, his mind working as he noticed something else, a second layer to the spell that he could not feel before. It was something more potent than the seventh tier spell. He could feel this spell tugging at his very soul, connected to him directly as he raised his hand, pulling on the power as he tried to active it. "Woh, Azo what the hell is that!" Bull would shake Azo who had closed his eyes to concentrate on the spell, his eyes opening as he stared a strange glowing black door that had appeared against the wall on the other side, the power brightly glowing as it was something powerful. "What have we done?" Azo whispered, his eyes wide. "What is wrong Azo. What is that thing?" Bull responded as he looked between both him and the door that had now appeared. "This thing is not mortal magic; it goes beyond the seventh realm of magic... It''s divine powers. A Demigod relic." Everyone stood still, looking at his hand, fear coming from them all as this just became such a massive problem. One problem became solved for two new more significant issues to become apparent. "Azo, we are fucked." 38 C38 Frozen In Time The door stood ominously against the stonework of the wall; it''s glimmery providing more light than the actual torches around the room while everyone stared at the remote gateway that had appeared in the doorway. Azo stood frozen as his eyes glued themselves to this frame; he knew many of his fellow researchers, mages and fellow magic users that had studied the Seventh tier, only a few managing to cast a few spells. While the tiered system officially stopped at the seventh tier, some people still had theories that it went all the way to the ninth level. Any higher was in the realm of the gods. Divine magic was something different, something that could not even be touched by a mere mortal, while a mortal could use a fireball a Demigod could engulf an entire region in flame. It was the power of a thrown stone as compared to a cannonball fired directly from the most exceptional crafted dwarven made machine. His hand reaching out for the handle as his curiosity got the better of him, his friends and fellow mages would almost trample him to get a similar change to interact with divine magic, how could he let such an opportunity go when it was right in his face. His hand grasping the handle, sweat covering his palms as his red scaled hand tugged open the door. His body getting pulled inside, his fellow three friends getting also pulled in as they had come right behind him. The inside of the room was well-lit, shelves covering the small room from end to end almost like a library but for items. The first few rows contained many different potions with labels from end to end, each one different then the last with multiples of the same bottle behind as each shelf was more in-depth than the regular types. The rows in the middle of the shelves included books for many different spells, most done for healing and lower tiered attack spells but it was impressive enough like a mini library. The row to the right held many different foods and barreled items that seemed to be perishable food along with barrels of water. The selection was mouth watering as they stared at this with a massive amount of need. The other end of the room was a massive training area on the left side, the centre having a set of tools for refining and maintaining weapons while the right side had sleeping and living areas with a small area that was blocked off by small moveable walls to allow showering and bathroom breaks in here. This entire room was locked away from anything else, the walls had no other doors, and no matter how much he tried he could cast no magic in here, all his spells fizzing and failing to cast, his power unable to pull the require mana from the stone. The rest of the group continued to look around, Bull even claiming his bed as Azo just stared with disbelief. This place was perfect, they required little to no supplies now and could only enter the dungeon. The main issue was that the item they had received was something that could not be comprehended. It was an item that was a divine relic, a holy object that was meant to belong to one of the Seven Demigods. The person who had hired them was either someone who worked directly for the Demigods or had access to items of this power level; either choice made him feel like vomiting his breakfast all over the floor. Why had they been so unlucky to catch this personal attention that they received a powerful artefact and a mission that seemed crazy? "Hey Azo, no use worrying over it now. What has happened is done now, we can''t change time!" Bull laughed as he had already taken two of the beds, jamming them together to make his own more massive bed that could support his enormous frame. Azo just stared at the man, his eyes watering as he began to laugh, the kind of laugh that was a man accepting that his fate was sealed, unable to change a thing as he approached them all. The twins were also coming over as they sat down next to the bed, staring up at Azo as he came closer, his vision blurry with the tears in his eyes. "Well, we have two choices. Either work and do the job or to run away as far as possible. Even the ends of the earth may not protect us." "Do not be stupid!" Both the twins would say the same lines together as they rolled their eyes in response. Bull laughing as he put his thumb up, striking a pose as he just grinned. "Like I said. Brother, we are fucked anyway we do this. Might as well stick it to the Temple of Dusk for being corrupted assholes when we get the chance!" Both twins nodding to this fact as Azo just sighed lightly, bowing again as he would hold his staff tightly, biting his bottom lip as he stared at them all. "Let''s do this mission then, once we have finished this, we will need to speak to the woman and find out what side she is on. If we have any chance of getting out this hell, we will need her to assist us!" Azo stood at the group, his hand pushed out as he looked at them all, his eyes burning with passion as he finally accepted this. His soul was brightly glowing as he felt his hand getting grabbed by Bull into a handshake, the twins cupping both the bottom and top of their hands as they stood at either side, the same passion filled spirit in all the adventurers then just Azo. "We keep getting more dangerous jobs every day, maybe tomorrow we will have to go fight a Demigod." Azo laughed at this last point, his smile growing as he looked to the rest of the group. Bull clenched his hand, his grin growing as he merely nodded his head proudly. "I can easily destroy a Demigod, have you seen the size of my muscles. They will quake in terror!" The entire group began to laugh, the timeless room capturing the madness perfectly. 39 C39 Unjust Ending The group finished testing the room, figuring out that any time spent in the room was almost frozen, they could spend up to an hour without even a minute passing by in the real world. All the supplies sadly did not replenish if they took items away from the room and then recast the door, it was too much of an ask to restock everytime it opened. Doing some calculation''s it was quickly discovered they had a few years worth of food supplies jammed into barrels, shelves and other areas for storage which was an amazing prospect for the team as they required no restocking for some time now. Azo felt the waves of power pass as he exited the room, his team exiting behind him as the doorway closed on itself. Everyone equipped with items as they were now fully ready to take on the adventure they had received, the reward was already massive, but the bonus from this ring was possibly enough to pay for the entire mission ten times over without any issues. "Hey Azo, how much is that ring worth anyways, guessing a buttload." Bull spoke, his eyes locking onto the scaled red man. "Normally a scroll for a Tier 7 item costs roughly twenty to thirty thousand. While for an Item enchantment it usually''s closer to several hundred thousand. That means this item is worth it alone for the pay; we could sell the thing to get money in a pinch. The group stared at him before looking at his finger, each of them thinking the same thing as Azo let out a deep sigh. "Yeah, if it came off. Right now it''s worthless because I''m not cutting off my finger!" He would huff, his arms crossing as his head began to shake at the frustration of having this item cursed to him. "Knowing the powers of divine objects it will likely attach itself to my other fingers if you try to chop it off." "What happened when someone chops all of your fingers off." Azo would look to Bull as he asked this question, a sigh escaping his lips. "Then it will appear on my toes; I don''t know!" "So when it''s all gone. Toes, fingers and thumbs. The last place it could be is your..." Azo would cover Bull''s mouth, eyes ablaze as his face was a shade of Scarlett. "What is wrong with you, really thinking about another mans thing!" Bull would laugh as he pulled away, exiting the room as the rest of the group followed him out and onto the street. Today was a busy day with many guards on patrol, street vendors peddling wares as the bright sun overhead came down onto everyone. The only people out on the street being guards, vendors, merchants and adventurers. The eight floor of the dungeon is open for exploration and purging of the undead which caused an entire flock of adventuring teams to explore new levels. The expert teams moving down freed up the following groups to also advance down a few floors with ease and try to take on the mantle. Azo moved along the road, his eyes moving into one of the ally''s, watching three guards using infused mana sticks to cast Punishment onto the beggers and weak who merely tried to exist, clearing them away from the main road, screams in the distance but no one paying attention to this daily affair. It made him sick as he came from such an area, he was lucky to be blessed with magic and was able to become a powerful mage, though these people had been kicked twice, once when they got put into this hell and then a second time when getting kicked by the guards into the slums. Passing to the bridge, the increase of guards became more noticeable, almost three hundred guards stood, patrolled and moved around the bridge. Anyone trying to pass was stopped and detained, frequently to be thrown straight back into the slums or even out the city entirely. "Shit, it''s happening right now. What poor luck we have." Bull gruffly responded as he stared at a larger group of guards, each one holding a prisoner before pushing them onto the ledge of the bridge, each one just a step away from falling off. The gulf between the top of the bridge and the bottom of this canyon was so vast that it was a horrible death to face. A group of twelve people eventually stood side by side on the ledge, almost crying as they knew that this was now the end. "You have been sentenced with treason, defilement of our belief and finally disrupting the peace. You get no last words, no last rites and you shall be forever abandoned and forsaken." The priest standing to the side finished the final words, raising his hand as the guards lifted crossbows in response, the crying began as the bolts released. Twelve bodies falling backwards, off the ledge as many people turned away, grim faces as they watched this mass execution with sorrow and hatred, the guards continuing to push people along to make sure they kept moving. Azo, Bull and the Twins continued to move, trying not to make eye contact as they made the way to the only building on the bridge, it was a small stone structure with no doors on the front, an entire staircase taking up the inside as adventurers could be seen walking down into the depths below. Entering inside and heading down the stairs, the group came into a wide open and large room with many lines of people waiting to enter the three different portals to the first level of the dungeon, on the sides of the place many different stalls selling items to the adventuring groups. Rookies and novices were buying supplies from these vendors; it was a well-known fact for the elites that these vendors had inflated and stupidly high prices, it was only emergency situations that one would buy stuff from these guys. The entire room was staring at them, they had established the eight floor and were already a well-known group which was why they recieved such attention. Azo, Bull and the twins ignoring this fame as they arrived at one of the less busy portals, one that would take them all the way to the third floor. "Well gang, it''s time to enter the dungeon. No matter what happens let''s do it with a smile." Bull said with a grin on his face, his mace in his hand as he laughed. "Bull, you say that because you love fighting not because you''re in any actual danger." The group started to laugh as everyone entered into the portal. 40 C40 Marching Tides The Teleportation Matter Spell was an exciting and somewhat useful spell; It could receive classification into three different tiers of spells depending on the number of people it teleported, distance and speed. An instant teleport with a short range which allowed groups received classification as a Tier 6 spell, one of the higher ones in its category. The church having these set up indicated how much they would invest into killing off the undead scourge that rested before the city of the Dawn Mistress. It was the most significant threat to them after the Goddess of Death had attacked the Goddess of Dusk so openly, tension and rifts could be seen when followers of Saleh met anything remotely undead they had to exterminate it with the highest of vengeance. Passing through the portal, they arrived at a random point inside the dungeon; the room was rather small with hardly any light to shine the way forward. Azo looked around as he began to pull his map out, checking the walls for markings as he quickly found the 3-D markings on one of the walls. Each room inside the dungeon had a marking that was established when the first adventurers came to explore the depths; this made reaching lower floors much more comfortable as they could follow an absolute path to advance or escape. Currently, they had explored only a portion of the eighth floor and had only established a few markings inside. They had to report this to the guild so they could update everyone''s maps so that random people did not just randomly put down markings. Though in past instances a few groups exploring would add down markings which would have to be changed later on. Azo pulled the map out, exploring the options as he would follow the guide to the stairway. "We are close to the floor four stairway; we should be able to get close in roughly thirty minutes if we are uninterrupted." The group started to move down one of the corridors. The walls, floors and even the ceilings all looked the same. Carved stone with strange letters carved into them at different lengths. Many scholars had attempted the puzzle to uncover the mystery about this place, but still, no discoveries could be understood. Azo had also spent his share of time looking at these strange letters in detail, trying to think about what they could serve. He had come to a theory or two, and his main answer was that these letters had something to do with magic, maybe to funnel magic to a specific location but he still had no concrete proof. As they moved down the corridor, the winding pathway confusing to anyway but those who had spent years traversing these ancient corridors. Every couple of minutes the distant sounds of screaming and smashing could be heard as other groups inside this dungeon fighting to clear the infection that was the undead. "I regret this place so well." Azo said with a small sense of guilt as he could hear the distant battle. "Oh, why is that Brother?" Bull said, swinging his mace with a bored expression as he had yet to smash anything. "If they wanted to clear this place, Priests and Sun based magic would be the best to use against them. They keep hiring adventurers to do this job." Bull shrugged as he just smiled back at him. "Who cares Brother, we are getting paid." "It''s clear that they do not value us, its just a shame since every adventurer that falls becomes part of the horde." As he finished the last sentence, Azo stopped the group with his hand raising to make them pause, his eyes looking forward as his dark vision was better than most others. He could see three figures running towards him, one female and two males as they sprinted around a corner towards them. It was clear as the three came closer than they were adventurers, bloody and messed up as they had been in combat recently. The woman was screaming as she dodged past Azo and the rest, she kept running as the men continued as well, one turning and looking to them. "You fools, turn and run with us!" Azo just smirked and laughed; he could hear in the distance the thunderous footfalls, he could guess the undead legion was already following the tree, a dominant group of warriors that were almost unstoppable against most basic forces. "Brother Bull, I think we have some guests. Why don''t you give them a nice big hug." Azo raised his staff, his chanting began as rings of magic flowed around his waist, eventually, he cast his fifth level spell to reinforce Bull''s body to make him resistant against slashing and piercing attacks. "You guys are crazy! Those guys are almost impossible. Only a few groups have beaten them!" The three had stopped running as they watched the group prepare to advance. "Oh Brother. Let me give them a nice big welcome!" Bull would place his mace onto his back as he lowered his own body, his arms stretching out as he would begin to prepare. His fingers were touching the walls as he was so large that he could take up the entire corridor. "Come to Papa Bull and give him a big old hug!" Coming around the corner now was a legion of undead, each one carrying a shield and spear as they appeared to be unstoppable, numbering in the hundreds as they just kept coming. As soon as the last skeleton went around the corner Bull would begin his advance. His speed rapidly increasing as he began his charge, arms outstretched and his body closer to the ground as he looked more like an actual rampaging bull. The undead continued the endless march, spears lowering as they got ready to receive the madman charging them. As Bull''s body collided with the wall of skeleton''s, spears breaking against his magically enhanced body as his long arms wrapped around the frontlines as he continued his charge. His body mashing against the now defenceless skeleton''s that could no longer harm him, his weight and force pushing back the hoard in a massive display of strength. Wave after wave of skeletons swept up in his grasp as he kept shoving them back till the final backline skeleton smashed against the wall at the end of the corridor, it was almost like a grinder as the skeletons smashed against the wall as the bull continued his charge. A ball of frames cracking against the wall over and over again till the man arrived himself, slamming the few remaining skeletons himself with his fist. "You guys just bulldozed over them... Who are you?" Azo would shrug as he continued walking himself, the twins not saying anything else as they joined him. "So cool." The woman said, staring at them with her hands joined, both males having to agree as they let out a sigh. 41 C41 Ten Floors Of Insanity Twenty-Ninth of New Coming of the Year 997 - Capital City of the Vortex - Halls Of The Damned, Ninth Floor. Bones clattering across the floor, the loud yelling as a mace swung in an arc as it collided with the bones of a massive minotaur. The beast scattered across the floor in a matter of moments as several other creatures moved in to take its place. Four alive individuals backed against a wall as a hoard of undead creatures stood against them. The twins on either side of Azo as Bull stood forward as he stopped any creature from coming closer, the sweat, wounds and exhaustion evident as they continued to fight this never-ending battle. The amount of death magic in the area causing that undead that had scattered to pull back together before standing and marching forward again slowly. "Hey Brother, It''s getting pretty hot in here, are you done with that playboy ring to give me a helping hand or are you just gonna play around!" Bull deflected another blow as he had to hold his own against this hoard by himself, the chanting in the background making him slightly nervous as he could tell that this was going to be a long cast. Several Vampire bats slowly ascended above the crowd, beginning to advance to try and attack those that had entered into this lair, before they could even get past the front line, several arrows landed and skewered this flying undead monsters. Each one falling apart as a few more appeared behind those that had fallen. Both twins holding the sides as the had to keep killing the flying and smaller undead with pinpoint accuracy, while Bull held the main bulk with just his frame alone. Azo still chanting as he held the ring out, Seventh Tier magic was the most extended form and took almost four minutes to cast for him, which was very impressive as the standard quick cast time was roughly ten minutes. Bull getting pushed back with each charge, arrows flying as the quivers started to become empty as the situation was turning from desperation to frenzy as everyone fought tooth and nail to beat back these undead monsters. "Banish Thy Realm!" Azo screamed as he held the ring out, his red tail straight out as the magic filled the ring before a beautiful white light engulfed him, expanding to a sphere-like shape before submerging all the undead, each one turning to ash as it continued. The Sphere would eventually fade as the entire room finally cleared, Azo profoundly panting as he felt his head going numb and light as he had to expand even more mental endurance, several more empty Mana Stones dropped to the floor as he had almost used up his entire supply. Bull covered in blood from head to toe, small cuts and a few deeper cuts on his sides, nothing too dangerous as he just continued to pant, both twins slightly looking worried as they kept watch, looking around for any other undead. "Come on; I see the stairway down to the tenth floor." Azo, Bull and the Twins continued moving along as they came to the staircase leading down, the sounds of shattering bones and hisses from other foes came behind as the undead quickly swarmed from other rooms towards them. "Quickly, Down the stairs, we can bottleneck them!" Azo turned as he moved down the stairs, worse case he could open the room and jump inside to rest up before trying to fight them. Each step was hitting as they reached the tenth floor, another similar floor design as Azo turned to face the hoard, surprise taking him as he watched all the undead merely stop at the top. It was almost like they were not willing to come any further, or more accurately they could not come any closer. Azo felt both relief and a slight worry creeping inside his heart, why would the undead stop coming closer. It made him worry as he looked around the area around him, feeling like he was getting watched. "Nothing is around Brother, stop being so paranoid. It''s strange that they do not come here, but we are safe for now. Open that door and let''s get some rest!" Azo relented as he pulled the ring back up, quickly feeling the ring''s power as he activated it again, this power was not something Azo could control himself, it was more like he prodded it to be active, it was alive in reality, and he had no control over it. He merely was using its power with no relation to him or any ultimate way to gain it. Getting inside the room, the door shut behind them as everyone let out another sigh of relief. The entire group was washing up before sitting down in the sleeping area as they began to cut potatoes and wash other vegetables as they started to do the nightly ritual of cooking and talking to regain spirts. "That was hell; floor eight was a nightmare as we got attacked every eight minutes, I swear the other top groups must be having hell right now. It compares nothing to the hell of the ninth floor where we never stopped fighting, each second a slog to get to the next room!" They all agreed as potatoes emptied out of one bucket and entered the next one peeled, ready to be cooked up for a substantial and enjoyable supper. Everyone was happy that they managed to get to this floor, pride in the work they had done. It was an honour to explore a new level as each map had the names of the people who helped get the whole guild further. This would sadly be one of the times they would not get a name inside the maps; pride still flooded them as they knew this task was one of the greatest they had ever done. After the meal, everyone would begin to prepare for bed, laying down as the candles extinguished as everyone started to sleep through the hellish nightmare they had just experienced. Azo currently on his back as he stared at the stone ceiling, his worry getting the better of him as he felt the hairs on the back of his neck rising, the concern still in his heart as he knew that something was wrong, the unexplainable nature as he knew for sure that someone was actually. Staring at him. 42 C42 Lurking In Darkness In the extended rest, everyone taking time to prepare themselves, Azo still felt like his entire body was numb. He could not shake the feeling of the gaze on the back of his neck, the strange feeling that someone was watching him all night long. After breakfast which was sadly just the same old stew from the night before with some reheating to it, they started to gear up, arrows restocked from the heavy barrels. Potions restocked after a few used the previous day. They even took a few rations to have as a snack as the day would progress and they all knew how loud Bull became when he went without eating. Azo turned his head to the rest as he reached towards the door, his hands sweating as he grasped the handle, pulling it inwards as everyone readied weapons. Outside the room was nothing but silence and decay floating in the air like twins in arms. Bull exited first, his mace resting on his shoulder as he looked around at the empty corridors, slowly moving to the staircase as he still saw the skeleton''s staring down at him with intense gazes. Bull''s mouth was coming up with an evil smile as he stuck up his middle finger to them. "Not so cocky now you emotionless killing machines!" Azo looked at Bull as he felt like laughing at that statement, slowly moving up as he would pat his shoulder. "Let''s go, big guy." The group would continue onwards, heading down the left passage as they moved at a slower pace, keeping an eye out for anyone else or anything else that would try to harm them. "It''s dead down here, not even the literal undead, but nothing is here." Azo made the comment lightly as they came around another corner, this must have been the fifth time they had continued heading around this place. It was making him feel sick as he knew he must have made a circle by now. He had walked past several intersections, continuing left as he eventually came down another corridor, the lights still shimmering as he finally turned left again at a T junction, his eyes going wide as he noticed it was a dead end on both sides. "This is the place, well we better get started." His hand reached into his pack, pulling out the pouch that was given to him by the strange but beautiful woman who had given them this job. His hand was quickly prying the bag open as he saw inside a rare, round and mystical black gem that lightly shone in the darkness as it came from the container. "Another one." Bull turned his head as he looked at the Gem that Azo was holding the spiritual nature of it even drew his attention, he could tell that something was unique about this gem and he was not even close to being a magic caster of any description. "Brother, can I see that Gem, or maybe I can have it as part of my split?" Azo would roll his eyes as he pressed his magical essence into the gem, the gem in response also began to light up, the deep glow shining onto the stone walls around them, the dead end starting to creak and move as dust fell from the ceiling. The wall that had previously stood in front slowly pulled away, allowing entrance forward now as this gem was the key to unlocking this secret area. "Whoever this woman is, she has access to the deepest part of this place. Something feels wrong about this, but we have to keep going now." Azo voiced his concerns as both the twins nodded in agreeance, his eyes focused as he moved forward. The difference in area changing rather fast as the old stonework that had been covered in the dust without much light suddenly became an area filled with lit candles with no dust covering any surface, eventually coming into an open at the end of the corridor. The room ahead was a somewhat lit room with many bookshelves covering all the walls; the shape was similar to a U with bookshelves lining the south, east and west sides. They had come from the west side through a secret entrance and no one else could be seen currently. The room lined with many tables with what looked like undead flesh laying on the charts and benches, many different alchemy stations set up as it looked like research was taking place in this area, whoever was doing this was a sick person. "Let''s get the item and go. It should be something easy to spot." Azo nodded his head as he finished speaking, his head looking to the central room as he could see the northern area was utterly blanketed in darkness, it looked like this room was centred around a massive ravine, he suspected that this area was a place they dumped the undead they were finished. Just before the massive black pit, he could see a set of stairs leading up to a podium with a large black leather bound book, its value clearly indicated with the heavy long chain attached to it. This must be the item the woman was after. "Let''s hope it''s not necromancy secrets, otherwise I''m going to feel horrible. Well, let''s get to it. Bull, protect me and watch the south, twins look to the east and west. I''ll grab the item and check to make sure it''s not cursed." The team rushed as Bull faced the southern entrance, door still closed but he stood vigilant as his mace was ready. He was the bulwark of the team as he became flanked by the twins on each side, bows aimed at either side as they became active and alert for any threats. Azo remained cool, his body rushing up the steps as he approached the book, his hand starting the magical ritual as he felt the cold sweat covering his back, running across his skin and scales, the sensation rather odd as he took a deep breath. The sound of chains rattling around the room would cause them all to stop, looking around as they tried to locate the source of the noise. Azo shook his head as he continued the mantra as he finished his spell, his identification quickly coming up with nothing as the book was perfectly usable without any anti-magic spells. The rattling of chains again came but much louder as Bull even looked around the area, confused by the movement as he let out a soft hiss, the twins also confused as they could not locate the noise, it was only Azo who realised something was off. He tilted his head upwards as he looked at the ceiling, noticing many chains nailed into the walls above them, deep into the stonework, he felt the sweat covering his back as he followed them from the southern ceiling wall, all the way over to the northern abyss. He felt fear spring into his heart and the need to flee coming at him hard as he could not believe his eyes. Two bright yellow eyes staring down at him from the darkness, each one the size of Bull''s body "Oh... Fuck" 43 C43 Facing Death Azo felt his legs growing weak, his mental resistance cracking as those large eyes stared through him. He felt like screaming, but no words could exit his mouth. He could only stare as the rattling of chains continued; it was clear that this place was meant to contain something of massive size. "The pit is not for keeping discarded undead. its to hold this..." He voice was less then a whisper as everyone was also watching, bows falling to the twins sides as they both knew that fighting such a creature was almost pointless, Bull was also on the same mind as he knew that this thing would be practically impossible to reach without putting him into the jaws of death. The chains would continue to creak and moan as they moved above them all, a colossal figure slowly coming out of the darkness, those two eyes slowly coming closer as a face appeared behind it, then a full body with only a few shreds of clothing to cover any remaining part of this person. Azo, Bull and the twins felt shame as the noticed that this person was not a horrible creature but a massive person chained down here, it was clear that all this undead flesh on the benches around the room was harvested from this large creature chained up in the massive area to the north. The creature was female from a simple glance, skin a pale white with tints of green on the edges. Her left leg gone, wounds all along it which seemed unable to heal, her right arm missing as well with parts of the cheek, jaw and neck empty as well. Yellow dull eyes that had intelligence and pain behind them as she stared back at the group. She was human in all aspects except for missing so much and having a slightly sick green aura around her; the giant status as well did not help things as she was nearly three times the size of a giant. "You are not with the church, how did you wander into here." The voice was soft, carrying a modesty and power that could never be forgotten. It was the kind of sound that would make those who heard bow down to the wielder. It was a voice that made the group pause, the fear replaced by curiosity as the woman did not seem hostile as they could still hear the chains in the background. "We are sent here, to get something. Our employer requires an item here." Azo had to be honest with this creature; he could not lie to this person. He could not understand the compulsion, but he knew that if he even made one false statement, then he would regret it. "Strange, who is this employer. Nothing here will be valuable to you." Azo felt his tongue drying in his mouth; he needed to get some water as he felt his mouth starting to move quickly without him even considering it. "She never gave us a name; she gave us this ring, so we assume she is powerful. We are getting paid a rather large amount of money, and we do not even know the item we are supposed to collect, it''s rather strange." The woman came closer, her long patchy black hair cascading down her shoulders, chains creaking as she came as close as she could. It was clear the pain in her eyes as was rather clear that she had spent a long time here. "What did this woman look like?" Azo felt another chill going up his spine as the woman came even closer, his memory hitting him hard as he could swear something was amiss, he knew something about this woman, but he could not put his finger onto it. "She was perfect, beautiful with porcelain skin, attitude and demeanour like a queen... She was timeless." He would hold out his hand, showing the ring to the woman as he did not know what else to say, showing off the item they had gotten. "She gave us this ring to help out." Azo felt the sweat driving down his back, his skin and scales both covered in it as he knew this creature could spell doom, she was clearly undead with having lost so many body parts but still alive. He felt his heart beating rapidly, each second ticking past as he could hear the drumbeat of his soul inside his mind. The giant woman pulling her body slightly back, her eyes resting on his hand and the ring he had wore. She stared at them for a moment before her eyes turned from pain to pity. Azo felt his heart wrench, this creature who spent so many years in torture here was pitying them, it was something that made him in equal parts worried about himself and her. "I know why you have come. I know the person who employed you." She spoke with confidence as she looked at them with the same pity filled eyes, body moving again closer as the chains rumbled loudly, dust and brickwork falling to the floor as the chains seemed to glow a bright blue, the creature chained by them unable to move anymore. "You said you know why we have come and the person who employed us. that is excellent; please tell us the object we are supposed to take?" The woman took a few moments as she looked at each of them, her mouth moving slowly as her cracked lips spoke. "It''s not a physical item you are to take but words, I''m truly sorry as well." Relief hit Azo as he heard that his item to collect was simple words, a message was more straightforward than any physical object. It only took a few minutes as his relief died, the sorry making him worry again as he would open his arms, a weary smile on his lips. He knew something was coming and he felt his chest pounding away. It was at this point he felt his jaw drop, the pieces connecting as he almost swore. The woman seemed to hang her head in shame as she spoke her next sentence. "I''m sorry, My name is Aelina, Goddess of death. You are now part of the world of Gods. The church will know you have been here. I''m sorry." Bull would let off a whistle as the words hit him, nodding his head slowly as he would put his hands on his hips. "Welp, I was right. We are one hundred per cent fucked!" 44 C44 Impossible Future Azo felt like he was spinning, his mind trying to come up with many different solutions on how to get out of this. He needed more information, but he always came up with one solution which was similar to all his prior answers. This solution was not the best one as it related to just continuing the mission as planned. His eyes were looking over the woman, his mind racing as things started to click in his mind as the undead rose above him trying to kill people, they were a natural reaction of the Goddess of death who was here for an eternity. "I think some questions first before we decide on anything, not that we don''t trust you it''s just that we don''t know you." He stood up slowly, holding his ground as he felt his entire soul quake, speaking the Goddess of Death was causing a feeling of massive regret, his basic instincts screaming at him to run. He knew one thing and that was this woman could kill him quickly enough. He felt his breath catching in his own throat, his soul wavering before he felt his shoulder brushing with Bull, his so-called Brother at arms standing side by side with him. The twins flanking on either side as Azo let out a relief-filled sigh as his comrades and friends stood beside him even in the most dangerous situations. Aelina stood silent, the rattling of the chains slowly echoing inside the room as she watched the people, her smile softly growing as she knew the woman had done a good job, she always regretted the fact that the woman had the right to stand by his side. Now she knew why she was someone with incredible talents and power that could get things done. "Ask the questions, I will answer as much as I can. You have roughly fifteen more minutes before someone arrives and if you have not left, then it will all be lost." Azo felt this wave of information hit him, the time limit making his brain work faster as he had a few fundamental questions to get past first. "The first question is how do you know that the church already is coming here and knows about us?" He would take a breath as he decided to push out questions. "Second, why has the church just left you here for anyone to find you?" He would bite his tongue, lightly hissing as he tried to think of the correct way of saying this. "How can you even prove to us you are Aelina and not just some ancient undead creature?" Aelina smiled briefly as these questions came rattling off one by one from the man, he was indeed a smart individual and was wise for someone like him to be in charge of a team like this. "It''s simple as I was captured over a few hundred years ago, chained here alone without anyone''s intervention. Left to my own devices I managed to raise an undead army, my goal to free myself and escape my bonds." "It''s a shame that as I was about to free myself, Saleh was reborn into this world. She came and stopped all my plans rather quickly. This vortex as you call it is not a place for the empire to send prisoners. It''s to take excess magical energy from the largest area possible to fuel ancient spells to keep these chains in place so I can''t escape." "The next part is that the undead aura I give off was contained within this area due to this spell so that I cant create undead except for a few small locations near me. Lastly, the magic used is one of the most powerful, Gods use the power of faith to do divine magic, which is why the church operates above us. I feel like something has gone wrong in the past few years as the quality of the spell has weakened. I may be able to do one spell at this rate." "Due to the systems that Saleh put in place though. They watch this room and have warning spells at the seventh level which are silent. I can see them, but I doubt you can. They will be coming and have already seen you all with clairvoyance spells." "Lastly If I were a simple ancient undead creature, I would die still too massive injury or magical dispel at a high level. The church hates undead, so if that were the case, I would already be dead. As the Goddess of Death, I can control who dies and who lives if I want I can stop you from dying though It''s a fate worse then death. Which is why I still have yet to die." Azo listened to this extended set of words, his mind racing as the pieces began to fit together, Bull standing next to him seemed confused, and the twins held neutral faces as Azo just shook his head as he knew he needed to leave this place. "What can we even do to help you. If you are a god then why would we ever fuck with Saleh, shes won as you are stuck down here to rot. Whoever fucks with a god is going to have a terrible time." "Saleh is blind; she does not see the strings hanging all around her, I can''t warn her as she is blinded by anger, rage and corruption of those around her. I know one person who can stop her, he''s the one person who will resolve all these issues." "This is the reason I need you to take a message to him, he should be in the western part of the vortex and will be likely stirring up the place as he''s not a man who simply hides." "You want me to go west and randomly find one person. Who is this person anyway?" Aelina stared at him for a moment, considering if she should tell him the full truth, she hated to lie to someone who was a possible aid. "He''s a God, The most powerful god to walk this planet and I can assure you that the Creator god watches through his eyes." Azo let out a sigh, giving up as he knew that nothing he could do would fix this issue. His best bet was to trust this woman on face value if the church already knew his face, then he was undoubtedly doomed anyway and he had to pick the side that did not want to kill him. "You have a deal. What do you want me to say to him?" 45 C45 Heart of Death Azo felt his back sticking to his shirt, the robe over it heating him up, even more, he was surprised when he looked to both the twins and Bull who seemed to be keeping the sweating to a limit as he waited to hear the response. Aelina stared at them for a moment, eyes adjusting as she took a moment to think, her eyes slowly closing as she made her choice. "I trust you all; I have little to no other choice now." Azo felt a stinging pain in his mind, a voice penetrating deep within his soul. ''I''m speaking to you directly. The church can''t hear me now. I''m giving you something, you will find it inside the bag that was provided to you before. Ask no more questions and play along. My survival depends on you, Azeth Kenth." Azo felt his face flush, the words fading as he kept his composure, his pocket suddenly feeling slightly heavy as he looked up towards the woman, he swore he could see a small light glow briefly inside the woman''s chest before fading. "What words do you want to deliver." Azo spoke those few words, trying to play along as best he could. "Find the man to the east. He is easy enough to find as his legend will grow. His power is that similar to the heavens. When you find him, tell him I''m stuck here trapped, please." Azo nodded his head, understanding the message. The deal was changing rapidly in just a few minutes as he felt the weight of the stone inside his pocket, panic running wild inside him as he looked to his friends. "We best head out, if we don''t leave now then it''s going to be a problem." "One last thing, On the tenth floor you will find a small exit that is at the bottom of the ravine. The location of all the dead who have been tossed off. Use that to escape the city as they will be looking for you above and it will take to long to climb." Azo nodded again as he quickly moved away, his team following him as they rushed back eastwards towards the escape, running along the corridor as they began to flee and start the new mission they had received. Putting the stone to the secret entrance, the door sliding open as the team began to retreat, Azo sending a silent prayer to the woman in chains. He knew that while it may be only a few more months or years at maximum to get her out, he still felt the guilt rising in him as he sprinted away with his allies. Several Minutes Later The rhythmic tapping as the northern doors opened, several members of the Dusk Order rushing inside with blades drawn, only to find nothing changed, a larger gentleman with a massive white beard, his age getting close to his seventies, body supported by a crutch as he hobbled inside. It was clear that he looked somewhat annoyed as his dull brown eyes looked up at those massive green eyes. "Aelina, what did you do. It''s pointless to try and tell people you are here. We will kill them." The old man moved up the steps, his eyes looking to the entire book as he just laughed, happy that they had not taken the tomb with them. "You are such a small old man, placing his trust in magic he does not understand..." Unlike before, Aelina''s voice was not steady and pained, this time it was soft and raspy the same life energy stopping her from dying was gone as it sounded like she was on death''s bed. "What did you do." The old man hissed, clearly annoyed that this undead monster was enjoying herself. "Simple, I know it takes nearly thirty minutes between teleports. Since you are here, the clairvoyance must have worn off by now. So I can say this without any rapid response going out. I''ve waited so many years to destroy that smug face, and when you finally die, I will play with you oh so well." She said as her smile grew, body starting to sag on the chains as she let a sigh of relief. "What did you do you wretched undead beast!" He would continue to scream to no avail as Aelina sank against the chains, body refusing to move now as she finally had passed along her heart stone. Her eyes were slowly closing as she let out her final breath and her final prayer. ''Father, save me... Please'' "Hey! Are you listing you undead monster!" He would continue to shout before he felt one his acolytes moving up next to him. "Father Andris. She is no longer admitting death energy, the chains of all father have also stopped admitting light." Andris felt his heart pounding as he stared at the woman, his eyes grew wild as he clenched his jaw tight. Whatever the woman had secretly done with the group of adventurers had caused her to allow herself to die, after hundreds of years she had placed her faith in four people. "Fuck! That bitch tricked us, waiting for us to arrive. Quickly send a message upstairs to the rapid response team, tell them to mobilise the sand Izuaz''s to track them down. I want them brought back alive!" Azo, Bull and the twins finally managed to pull themselves free from the stonework, having pushed aside the entrance, secretly hidden against one of the side walls. Luck had fallen on them as they had managed to find the opening due to the skills of Renade as she noticed the slight crack and the mechanism to open the door. As they pushed themselves outside, the sunlight bathing them as Bull let out a sigh of relief with the sunbathing his face. Azo turned to the group and would shake his head. "I''m sorry everyone. I dragged us into this; If I rejected this visit, we could have saved ourselves some trouble." Bull moved up to the man, his hand grasping his shoulder. "Well, we won''t be getting paid now with the church on our ass. You owe a shit load of money. We won''t let you go till you have paid us back!" The twins nodding as Azo felt tears coming into his eyes, a laugh escaping his lips as he bowed. "Thank you, everyone." 46 C46 The Encroaching Sands Twenty-Ninth of New Coming of the Year 997 - Outside the town of Baski Nathan felt like murdering them all, his body numb as he had ridden on this carriage for six days, besides the random massive sand beasts he spotted off in this distance he could see nothing else, it was just dune after dune after. He felt like he needed to destroy this entire place, it was so dull and boring without a single way to relieve it. He had hoped that a beast would come and attack him, but each time one seemed to come close, it quickly turned away and fled as fast as possible. Other than Nathan who seemed to be slightly bored. Kaye, Ameria, Kai and Auryn had spent time on this journey. Everyone on edge as they saw so many wild massive beasts that had a chance to swallow them up and spit them back out. During long journies, it was normal to use distinct paths cleared of monsters. Sadly the area they had arrived at was not one of the designated regions to get a unique path which was the main reason they had seen so many large creatures. Ameria looked to Kaye with shock a few times as she noticed the calm nature of the man, her surprise came double so when she saw Auryn who seemed as quiet, sitting next to the same man. They both gave the vision of perfect relaxation. Sadly this was not the only thing that Kaye and Ameria felt annoyed by; the next part was that after a few days they started to smell somewhat sweaty, not showering had caused everything to start smelling funky. While they were used to such a thing, they had comfort that everyone would start to feel the same. Except that when it came to the others, they stayed pristine. They understood Kai as she was not human, was it even possible for a plant to sweat? When it came to Auryn though, she was not perfect, but she still did not smell anywhere close to the two humans sitting up front, it was slightly an insult as she stayed ever so close to the man who had helped her grow. Then it came down to the man himself; he was thin and somewhat weak. However, this was not something new except that his hygiene was perfect. He smelled normal like the world around him did not affect him at all. Both Kaye and Ameria ground teeth as they stared at the man, jealously clouding them as they wished to have the same ability. Even when Nathan was between them, pulling himself up to the central part of the carriage as he looked out at the distant town, both girls could feel anger rising in them as he smelled somewhat fresh. His hair almost perfect without any grease at all. It was like his body was perfectly frozen in time. "This is the town of Baski. We should be careful as it''s currently under the control of the church?" Ameria nodded her head as she looked over the town for a moment, eyes wandering back to him. "I bet the churches forces have already left which means they will be on the lookout for people like us." Nathan nodded as his eyes looked over the town of Baski in the distance, he bet this place used to be a gem back in the day, now it was on the way out as it lacked in many aspects. Kaye looked to Nathan as she started to give off the description of the town to help him. "Baski is a town closest to the capital in the vortex; it''s a supply line and an important one at that as it connects the north, south and west to the eastern areas. The east is known for its large dunes and difficult areas. Baski is the only town that connects it all." "Baski was set up in the year 992 A.E with over five thousand residents. It''s down to roughly one-tenth of that number now. It had massive farmlands which supported the growth of over towns in the east, but now the farmland has shrunk by seventy per cent due to the desertification of the area." "It still produces fruit, food and high-quality water. The number is decreasing each year due to the issues I''ve said before. We should not try to sell here as its a poor trade option for us." Nathan frowned, this town was apparently on the way out. It was losing its only exports thanks to the sands encroaching in. His sigh is growing as he rubbed his head. "Well, why are they still open if they are already so close to closing." "They do produce water at a good steady rate. Food is becoming less each year, but they still do export some. Lastly, they are an important hub for the eastern area, if they close then every other town will be in trouble." Kaye spoke to him, trying to provide a more detailed description of the town. Nathan nodded his head, thinking for a few moments as he came up with an idea. He did not need to keep this town open in the long run; he could have everyone from this place join his village to bolster forces. They were already experts in farming, gathering and many other similar skills. This would be the perfect place to gather the people he needed. "They do have one industry that is booming, the tourist and trade industry as many traders come past this point, as well as people who are moving to other towns. They also have natural hot springs." Nathan nodded again, listing to this as he made up his mind. "Excellent then we shall make our way to the hot springs. I need a good wash and relax after such a journey. I must reek!" He would laugh as he headed back into the sheltered area of the carriage. Both Ameria and Kaye staring ahead, anger and killing intent flowing from them as Kaye looked to Ameria. "We need to get revenge on him. Mr Pristine, complaining about his smell." Ameria nodded her head as she brightly smiled, both girls starting to chuckle with evil intent as they began to plan the sweetest revenge. 47 C47 The Town of Baski While Baski was a town in decline, one look inside the heart of the city could not give a sense of decline but a prosperous town with many people enjoying life. While the sun was fading into the background, dusk was the perfect time for everyone as the stalls remained open, dancers roamed the streets as celebrations took place as the traders, adventurers and mercenaries enjoyed the vibrant nightlife. Only outside the centre of the city did the atmosphere change, while the central trading area was packed and alive. The outside was dying and lonely, many old buildings on the outskirts abandoned as the sand rolled forward, choking the farmland that used to be so fertile, dead husks of trees that once belonged to the orchards that grew much fruit. Along the many paths coming into the city stood massive pillars that rose into the sky, each one dwarfing the buildings that stood near them. Everyone a monument to a time that had passed before. Nathan sat up front with his companions as he looked at the ruined buildings, sand covering the lands with a sorry expression on his face as he could see the old fertile soils dying out to the sands. "This place is dying out. This place used to have lush farmlands that fed many." Nathan spoke as he looked at the land around him, Auryn looking as well as she felt a pain in her heart. This land reminded her of her heartland in the north, frozen wastes as the snow covered her crops same as the sand here. "Can we do anything to this land?" Nathan looked to Auryn who spoke; he could see her heart twitching in pain as he let out a small sigh. He would open his menu, looking at his current status. ====================================== Name: Nathan Blackrose Age: 27 Race: Arch God Title: Creator God (E), Freefall Expert, The Fool Dominion: 2/14 - 1 In Use (Auryn) 3 In Use (Water Temple Orb), 8 in Use(Sanctuary Valley) Faith: 2300 Words Of Power: (Three) Power Word Bow - (Rank Bronze 25%) Power Word Fertility - (Rank Iron 62%) Power Word Aqua - (Rank Iron 26%) Minor Sub Skills: (Bow) - Bolt Of Unstoppable Might - (Rank Copper - 12%) This ability fires a single bolt that is unstoppable by non-divine beings, If non-divine being lives after the blast then they will be permanently terrified around the caster. Major Sub Skill: (Bow) Lord Of That Which Falls - (Rank Bronze - 8%) This ability allows the user to redirect any ranged weapon that is fired in your presence, non-divine beings cannot stop this process. Current Relations: Auryn Zey - Eria Elf - Fertility Vassal Current Loyalty - 68% Status: Healthy Current Missions: - Primary - Increase Followers to 10,000 - Secondary - Increase Vassal''s to two. Create a Miracle Extra Abilities: Admin Menu: Locked ======================================== He kept his eyes on the amount of dominion amount, the small amount remaining did not allow him to do anything permanent. His plans would not allow him to even help this place as he wanted all these people to come live with him in his own land. "Auryn. Anything we do here will not last. The power of the Goddess of Dusk is the reason the land is choking. We really can''t do anything too permanent till the walls come down and the vortex becomes free." Auryn looked to him, clearly unhappy with this response, her heart still hurting as she wanted to do something for these people. She would stare at the God with faith as she knew if it was someone like him then maybe he could. "Auryn, please that look is making me nervous. I have some plans but this life here is doomed without heavy intervention. I''ve only recently arrived and the best bet would be for these men and women to come back to our sanctuary." Auryn nodded her head, looking up to the man with respect as she continued to look out at the wasteland around her. "I want a place with no worries and problems. I want a place were people can finally settle down and live without having to fear and run." She spoke while looking dead ahead, her voice filled with worry as she simply wanted what was best for the people under her care and her entire family. She had a plan right now and she would accomplish what she needed to do. The carriage would pull into one of the sides of the street, Nathan Kaye and Kai getting off together as everyone let out a deep sigh of relief, finally in a safe town and able to rest. "Kaye, do you know which place has the hot spring." Kaye looked at the man as she then looked up towards the highest part of the town, sitting on one of the hills overlooking the town was a rather old manor, iron wrought fencing around it with a rather rustic and charming look to it. While looking old it still was maintained and looked weathered but nice. It''s trees full crimson red leaves that hung from the ancient trees. Nathan, Kaye and Auryn followed along, leaving the remaining two to store the carriage for the evening. Following the path up to the estate, two guards flanking the entrance. As they approached the iron gates slowly began to swing open, guards standing to the side as a group of woman approached them, each one dressed in a white robe with black long hair, everyone almost looking identical in the hairstyle, height, clothing and even movement. Stepping in front was someone slightly different than the pack of clones, slightly taller with long black hair, eyes crimson with hunger and pain as she stared at them. Nathan and Auryn both felt chills coming as they saw these woman, surrounded by magic. Each of them staring at them with a look of hunger. Kaye seemed totally oblivious, all she could see was a bunch of different women, each one with a happy smile. They all looked ready to serve. Each one with a unique and interesting hairstyle that made her slightly jealous. "Kaye, you seem to be happy, what do you see with these women?" Kaye was confused as she heard the strange thing from the man, though she would simply just take a moment to answer truthfully. "Well, they are all beautiful women with different hairstyles, each having interesting but foreign styles of clothing. It seems very inclusive to me." She would look to Nathan concerned, the woman standing at the head of the pack also staring at him with interest as well as the same hunger and pain laced in as she had realised her illusion had failed to work on him. "Because you are seeing an Illusion, Kaye." He sighed as he had nothing against these women, but he knew a trap when he saw one. "They are vampires." 48 C48 Crimson Hot-springs Kaye stared at the man next to her, saying that these people standing directly in front of her were vampires. Scanning the woman she could only see the happy smiling faces, the welcoming attitude and the friendly nature. She had heard vampires could use some magic and illusion magic was something that could disguise someone, making it almost impossible without a magic caster to tell for illusions. She trusted the man standing by her side as she turned to the group. She had heard from others that vampires destroyed towns and villages, they drank the blood of victims to restore life energy, they had a reputation of death, despair and hate. They customarily enslaved, killed and conquered the city''s they lived inside. Fear was rising inside her, she stared at both the guards surrounding them as she noticed hands moving towards the hilts of blades, each second passing as her heart started to skip a beat as her fear was rising like a tidal wave inside her. Her hand was pulling her sword out at the same time the two guards pulled weapons as well. Nathan watched with surprise as he saw the guards and Kaye pulling weapons, the woman ahead of him staring with hunger as he gave a soft smile to them. He had to be careful in his next move as he did not want to cause any issues, vampires had excellent uses and had a potential to become a perfect part of his army. Auryn still slightly unsure as to what was happening but her mind did not hold the same hatred as Kaye. She saw both guards also looking nervous as they had never encountered a situation like this, both of them knowing clearly that the woman behind them bore fangs. "Well, I think we should take this down a few places. No need to pull weapons." The taller woman was standing at the head of the pack, eyes staring at the man as her lips turned to a smile, eyes looking at him with interest as she started to speak herself. "It''s interesting you would think that most people hear vampires and they assume we have come to destroy the city and kidnap everyone. You found out and remained calm. May I ask why?" Nathan took a few steps forward, his smile growing as he looked at each of them with a friendly, warm and loving nature as he continued to smile. His attitude causing all the vampires to look at him with curiosity, a stranger to the emotions that were shown by him. "Vampires are divine creatures. But they are not in decline because they can still get a source of energy from others. They are stable and still active. You can''t blame me for not showing such emotions. Please, My name is Nathan, and this is Auryn and Kaye." The first vampire stared for a few moments, seeming confused by the words coming from his mouth, most people considered vampires a parasite than an actual divine creature similar to the Eira or Bothanicals. "You make it sound like you are our father who is slightly concerning since vampires are not born but created." Both Auryn and Nathan looked to each other, smiles coming to their faces as they began to break out laughing, both the guards and Kaye confused as weapons became placed back into sheaths. "Our Mistress would like to speak to you." The vampire would softly speak as she bowed, the group of vampires splitting apart to flank each side as the main one began to move down the line. Nathan following with Auryn right behind him. "Oh, Kaye please get the others to come here. I trust that you all will not touch them in anyways and allow them to relax?" The vampire nodded to his request as Kaye stared at Nathan, her nervous expression evident as quickly turned around, sprinting down the hill as she was going to find the others. "I see you guys have gained hate since the war of the gods." Nathan commented as he continued following the woman, the vampires following him inside as Auryn stuck next to his side, saying nothing about the situation. Delina Seyist had spent the last few years in the vortex, having found her way inside after hearing about the many vampires trapped inside, starving and hungry. Her soft small hands were taking a cup as she pulled it to her lips. Delina height was roughly 6''1. She was the oldest vampire currently in the world having spent almost Eight hundred years here yet she looked closer to thirty. Her long curly crimson hair was cascading down her back with abundance. Blood red eyes that seemed to hold the wisdom of the world in her gaze If you''d compared both Auryn and Delina, while Auryn was a refined beauty with an innocent and lovely nature, Delina was more towards the naughty side of her beauty, perfect skin with a curvey body that filled out in all the right places; she was a pure temptress. Wearing a black dress that seemed to hug every part of her sculpted body, she had been personally turned into a vampire by the Goddess Aelina and had retained that beauty through the many years that she had experienced. Currently, she had spent so many years in this town, enjoying the feast of those who came through. Any feeding from the locals had been eventually stopped by her, favouring the wealthy business people. Vampires had the perfect ability to enter into people''s memories and replace negative thoughts with pleasant ones. They also could influence a partners body, pain to pleasure and the reverse was also true. "M''lady, we have someone who has come, he is able to see past our illusions without any magic himself, he''s wearing strange clothes and looks rather similar to a starved traveller." Delina began to laugh as she had heard a similar story often enough, being hungry in this place was not a first. She started to pick up her cup, slowly lifting it to her lips as she continued to chuckle lightly. The woman addressing Delina nodded her head as she looked back to the entrance, apparently speaking to the woman at the front through telepathy. "He said his name was Nathan and his guests are Auryn and Kaye?" The only sound next was the sound of shattering of the cup that had been in the woman''s hand, her eyes turning quickly to the woman as Delina''s eyes fixed onto her. "Invite him in quickly and also make sure the other women know that if they offend that man." She would take a breath as her lips curled into a smile with a hint of pleasure coming to her lips, like a cat who just got the milk. "I will kill them myself." 49 C49 Inside the Den As Nathan entered into the manor, the rooms stylised towards a more Western Europe style, closer to his own home country than anything else. Coming into the main parlour with two stairs on the left and right leading up to an overhanging indoor balcony, pillars of marble holding up these second story balconies. The whole manor decorated with artwork, historical items such as armours, weapons and artefacts. All of these items would fetch a rather excellent price on the market, many of them worth a hefty price but to Nathan, they were mortal relics that held nothing of importance. Why would he be interested in a flintlock when he could get an automatic rifle with many attachments. The vampires also would note his disinterest in such items, gossiping each other as many of them came to the front to see who was attending. It was clear this place was full of vampires, in the main entrance hall a few dozen vampires watched with interest. Many eyes had landed on Auryn, clear who the primary target would be for some fun, each vampire thinking about plans to try and grab the woman for some extra entertainment. It was to easy to see that they used the business to feed. Whispering between the vampires began as everyone seemed stunned, instead of heading straight ahead and past the double doors to the visitor centre, they went right and into the staff doors. Vampires were losing hope as they knew that this meal would not happen if they were heading to the Mistress. The carpet leading them ahead was a bright red with stitched black patterns in the rug, it was clearly hand designed and had taken a reasonable amount of time to finish such a long pattern. Walls still with many paintings instead of the armours, weapons and artefacts that were in the previous room. Eventually, they came to one of the last rooms along the corridor. Opening the door would reveal a room filled with paintings with a large window with blackout glass which seemed to be inscribed by enchantments, which were to protect it or stop people from looking inside this room in the manor. Two sets of furniture stood opposite each other with a coffee table in the centre. Under it, all was a large rug that was the same colour and design as the previous area. Set on the table was a set of saucers and teacups, a pot and some bowls of sugar cubes. It was an excellent room almost like this place should not exist inside the vortex at all. "Please take a seat in here. I''ll bring the Mistress here for you." Nathan moved inside with Auryn behind him, taking a moment to look around before his eyes focused on the woman who brought him here, his voice clear as he gave her an explicit instruction. "Let the other vampires know. My friends are off limit, and if I find anyone has attempted to hurt my friends, I will make a forest of devouring beast plants to consume them." His voice, smile and body showed that he was having a joke, the aura coming from him seemed to push in the other direction. While the vampire did not agree, she would quickly retreat to the door, holding the frame. "No worries Sir, I''ve been instructed to let you know that we will provide them with the best hospitality free of charge without any extras on the side." Nathan nodded his head as he took a seat, allowing the woman to exit, his hand moving to fill one of the teacups full as he let out a sigh, the tea smelled rather good. "Nathan, are you not worried the vampires are not going to turn around and try something funny." Nathan was already drinking down his tea as he looked at the Auryn with curiosity before letting out a small laugh. His head was shaking before he patted the seat next to him. "Auryn you need to realise. Vampires are magical and Divine creatures. They can sense the small budding power inside you and are paying curiosity to that. They possible cant even sense anything in me." Auryn wondered for a moment before she would start to pour herself some tea. "So why does that stop them from chaining us down and just eating us, if they sense my power won''t they be curious to see if they can get it?" "Auryn, two types of vampires exist in this world. The first kind tends to be war experts that go onto battlefields. They will charge at you and try to win in a battle of might. The second type is those that work together, settle down and try to draw people to them. Espionage vampires. I''m not worried too much about the second type as they tend to use intelligence more than strength." He finished another sip of his tea as he let out a sigh, clearly enjoying the drink that had been left for them. "In the end, If they try anything I will blow a hole in the side of the manor, I think that will get them to behave. The leader of this place must be smart, vampires of this size must hide well to stay undetected by the church, and these types of vampires normally don''t kill people they drink from." Auryn finished her cup of tea, placing the cup down back onto the saucer as she listened, apparently trying to get all the details down. She had heard of vampires but never crossed them. She had lived a very long time but vampires normally secluded themselves or tended to battle all the time, she was not like that at all which meant she had never crossed a vampire before. "Won''t the people know they are getting nibbled on?" Auryn enquired. "No, they are rather good at editing sensations. I guess they enter into the victim''s room, seduce them with whatever wild fancy they have, normally they use illusions to change the form before landing in the poor person lap. During the fun times of the evening, they will bite and drink. Since they can change the sensations, the pain becomes pleasure which causes an even happier customer." "This will cause the customer to walk away happy, which will repeat the cycle and more people will come which continues the vampires feeding habits. This is why the town that is supposed to be dead with the sand killing everything is a popular tourist destination. In this case, the vampires are keeping the town alive." "The leader must be rather impressive." 50 C50 Old Acquaintances The sounds of heel''s against the carpet, three women moving along the carpet as they eventually reached the last corridor, a smile coming across Delina''s face as she looked at the woman around her. "Anything else I should know?" The two vampires looked to each other, taking a moment before they dared to look back at Delina. "Mistress, he said that if his friends get touched that he will find the person who does so and will make a forest of devouring beast plants to consume them. To quote it exactly." Delina''s face would turn to a smile, her memories kicking in from when she was younger. Her legs were striding as she would eventually open the door, hand rapping on the door as she entered the room, her smile growing as she looked directly at Nathan. Her eyes were looking at the man who still made her heart quake with each movement. She was alive when Nathan was still active. She happened to be one of the few to see his divine will as the creator god, his hands merely creating thousands of people, an entire village rising from the ground with mountains and buildings. She had managed to get close to Aelina during her mortal years to eventually become one of the original vampires. She and her brother Kane would subsequently split and make separate clans of vampires who did different things, but she never forgot this man. The man who held power to do many things. "Well, Nathan it''s a pleasure to see you." Nathan was confused at such a familiar greeting, watching the woman shut the door behind her and leaving her vampires outside as she started to stool over. Her confidence was rather high as it was clear she was a powerful vampire. "It seems you are confused as to why you don''t remember me. I''m not surprised as no one would remember someone who watched from afar." Nathan blinked again, seemingly confused as the woman continued to approach, her body standing directly in front of him instead of sitting across from him. "Who are you?" "I''m someone who has seen the deeds you have done first hand, the weak foreign body with such explosive powers. Aelina told me much about you, and it still makes me shiver each time I remember you doing such godly deeds." Nathan blinked as he realised the woman had seen him a long time ago doing some edits in person to the land, only a few mortals would be old enough to understand such a thing and this vampire must have been one of the few actually to see him during his time creating the game. "I''m surprised the creator has time to come down here with us mortals to play." Delina was more assertive than anyone else, her legs sliding up and along Nathan''s, her body sliding up to his as her red eyes gazed into his. She pulled herself forward as she was sitting on his lap at this point, arms wrapping around his neck as she drew closer. "You gave me chills, and I tried to get so much information about you from the other Demigods. Otherwise, I would not have recognised you. Many people do not believe you exist outside the Demigods saying so. Only those with long lives or immortal beings such as myself remember." Nathan felt his breath catching as the woman was so aggressive. Stunning beauty with a sexual nature that caused his heart to beat rapidly as she approached him, her body pressing close to his as he made sure to keep a cold and calm expression with this woman. "Well, I''m glad you remember me fondly. You are an older woman, and you should not act like a child by sitting on my lap." Delina had no surprise by this, her seduction was powerful, but against a god like this, she knew it was almost futile. The words used made him seem more like a father figure, and the cold stare with indifference only made her heart quake harder. She loved it when people played hard to get; it just made her work harder to get them. She moved closer, her whole body pressing against his as she tried to make herself complete against him, her lips slowly tracing down his defined features before stopping at his neck, she could no longer hide her feelings as her fangs extended. If she could get a small taste of divinity things could change for her group. She licked her lips before she pushed her fangs out, sinking down onto his flesh as she was going to enjoy this meal. Sharp pain, piercing through like a sword stabbing into flesh. Delina pulled back, holding her mouth as her teeth throbbed in pain, it felt like biting into stone. When she had bitten down, it felt like she smashed her teeth into hard rock, if she had not pulled back quickly enough, she might have lost her fangs due to the pressure. Before she could even say anything, her body was lifted into the air, green-like vines covering her body as she was flung across the room, smashing into the opposite wall as the entire manor rumbled, the wall crumbling as the nearby paintings fell from the wall and clattered against the wall. Many more vines sprung from the woodwork and flooring as they wrapped around her, strong enough to strangle her as they contained her. This was the god''s power as her head struggled to turn, eyes looking at Nathan as she wanted to see him using his powers. To her surprise Nathan was sitting calmly, drinking his tea without a care in the world, the power not coming from him, her head continuing to turn as she looked at the other woman who was standing, her cold frosty aura that was filled with life. The power of the gods around her as flowers, grass and even a small tree began to grow around her, pushing the wooden floorboards away, furniture getting toppled over. It was not as potent as a regular Demigod, but it was still strong enough to capture her and keep her immobile. Auryn would roar at the woman who dared to try and attack her Master. "Keep your filthy hands to yourself; your fangs cannot sully the creator god!" 51 C51 Dark Offer Nathan watched the entire process unfold, Auryn''s fury pulling the vampire and smashing her against the other wall like someone hitting a nail with a hammer, his chuckle growing as he rubbed his neck. His body had changed in such a short time, his thirst had died along with any hunger or needing to use the bathroom. While he first arrived here, he felt the thirst and hunger but quickly it had changed into nothing at all. Though his only need that was still around was a passionate one which Delina had awoken inside him. The only reason he had not thrown the woman from his lap was mainly due to the fact he was enjoying it; he had masked it well with his indifference and cold face as Auryn had tossed her away. "I think that is enough Auryn. We are guests here, and I think Delina meant no harm by it?" Auryn''s eyes looked back to Nathan, worry and fear gripping her heart as she would slowly let her power fade, the vines withering before the vampire pulled herself free, moving back over to the seating opposite Nathan as she fixed it up due to the new flowers and small saplings growing out of the carpet. "Sorry, I may have gotten ahead of myself. Wait did you call me Delina! You know my name!" She spoke, her face growing rather excited again as a god of such power knew her name. She felt her pleasure rising in her chest as she almost lept out of her chair and back into the man''s lap, only the glares of the woman next to him kept her seat. "Yes, I was told by Aelina about you and Kane, she was experimenting with her power to see if it was possible to keep someone alive. I''m glad to see you are alive, how is Kane?" Delina kept smiling, she had hit the jackpot by meeting this man, she had a few plans that needed to happen, and now she had someone who could help, though she would still be careful around such a dominant force. "Kane is Kane; he is still out fighting. Last time he was in the frozen north fighting corrupted, killing them is the best workout." Nathan let out a small laugh, shaking his head as he looked towards the window. "One driven by war and pleasure. Yes, I remember that man I think. Bloody battlefields are his home." "That sounds like Kane!" Delina said, smiling like a mischievous child. "I have a few friends staying over Delina; I hope that is fine and I hope you can make arrangement''s to allow them to stay here peacefully." Delina nodded again, apparently agreeing to it as she let out a soft sigh. "Of course. I would never hurt worshippers of yours." Nathan slowly nodded back to her, his eyes looking to Auryn as he leaned back into the chair. "Auryn how about you go back to the front and meet up with everyone. I assume they must be panicking about vampires. Please try and calm them down and I''ll meet up with you all later. If that is alright?" Auryn slammed her hands onto the counter, the table wobbling as it was still on a slant after the floor had changed. "That is unacceptable Master!" Nathan blinked in surprise, waiting for her to continue. "I can''t allow it, this woman is shameless, she will try to seduce you and make a fool of herself." Delina felt two sharp jabs at her, almost feeling shame for once as she was outright caught in this woman''s words. "Auryn, please. We have been on this trip for some time. Get some rest for me please." He gave Auryn a sweet soft smile, watching her face becoming crimson as she stood and moved to the door. "Yes, Master. I''ll do as you asked." She stepped out quickly and ran off towards the front, feeling slightly ashamed but still happy as she loved the man''s smile. Delina''s face became dangerous as the woman left, her body sitting more relaxed into the furniture as her eyes looked directly at Nathan. "So who is the new Demigod. I''ve never seen anyone like that before an no Eria Elf has ever been a Demigod." Nathan relaxed, still holding the teacup as he finished his second cup, unable to get the third one as the pot had spilt all over and across the floor after the powers by Auryn. His hand was moving down to the level as he placed the cup and saucer onto one of the least ruined parts. "She''s a willful one; I could tell she would be perfect to get power. She is still very young, roughly a week I would say with the powers." Delina face became more interested as she heard this, undoubtedly wondering more. "So all the Demigods are similar stories then." Nathan shook his head as he merely laughed. "They all came from the heaven''s; I raised them inside a different realm and domain. Auryn will be the first Demigod born and raised in this world." Delina let out a small smile, brightly grinning as she looked at the man. "It sounds like you see her as a daughter then a woman." Nathan just shook his head as he looked Delina directly into her eyes, his cold attitude giving her a clue about his thoughts. "You all are my children. From demigod to the newborn child. My name is Nathan though; it will be a problem if too many people know I''m a God yet. I caused some commotion with the Church here." Delina moved forward slightly, her fangs poking out her lips. "Oh that army, it came past here a few days ago. It will be about another week before they reach the capital. I assume they will know shortly with messengers riding ahead." "That is fine. I will pull everyone down and crush anyone trying to harm people under my protection." Delina looked him over, lip quivering as she felt weak next to this man, such a strong will made her fidget as she had to decide. "How about an Offer then. So that I can come under you and gain protection, I''m sure you would love a large group of voluptuous loving women right?" She pressed her body closer as she stood, leaning over the table with a smile, her bloodlust evident. "The same group able to murder all of your enemies as well." Nathan looked at the woman, his eyes showing his interest as a smile crossed his face. "I''m interested. What do you need Delina?" 52 C52 What Lurks Below Delina knew the man''s interest; the smile showed as she saw it when she mentioned an army, this gave her enough information that this man was building or was planning on making an army. She leaned back in her chair as her hands clapped together. "Excellent, then we have only a few things to discuss. You know vampires are one of the mythical divine races that require power from a Demigod or more." Nathan nodded his head, his head leaning forward as he put his hands together, fingers interlocking as he then brought it up in front of his mouth, waiting to see what the woman needed from him. "Well, you know that we are still producing new members, that is thanks to us getting an Orb of Deathness from Aelina back in the day. I''ve kept it, and it''s supplied us with the required divine energy that we require to survive." Delina quickly took to her feet, moving towards the window, staring outside at the town as she let out a small hiss. "We used this orb to fill our needs, and we have around 176 vampires living with us, around two years ago we discovered a small den of Ratmen living next to the orb. We cleared them out, but it was too late." Nathan looked at her, loudly sighing as he could already guess what had happened. "Let me guess, the queen of the ratmen became corrupted and started to produce corrupted ratmen, which in turn stopped you from accessing the death orb and producing new vampires. Now they have exploded in numbers underground and will overwhelm any defence you have sooner or later." Delina smiled at all of this, clearly looking depressed about the entire situation as he was right. "You are rather lucky; corrupted beings can''t survive without the Demigods power, they are stuck around that thing. They are possibly eating each other to survive, but otherwise, they will only need the orbs energy to live." Delina came back over, sitting down next to Nathan as she came somewhat close, smiling at him with a flirty and suggestive gaze. "Oh, why does it turn them into monsters?" "The powers that it gives off. The power word that is assigned to it, which in this case is Death. It''s a strong power that changes a person. All the Demigods have changed to become more like the words they use." Nathan sighed again as he rubbed his eyes, looking with worry at the window. "If a person does not have enough willpower, the strength of the power will overwhelm them and take control. Corrupting a person and turning them into monsters. The power words are a tool, but if you can''t control it, then you will become a tool." Delina nodded, sliding closer as she would press her shoulder against his, flirty gaze eying him up as she continued to speak. "So if that is the case then, what about vampires then." Nathan felt the woman pushing against him, her eyes trying to indicate her interest or lust. He had no interest at the moment as he barely knew the woman, maybe he would do something later, but right now he had to take care of business. "Well. Vampires are given a stable corruption to the energy that changes them. Due to the Death spell that was produced and is inside you and the other vampires. While you do not need strong willpower to turn to a vampire, if you are weak at heart then you will die during the spells change." Delina''s arm would wrap around his, pulling herself even closer as she pulled Nathan''s arm between her cleavage, her smile showing as she moved into his personal space. "Oh, you know so much creator god!" "Please Delina, you knew I would answer correctly, are you testing me still?" Delina shook her head as she had a broad smile on her lips, licking them slowly as she placed a hand on his leg. "Oh not at all, I want to make you mine. Either in business, personal or sensual way." Nathan turned entirely to meet the woman, his hand grabbing her chin as he lifted her chin towards him, holding onto her tightly. "I would advise against that; you may get killed by Auryn. It could be terrible to watch you getting torn apart by vines or dryads." His lips were moving closer as he pressed himself even closer to the woman, becoming aggressive himself. "Plus In every relationship going forward. I''m the dominant one, though in private I may submit if the feeling is right." Delina felt her heart squealing in delight, facing going numb as her body seemed to heat up in the wake of this news. She wanted to grab this man and hold him down. Nathan quickly pulled away, standing up and moving towards the door as he let out a small cough. "Maybe we should take care of business before we discuss anything else. I have to clear out some corrupted beings." Delina began to pout as she stood, quickly coming behind him as she acted closer to a teenager than her actual age. Nathan just laughed softly as he knew the reason, the woman thought he was over a few thousand years old which made him many years older than her. This gave her the licence to act like a younger woman which just made him laugh. He was much younger than her which still suited him fine. He loved an older woman more than the younger ones. "So Nathan, what is your plan?" Nathan blinked as he turned to the woman who had come close to him again, leading him out and along the corridor back to the main room. "I have a few plans. Honestly, I need to find out as much information about this world, I need to find out if my children are dead and then try to bring them back." Delina blinked as she looked at him. "They killed each other and many others in the wars, are you sure." "They will listen to me. Otherwise, Father is going to ground them all." System: If the Church could hear you now, threating to ground Saleh the Goddess of Dusk. He rolled his eyes as the system message popped up. ''Worry not system, I know more then you think. Let''s say I can ground you as well.'' He thought, smiling at the idea of sharing a drink with all his children. "Just like old times." 53 C53 Ratmen Hollows Nathan and Delina advanced down the stairs, the sounds of heels clicking against the carved stonework, the dripping of water around them due to the springs above them as the light flickering of the torchlight around them caused to squint in the low light level. Arriving at a broad set of iron gates that had two vampires standing guard, both of them female and dressed in leather armour with massive pikes that seemed to be far too large for the body size, both of them bowing in respect to them as Delina advanced first with Nathan following behind. Inside the iron doors was a massive open cave, it seemed like the vampires had created a plateau with many iron-based, wooden structures and other defences. A quick look would only show one entrance which was a ramp on the southern side of the base. He could see many large pots with a fire under it, archers and many others with the same large pikes. He could tell it would be an almost impossible fight trying to climb up the sides of the walls to get onto the plateau while going up the hill with boiling oil and archers would be another suicide move. "I doubt they have shields or anything similar?" Delina shook her head as she approached the lead vampire. The woman standing at the forefront was wearing heavy plate armour wielding a double-handed broadsword with one arm, her short pink frizzy hair showing she must have used some illusion magic to change the colour. Her face was hardened and strong as she snorted as she looked over the edge with so many ratmen corpses below. She had a towering height of 6''3 with the armour that made her seem freakishly tall herself with no way to tell her figure with such thick armour covering her. Her eyes a dull red as she eventually turned around to bow before Delina. "Madam Delina, no signs of activity today, seems to be quiet." Her eyes would turn to the man who walked up behind her, her annoyance as a single male stood by her side, did he not know his place. "Excuse me, young man, you are new here. Blood Servants stand a foot or two behind the Mistress." Nathan felt like laughing, he knew his current appearance was undoubtedly going to keep mistakes like this coming up, every time he had met someone, and they did not understand him, they would make a similar mistake. Delina sensed the issue on the horizon as she looked between Nathan and Jelia her number two right-hand vampire. If she did not nip this in the butt now, then it would have issues with the All Creator in the future. "Jelia please I think you need to..." "Jelia! That is a nice name!" Nathan would interrupt Delina, who felt fear rising inside her, she was too late to stop the man, and now she knew her image was ruined. "You dare Interrupt my Mistress!" Jelia shouted back, clearly annoyed as she was gripping her broadsword tightly, her eyes staring at him as she felt like turning the man into a pancake on the floor. Delina, on the other hand, cursing Jelia out inside her mind, making this matter worse. "Sorry, It''s a bad habit of mine. I''m here to help with the rat problem. Can you show me the main entrance they are coming from?" "Tei, May. Please show this man the location of the long corridor; he wants to look at it. Be careful you two and leave if danger comes." Nathan followed behind both vampires as they moved outside the gate, only raising it for a brief second before allowing it to drop rapidly behind them as the sound echoed through the room, every vampire staring across the large cave as they watched for any signs of trouble. Both the vampires quickly moved across the ground as they reached the long passageway, which was an understatement as this corridor was at least two hundred to two hundred and fifty meters long. Running down this corridor was suicide for either party, it was lucky that most of the vampires had built on the more massive plateau behind him instead of here, the ratmen used to run down this corridor uncontested. "Are you satisfied, maybe you should come back otherwise injury may be sustained." Nathan smiled to the woman as he reached down, grabbing one of the stones on the ground as he then tossed said rock down the corridor, the sounds of the rock smashing into the ground echoing like a siren as both vampires stared at him in disbelief. "Are you dull in the head! They will be coming soon, Let''s go Tei, I don''t want to die standing next to a human who has something wrong with his head." As they spoke, the end of the long two hundred-ish meters started to rumble, large rat-like creatures charging from the end, hundreds pouring out into the corridor. Each one roughly 6''5 in height with large brown bodies covered in fur, large white claws sticking out, long enough to shred anything to pieces. The odd thing about each of them was the dark mist floating from the ears, mouth and eyes. Each one influenced by the darkness. "Summon Thyself. Senshi!" The bow was expanding from his right hand, the black oak rapidly entwining to make the bow as it formed outside his grip. Few seconds were passing before it took the shape of a longbow with elegance and beauty of an ancient weapon. The string unwinded from the ends as they connected to each other in the middle as it formed the full bow. Nathan''s body was now spilling out the same aura as before, the same might that shrouded him the time back when fighting against the army. The cape of power that made anything feel fear as they looked upon this awe-inspiring scene as the light escaped his body, filling the bow with an arrow made of pure energy, the string pulled back as Nathan aimed down the centre of the corridor, his lips curling as they came closer and closer. One hundred and fifty meters, one hundred meters, fifty meters. "Goodbye corrupted spawn of death. May you be at peace!" 54 C54 Descending Depths A few minutes earlier. Jelia watched the man exit the safety of the stronghold, her sneer growing as she moved up to the edge as she watched him moving along to the corridor, her eyes glued to him as she watched him speaking to the women. "You sure it''s wise to allow him to do this Mistress?" She watched as the man picked up a stone, lobbing it down the hallway as the sound echoed, a few vampires laughing as she knew herself that this man was stupid. He looked weak, and from the sounds of it, this was possibly the man that had come in earlier. She was not worried really as she had never met a guest more critical than the vampire clan, sure that the message earlier by her Mistress was to scare the lower caste of vampires into behaving. Also to make sure they did not drink his blood. "Mistress, why..." Before she could even finish her sentence she felt a fist colliding with her face; her body flung back a few meters as she landed flat on her ass, other vampires staring in confusion as they looked to Delina who had just thrown her fist into the defence leader. Jelia was shocked as this was the first time the Mistress had done something like this, her eyes full of rage as she stood up slowly, confused and concerned as she waited to hear a reason. "You may have fucked up our future relationship." "Why do you care about him, what can he offer us? We never required any aid before!" "Come and watch them. It''s up to you to mend the relationship afterwards." Jelia came up to the edge again, massaging her cheek as it would leave a bruising that could take some time to clear up. She watched in fear as she felt the waves of power starting to roll from the man, the weapon appearing in his hands as if pure magic, the bow drawing many eyes as it became a focal point for everyone. The aqua like a monster unleashed as the power started to flood from the surrounding area, forming an arrow as the bowstring became tight as it became pulled back entirely. When the arrow released it was clear that something was wrong, the sound of air ripping as the shaft broke the sound barrier, waves of air causing everyone to grab onto different objects. Loud screeching, crashing and crunching could be heard only for a brief moment as everyone froze in panic, eyes looking at each other as a few vampires slowly climbed down. Jelia climbed down with the rest as she moved towards the tunnel, eyes looking down it as she felt like her soul was getting drained from her body, eyes slightly bulging as she had made a mistake. "I think you should prepare. I''ve cleared the wave and instilled enough fear, but the rats may try to come out." Nathan spoke with a normal voice, apparently not affected by the carnage that had happened. The long two hundred and fifty-ish corridor now coated. Walls, floor, roof and every free bit of space covered in blood, gore and body parts. The entire centre of the room bright with crimson. Obliterated, annihilated, eradicated. Few of the vampires started to cough, almost sick by this. A few other vampires stared in disbelief as if this was the first time something like this had descended onto them. Jelia felt her knees growing weak as she watched this, she could take on two or three ratmen at a time when fighting on the similar ground, most vampires maybe could fight on par with these scary creatures as they mutated, infused with corrupting divine magic. This man had destroyed hundreds if not thousands as they crawled through this corridor, trying to kill the one who had trespassed. Every single one dead, most fully destroyed with those on the outskirts turning into paste. Nathan turned around, his legs taking him over both to Jelia and Delina, one looking proud while the other seemed to be regretting everything. "Look young woman. Do not regret and bash in self-defeat. Just know that what you see with your eyes can easily be deceived. If I were an assassin, I would have easily killed you." He placed his hand on her shoulder, picking her up as he smiled down at her. "Look, learn from this. I do not blame you at all as the intentions were to keeping your Mistress status. Please try to be more aware." Jelia nodded her head, pulling herself up as she straightened her back, hand onto her chest as she would scream out. "Yes, Sir!" The other vampires saluting to him in respect as Delina seemed to giggle with this kind of connection. "Nathan, what do you plan to do now?" Nathan turned to look back to the hole, his smile growing as he held onto the bow. "I''ve got to clear out some rodents. It''s clear what the next plan is." System: Godly Act - 800 Faith System: Godly Act - 1200 Faith System: Corrupted Slain - 965 Faith (1 Point Per Slain) Nathan smiled as the woman had given him some points for this, he would shake his head as he just continued to think about the many different types of corrupted. "System, how much points can I obtain per corrupted killing?" He turned to look down the corridor, watching one half dead man crawling away from him, both legs and an arm destroyed as it was still trying to flee to safety. System: Per corrupted kill is one point, except in the instance of higher ascended creatures. He understood well as he walked down the hallway, moving up towards the creature that was desperately trying to crawl away from him, the screeching of pain and helplessness as it knew death was descending to it. "Shush, I''ll end this misery you call existence." He pressed the top end of the bow against the creature''s head; the screaming died as the cracking of bones and skull echoed down the corridor, a small dark oak tree sapling breaking from the body as it began to grow from the corpse. System: Godly Act Gained - 4 points System: Corrupted Kill - 1 point. System: Worshipers gained - 1 Dominion. Nathan continued walking down the hall, silence the only thing remaining besides the cracking of the bones as the tree continued to grow. 55 C55 Into the Caves Jelia watched from a distance, eyes watering as she knew her mistake as she looked to Delina, clearly sorry for what she had done. "No use crying now, remember for the next time. It seems the god is not offended; maybe he''s used to people underestimating him and proving them wrong gives him pleasure?" Both women watched as the rest of the vampires bowed in a frenzy, making sure to keep eyes low as they had to make sure not to upset this man who had entered into the depths below to fix the problem they were unable to resolve. "Ok ladies, let''s get back into the defensive walls and prepare. If that man starts killing and destroying some of the others may try to flee out in our direction." Delina spoke as she started to move back in the direction of the plateau, brightly smiling as she picked up one of the discarded pikes, wielding it ready as she turned back to the long corridor. "Remember everyone, leave nothing alive. Obliterate all!" Nathan continued his advance down the corridor, many marks across the walls and floor which left the area jagged and hard to manoeuvre. It was clear that it was dug out by the monsters themselves, they had dug by chewing and biting through the solid rock. "I''ll need to be careful with more than just the claws then." Nathan sensed many beings around him; it was possible that the creatures hid in the walls around him. The many connecting tunnels around him were giving him unease as he was not sure about this mission at this point. "While I may be invulnerable to mortal weapons, they have been taking the direct power of divine energy. They could pose a threat if strong enough." His arms stretched out as he pressed his fingers against the walls, mind racing as he pulled on the power of aqua, the water in the surrounding rock obeying his command as he forced the water into the holes that the ratmen were hiding inside. He heard the screaming as the ratmen tried to escape, drowning in the water as they tried to snap, bite and claw out of the water trapping them. "Stupid vermin." He focused his power again, the aura erupting like a beacon as the water in many of the tunnels became ice, frozen solid as the sounds of screaming, scratching and movement stopped in an instant. Silence now invaded the area as Nathan listened for anything more, his senses telling him that he had killed everything nearby. Nathan''s footsteps alone as he continued down the corridor, he saw numerous burrows that extended from the main hallway, some filled with ice and the outlines of dead ratmen. Eventually, after several minutes of walking, he reached a large open room, massive in construction and design. It was the shape of an egg with many hundreds of burrows lining the walls. Directly in front of him was a broad corridor leading straight onwards. The telltale signs of something substantial coming towards him as he heard the rumbling, crashing of rocks as he watched a massive Ratman exit out, two heads on his body with four sets of arms, legs so bulky they could crush building under its feet. "My. You are a big one." Nathan smirked as he held his bow in one hand, his other out stretching as he summoned the water to make a platform in the middle of the room, cutting the bottom part of the egg shape with the top. This action allowed both himself and the creature to fight on equal ground but stopped any ratmen under him from taking advantage. He looked above, the many holes leading to different burrows filled with ratmen, staring at him with a pang of hunger that would never be sated. It was clear they had gone mad from this corruption. The massive Ratman entering as its claws sliced a gorge in the centre of the ice, water, and fragments scattering around into the air. The creature screaming as the other Ratmen cheered from the burrows they sat inside, merely watching this brawl match take place. The giant took the first move, charging across the room, Nathan quickly sliding onto his back, allowing the ice to immediately take him away as the giant beast slammed into the wall, rocks falling and shattering against the ice. Nathan quickly spun onto his front, fingers digging into the ice with his free hand as he slowed himself down from sidling straight into a Ratman burrow. Nathan stood straight as he pulled the bow back up, pulling back the string as the power cascaded from him again. The arrow of pure energy forming as the beast began to charge at him still. Kaboom! The force of release caused earth shattering roar as the bolt fired faster than the speed of sound as the area around them rumbled, rocks shaking as the ground began to vibrate. The towering beast dived to the side before the bolt was even fired, knowing something was wrong with the situation. It was a shame that the speed of the arrow was faster than the speed of the beast. Screeching, echoing through the walls and hallways as the beast felt its entire right shoulder getting obliterated, the arrow continuing as it dug nearly three hundred meters into the wall, destroying all in its path, red paste coating the walls and floor around the hole as a new burrow created in an instant. The beast''s right arm was falling onto the floor, the shoulder no longer able to hold onto it as this beast lost an entire side. Its body was falling to the floor as its strength was leaving it. Nathan moved forward towards this beast; it was clear it had lost the will to fight as it had lost an essential limb without even much resistance. Nathan moved his hand up, leaving his bow hanging down in his other hand as he felt the power flowing through him. Fear was coming into the beast''s eyes as it tried to crawl away. Tendrils of water erupted from the walls, the other ratmen in fear as they watched the water starting to fill the beast in all of its holes, quickly inflating its body as it could no longer scream. A few seconds would pass before a horrible tearing noise echoed into the chambers, pillars of ice erupting from the new corpse that used to be the beast, its lifeless body turning into half corpse, half ice sculpture. Nathan turned his head to look at the rest of the beasts. "Who is next?" 56 C56 Fleeing from Madness The air was silent, the beast surrounding him staring at the disbelief. It was a similar power that was deeper inside the burrow, instead, this power was destroying them instead of improving them. This was power stronger than anything they had ever seen. The first time they had felt fear this strong. The rampage was terrifying as thousands of beasts burrowed, fled and ran towards the only exit. Fighting a group of vampires was the better options than fighting a man who could carve out the earth better than them. That weapon could obliterate anything in its path. Nathan watched with disinterest as the beasts scurried away, it would take far to much work to chase them all down. He had a more manageable plan than trying to catch the rats. He turned from the fleeing rodents as he continued down the central passageway. Senshi fading from his hand as he looked on with determination to complete this job. Delina heard the rumbling, explosions and detonations in the distance. She felt her heart quaking as she knew that this was the one thing that made her feel alive again. Jelia felt the same rumbling as she looked at the entrance, keen senses telling her that the ratmen were coming. Her hand was grabbing one of the halberds as she sought to seize everyone''s attention. "Listen to me. Another wave of Ratmen is coming. Pick up a weapon and get to the front. We shall not give them an inch!" Delina shook her head as she stood at the head, holding her halberd, swinging the weapon in her fingers as she smiled. "They are not attacking us sisters. They are fleeing; I can sense fear! It will be a hard fight, but let''s enjoy that they truly fear against something!" Every vampire coming to the front lines, each one staring down at the entrance as they waited for the foe to approach. Fangs poking out of everyone''s mouth as the scent of blood was sharp in the air, everyone ready for the bloody moment to come. "Here they come!" Delina shouted as the first ratmen burst from the corridor, every one of them panicing instead of forming battle lines they merely scurried in every direction. Arrows flew from bows as the first line of Ratmen fell to the ground, shots to the head still providing fatal as they crumpled to the ground. The next line with haste crawled over the dead bodies as they started to creep up the walls, claws digging into the stone as they tried to flee as fast as they could. The Halbards came. Next, the massive weapons were smashing into the Ratmen as the heads became caved in, bodies falling and crushing those below them in the process. The Ratmen who had less fear inside them tried another approach, rushing towards the ramp on the right side of the defence, each one forming up as they ran up the incline. Jelia turned over, her body rushing with the speed of someone of the night and death as she reached the ramp, vampires firing bows rapidly as they picked off opponents with accuracy that put human sharpshooters to shame. "Is it ready?" The young vampire turned, her fangs poking out as her eyes blazed crimson, clearly drunk in the bloodlust. "Oh, crispy rat coming right up!" Dropping the bow as she used both hands to grab the cauldron, quickly other vampires followed suit as hot boiling oil flooded down onto the rats, screeching and cries as the beasts struggled in the oil that flowed all the way down the ramp. "Burn in whatever miserable place you came from!" Jelia quickly took up a lit torch, tossing it down at the Ratmen, one of them stupid enough to raise its hand to grab it, becoming engulfed in cleansing flames as it began to spread rapidly, screaming renewed as the scent of cooked flesh was everywhere. "Jelia, get back to the front with some others. We are going to get overrun. It''s almost the entire pack here. How many did he scare away!" Jelia moved back as she sliced one of the ratmen who had just climbed over the side, almost able to start fighting on the equal ground before getting dispatched. "Everyone pay attention, let them climb but do not let them stand next to us, we need to hold the high ground!" Delina shouted to everyone as the vampires responded in kind, more vampires showing up from the gates as they got locked quickly behind them. Over one hundred and fifty vampires were fighting against an overwhelming force of thousands of these creatures that used to be rats before getting corrupted. Delina sent a silent prayer to Nathan, not for his safety as she knew he indeed would be fine but more for her vampires. The entrance still outpouring with large Ratmen as the walls started to breach, new tunnels into the central area with Ratmen climbing inside screeching. "Hurry Nathan." Nathan continued onwards, his body moving along the main path as he stopped seeing so many burrows. Instead, it became rather smooth as he came into an ample open space with clean walls, floors and ceiling. It seemed to be thoroughly clean without dust, dirt or any vegetation with carved stone. Sitting correctly in the centre brightly glowing with dark radiance was an orb of pure darkness. It only took a few footsteps into the room before a dark cloud surrounded the orb, forming rapidly as a massive beast stood with the globe embedded into its head as it let out a roar. It was like the Ratman before except this one was oozing death energy, the same kind as a god. It''s body three times larger than the previous beast as it hand''s were coated in a black mist that seemed to grow stronger as it stood straight. "I''m the God Mytthicus! You are trespassing on my land foolish one, it''s now time to die!" 57 C57 Fighting the Parasite Nathan watched this massive beast, his eyes glued to the core in its head. It was rare for a magical creature to become like this. Corrupted beings tended to expire after a short amount of time; it was scarce for them to become like this. This change had rapidly changed this creature from a mortal rat into an immortal Demigod; it was clear the transformation has begun but the aura still too weak. "God, you make me laugh. You are just a stuck up Parasite that leeches energy from the stone in its head." Nathan looked at the massive beast, his smile growing as he stepped forward a few steps as he started to pull the power of the aqua around him, water cyclones forming around him as they four separate pillars formed. "God, you are closer to a Demigod, but you are not even that. This power is stolen at best and will be almost worthless, just like your pathetic life. Now roll over like a good rat and scurry to my embrace of death." Mytthicus rage was evident as the loud screech echoed through the halls, his massive body swinging down towards Nathan, death energy cascading from its body as it started to spread across the ground like a vile swamp tar that tried to swallow everything whole. The water cyclones spewed water from themselves, the pool and vile tar smashing against each other as the powers battled against each other for supremacy, currently at a stalemate. "Puny man. Is all you have; then I will defeat you." Mytthicus summoned hundreds of small floating balls of death magic, his hand stretching out as he fired them at the man, the little balls of death power getting shot out like a machine gun. Using his bow, Nathan began deflecting the death energy, his bow created as a divine weapon which could block and disperse the energy with ease. "Is this the best you have?" Nathan let out a small laugh as he teased the corrupted beast, he felt the death forming again, his body still to slow as Nathan pulled away to the left as the death energy built right behind him, the power slashing across his shoulder as he let out a sharp gasp of pain. Nathan took a moment, his eyes looking down at his shoulder. He expected to see blood flowing from the wound, except that was not the case in the slightest as he watched a white mist floating from his injury, the power flooding from him as he gritted his teeth. "Oh, poor man. You smell good though; I will devour that power and become stronger." Nathan felt surprised at his injury. It had been the first injury he had seen like this, all of the Demigods he had tested still had blood, while it was powerful enough to use it was nothing like this. His blood was no longer inside him; this was pure celestial energy flowing from him. What was he becoming, what had he become. Nathan pulled the power back inside him, the wound healing rapidly once again inside as if it had never happened. His eyes were looking up at the creature as his smile had vanished, his playful nature with this beast gone as his hand pulled the bow up. "Aww, is the poor man upset he got hurt. Do not worry you will taste great inside my stomach..." Mytthicus stopped talking as he felt a sharp pain in his ears as he watched the man quickly pull the bow back, releasing a bolt towards him, the echoing explosion as it blasted past the sound barrier. His ears were ringing before he felt another sharp pain, his stomach aching as his eyes looked down. The location in which is stomach was located was no longer around, a simple round hole going straight through as blood poured from his wound, the arrow had pierced straight through him and removed a chunk of his flesh. "You!" Mytthicus tried to scream out his frustration, gathering the power he had just received only recently. He felt something was wrong as he was unable to summon the energy anymore, it was like the power was disobeying him. Several loud explosions came next as several bolts of white light flew at him, the walls behind him exploding and shattering into fragment''s as the pain grew even sharper, his body becoming closer to a swiss cheese as he had several holes going all the way through. Mytthicus fell to his knees, gasping as felt the pain shooting through him, the death magic was no longer responding to him, unable to keep him alive as he was rapidly turning back into the creature he was before. The death energy subsiding as the water smashed into him, quickly spreading over his body as if it was consuming him. "What are you! How can you be this powerful!" Nathan moved up towards him, the water rushing under him as it created steps up to the beasts face. His footsteps were walking across the water as it sped around, capturing the creature inside itself. "You hurt the wrong person. I would have stalled this much longer, but you did some damage to me." Mytthicus struggled against the water, feeling like his body was getting crushed against this water. His eyes were looking at the man as he saw the power floating from his eyes, almost like his body was oozing it. "You are not normal! The power is flowing from you as if you made it yourself!" Nathan smiled again, this time it was more because this creature had noticed, it was too late at this point. "Too late parasite. Rest now in the planes of after all." He had moved up, grabbing the beast''s head, the power of fertility flowing into the creature as he began to rewrite the corrupted, causing the monster to turn to ash as its life slowly ceased. "Sever the Line!" He moved his hand outwards as thousands of bright lights floated from the dying beast, flowing through the walls as each one hurried to find its target. His hand was grabbing the death orb as he ripped it from the body, the rest of it disintegrating as the beast perished. "Rest, in the next life with everyone else." 58 C58 Thousand Light Hope Jelina continued to dig her feet into the ground, her eyes glaring at the next wave of beasts climbing as her halberd pieced into a monster, her strength tossing another Ratman into the ones climbing as she knocked one down from the weight of the corpse. Jelia felt her strength fading with the constant pressure, no rest as thousands of these beasts attacked over and over again, more taking place as she heard her sisters falling around her. "Pull back to the final line. Hold out!" Delina''s shout sounded out as the vampires retreated to the last line of defences, spiked walls and barricades high that provided protection, it became a last ditch effort to hold them off as the beasts had a chance now to attack back. Delina looked around to her sisters as she held onto her halberd as she swung it in her hand, her vampires down to double digits now with the rest injured or even the few dead bodies out in the field. She felt her hope dying out as she knew the number remained in the thousands of figures. Dozens of figures were pulling themselves over the edge, eyes filled now not with fear but rage as they had to fight this uphill battle, claws tearing and rending the defences as another wave charged forward, smashing into the frontlines of the defence. Vampires fending off attack after attack as another wave came crashing down on them, more creatures appearing as injured vampires were removed from the battle and put next to the door. Delina smashed her halberd down, the heavy blunt weight of it cracking a few skulls as she dispatched another small group in her area as she began to massacre as many as she could manage. The claws were smashing, destroying and rending the defences as holes started to appear in the barricades, quickly becoming worthless with each passing moment. Delina was feeling her body quaking as she needed Nathan back here to help against such creatures. "M''lady, the lines are broken now. We need to pull back to the gate and fight side to side!" Delina knew that plan was a failure; they would get rendered to pieces and almost instantly falter and die. Delina looked at the ceiling as she gulped, her voice shouting as loudly as she could manage. "NATHAN!" Her voice hit all the walls, the Ratmen turning to look at her in confusion for a brief moment, it was not till the first golden white light appeared, floating through the thick stone that the battle stopped, the Ratmen confused as this bright light floated down, landing on the head of one of the older Ratmen. In almost an instant the Ratman screeched as its body started to turn to ash, its body falling to the ground as it became nothing but a pile of particles in a moment, three small white lights floating from him and slamming into the nearest Ratmen. The process continued as the Ratmen scrambled away from this, trying to flee as thousands of similar Golden lights appeared from the walls, floors and ceilings. In a matter of minutes thousands of Ratmen became nothing but dust, the final screeching became silent as the room was dead in an instant. "He heard, we lived." Delina fell to her knees, tears streaming down her face as she had felt worried for a moment, life flashing for a brief second as she had worried about the safety of everything. "I should never have worried; he is the all father after all." Nathan came back along the corridors, the silence almost refreshing as he held the death orb in his hand as all he saw was piles of ash, his ability having changed as he knew that this new power was from fertility. "Sever the Lines" He had spoken to Auryn about how this ability was dangerous; it was not just an ability to give life but also able to take it away. System: Sever the Lines Registered into the profile. System: Sever The Lines: Target in sight. The target is rendered sterile. All their children immediately suffer and quickly perish. All grandchildren will then get targeted, then Great grandchildren all the way down to the fifth generation. The only cure is divine intervention or another divine power word to interrupt. Mortals have no method to resist. Nathan looked at the message as his legs crossed due to nervousness as he forgot that this ability also turned them sterile. "Why did I put that into the system when they also die. I think because It''s not supposed to kill the target." He slowly shook his head as he came back to the main corridor, many footprints in the dried blood from earlier as Nathan walked down the hallway. The system had been rather silent about his points. System: You want me to send all the notifications of the points gathered. "No, stop reading my mind as well. That is creepy!" System: We both know that it''s easier this way. "It could be much easier if I had my admin menu." System: I cant. So much has happened and it took so much effort to bring you here. You will understand. Nathan raised an eyebrow to that, his suspicions becoming closer as he knew this was not a typical system, this almost gave him the evidence to say this was someone talking back to him behind the operation. "Well, I guess we shall tell sooner or later. We will need to have this chat at some point and punishment as well as to me getting dumped somewhere without help." System: Not today though! Nathan sighed as he entered back into the main hallway, his eyes growing wide as he saw the entire clan of vampires standing in the opening, everyone bending down as they got onto their knees as everyone bowed deeply, heads onto the ash covered ground as over one hundred vampires paid him respect. Nathan stared in awe as he took a few steps forward. "Ladies, please raise yourselves. You do realise that you are pressing yourselves into the dead bodies of thousands of rats right now." "Gross." 59 C59 Time and Attendance A few Hours Earlier - Outside the Manor Kaye sprinted down the stairs to the manor, her eyes looking around as she eventually passed by a group of villagers who looked surprised. Each one was giving her a stare of confusion as the woman was running past them all. "Sorry!" She quickly apologised for the inconvenience of rushing past. Her head is bowing as she continued rushing past, eventually reaching the stabling area of the town near one of the main entrances to the village. She noticed Ameria and Kai speaking to one the local dealers; it seemed Ameria was arguing more for the fact as both her face and the man''s face were both read, a small crowd gathered as they were in a heated debate. "Why is it over two thousand gold for one night. That price is outrageous. We are simply leaving this in a place with a roof overhead!" Ameria argued as Kai seemed to walk around in circles, clearly annoyed herself but unable to speak out her frustrations, the man shaking his head as he merely shrugged. "You parked it here without asking prices. It''s not my fault. The cost has calculated based on supply and demand. We supply the food, water and care for the horses and protection from the guards for all the goods inside." Ameria stared at the man with disbelief. "The other vendors cost around a fourth that cost, five hundred or so. So why are you telling me that you are worth four times the price!" The man shrugged again as he seemed not really to care, almost as if he had already taken the money since the cart was inside the shed. "Simple, the reason is they are all full right now. You can go to everyone and ask, but most likely you will be back here. If you come back, the price will rise to two thousand five hundred. Again due to the supply and demand as I''m sure other carts will take my offer before you come back." Ameria stared at the man, almost feeling like she could tear this man''s head off. She wanted to shove him into one of the barrels of water and let him drown in it. Coming through the crowd, a tall woman with a dark Elven man coming through the group, cart behind them as the owner of the shed seemed to smile, planning to add some pressure. "Oh excellent, another customer. We have only a few more slots left. It''s just two thousand gold per cart, and we will provide high tier service." The male elf seemed annoyed by the price as well as he stared at the man for a brief moment as he was almost willing to fight, Denoth had heard the argument''s before, and he decided to ignore it. Denoth was roughly 6''4 with a thin frame which was quite common for an Elf, tall and thin like a stick with his almost ebony skin colour, two silver eyes with long black hair that went all the way down to his lower back. His face holding a certain charm that all the elves possed, it even made his scowl merely looking rather cute. The clothes indicating that he was a merchant than anything else, he wore a simple sword with a buckle for other tools on the belt around his waist. The only real defining feature was the large scar down one side which ended at the left ear which seemed almost to have a chunk bitten out of it. Denoth scowled again as he just moved up with the reigns, sighing as he was going to have to spend such a significant amount on this trip, it was going to eat into his business trip. "Fine, I''ll bite, but I want you to know I''m appalled by this." The woman near him stepped forward, her smirk growing as she looked at the man, the light of the inn catching them both as the woman stunned everyone, few men drooling just at the site. The almost six-foot figure, flawless porcelain-like face. She looked Timeless as she had an eternal youth to her kind toned face, long black hair coming down her back, perfectly straight and ebony-like colour. She was a flawless person in body, and her smile sent shivers down anyone''s spine. Everyone around became stunned by this exotic beauty as even the owner of the shed stared. "Mr Jenko. I think you should lower the price." Her voice held a slight amount of frost that caused everyone to shiver, the warm desert not protecting them against the cold words. "H... How do you know my name!" Her movement''s provided grace, beauty and power as she stepped up to him, her mouth softly moving as she used her free hand to cover so only her target could hear. The man''s face turned pale as he felt like his body was going to explode in pure shock, his eyes looking to her as he pulled back. "Demon! How do you know that!" Her face providing a calm rational as she just stared. "I think six hundred is a fair price. Since you know supply and demand is a critical aspect." Her clam smile turned sour as she looked at the man with a cold gaze. "We both know why you will look after these carts right?" The man buckled as he got to his knees. "Six hundred. Please, that is too much, let''s do it for free. It''s on the house, and I''m sure you will find everything to the best quality and standard!" Celorian smiled, her eyes looking at him as she looked over to the other group. "Them as well, it''s only fair as well after all. We should speed this process up." The man was white, like a ghost as if he was looking at a demonic fiend trying to eat him right now. "S... Sure, they are inside already so no problem!" "Excellent. Denoth put the cart in. I''ll be leaving now and remember the advice I gave you." Denoth nodded his head as he stared at the woman, only a select few could see the fear in his eyes as he watched the woman walk away, the advice still in his mind. "Time to go to the hot springs." 60 C60 Budding Business Ameria looked at the woman who had managed to get them the free stay for the cart, quickly bowing as she nodded her head. "Thank you, Madam." She sadly got no response as the woman just continued on her way, Ameria not taking it personally as she just got a free service out of something that was going to cost her a few thousand golds. The dark elf signing a few papers before the grump merchant took the cart inside, locking both inside the shed, as the words before had shaken him to the core. Her eyes were lighting up as he heard the man was going to be heading to the springs like them. Her smile was growing as she approached the man, holding her hand out. "Hello, I heard you were heading to the hot springs, maybe we could join you?" Ameria smiled as she pushed her hand out, the Dark Elf confused as his body turned to the woman, staring at her for a brief moment as he looked her over. "Well, I am indeed heading to the springs. I''ve gotten some extra cash saved so I guess I can rest well!" Denoth gently laughed as he looked over the woman, she was a military type. His eyes were looking at the woman standing next to her as well, including the plant women they appeared similar to Ameria. "Forgive me; my name is Denoth. I do not care all too much for last names so please call me Den or Denoth. I must say you all are very well armoured and armed, military?" Ameria stared at him for a moment; this man had pegged them rather quickly even though they only wore light leathers and had a few weapons. She had an eye on this man now as she nodded. "Ameria, Kaye and Kai" She pointed to herself, then to Kaye behind her who seemed slightly nervous, apparently needing to say something but holding her tongue as her leader was still talking to someone else, Kai ignored the whole thing as she waited for them to continue onwards. "We are guards for the leader of this group, shall we walk and talk?" Ameria started to move before she felt a hand grabbing hers, Kaye staring into her eyes with intent as a sigh escaped her lips. "Please excuse me for one moment Denoth." The man smiled at them, waving them away as he turned to look at the plant woman, war dancers being a rarity around these parts. "So, how did you get this kind of job?" "..." "What do you do for fun?" "..." "Do you speak?" Kai not only blanked the man, she even turned slightly away from him, merely waiting for the others to come back. ''Damn, I guess I was right about War Dancers being cold to others from the intel I got.'' "Kaye, why did you drag me to this back alley, what is so important that we can''t talk while walking to the hot spring." Kaye rubbed her forehead, pinching the bridge of her nose as she looked to her with worry. "Vampires, they run the hot springs. Nathan and Auryn went inside while I came to tell you." Ameria rolled her eyes as she looked at the woman, apparently not all that interested in this story. "Did Nathan appeared all to bothered?" "Well, not really?" "That is for good a reason if he is not worried then we should be fine. If the vampires were destroying or hurting then the town here would not exist." "Yeah, I suppose you are right. I just heard so many things from others about vampires, how they massacre entire army''s with only a few hundred of them." Ameria just laughed as Kaye spoke the last line, shaking her head as she turned to walk out the alley and back into the main street. "We have one man that can do that job for us, so really we should worry more about Nathan then some vampires. They have a cannon while we have a comet." Ameria walked back to the two of them, Kai and Denoth in an awkward mood as they just stood together not talking, a strange tension in the air as she came back. "Ahh, you came back. Excellent shall we head off and continue or conersation?" Ameria again nodded her head as she followed alongside the man, the two women falling behind as they started to head to the manor. "So, what are you doing in this town then. I''m assuming you are guarding a trading caravan, though you are too small to be trading anything much. I''m guessing this is a scouting mission?" Ameria eyes darted to the man as he hit the nail on the head, looking him over as she noted the similar statement from the man. "I''d say the same roughly for you; one cart only means that you are also here to scout," Ameria said "You have caught me on that one. I''m from the Sengi underway. I''m currently on a mission to locate new supply options. I''m only staying in this town for a few days while looking for other sources." "Well, Denoth I can say that I have an amazing deal for you. We were planning on heading to the underway. We are a new town set up, in a valley that has many natural resources. It''s untouched by the desert, and we have food, wood, and water in abundance." Denoth''s head snapped to the woman as he stopped walking, his eyes glinting with the hint of a good deal to be made. His smile was growing with each moment as he started to walk again after getting out of his shock. "Well, I think we can make a good deal. If you have all the natural resources why do you need us then?" "Oh you are far to smart for me Denoth, we are a new town like I said. Tools, equipment, and metals are not something we have. So we need a partnership. Food, water, and wood for tools, equipment, and materials. "Ameria, I can already see this becoming the start of a beautiful relationship." 61 C61 Hot springs Adventure. Ameria and Denoth continued up the steps towards the manor, each step in the setting sun as the light started to fade from this part of the world, every footstep with happy laughter from the taverns and inns from below. While the outskirts died the inner heartbeat with life and joy, it was quite the contrast. Heading up to the top, eventually reaching the manor. The two guards from earlier still standing watch as the gates opened, a woman greeting them with a smile as they entered into the manor again, passing through the main hall and entering past the two main doors inside. Moving down the main hall both to the left and right had a large number of tables of different sizes. A sizable amount of clients was already sitting, drinking and enjoying themselves with some lovely woman next to them. It took a trained eye to notice that the woman looked at the men in a certain way. The kind that saw them as a lovely meal than a partner for the evening which the men and women seemed not to notice, almost in a trace. "This place is scary now that we know." Kaye said as she looked around, every time the group even came close to one of the vampires they stopped everything they were doing, quickly bowing before them, not lifting up till they had passed. "I suspect Nathan and Auryn to be the cause of this." Ameria said suspecting something to have happened which had caused such respect, though when someone with the power to kill an entire army showed up on the doorstep, one usually would take precautions against such a thing. "This is your room, the suite." The one who had taken them this far had pulled them rather deep into the manor; this room was right in the back as the door was unlocked and the keys handed over. Inside the room, the candles burning brightly as each one seemed to have some magical enchantment in the wax, the room was rather large with a large marble kitchen area, sitting area with a fireplace, many bookcases filled with older literature and a cosy atmosphere that granted warmth to anyone coming in. The walls, floor and ceiling covered in thick paper which was hand painted by local artists, each one colourful and beautiful as runes of magic were transplanted between the layers to add some slight movement to the paper. One showing trees swaying gently in the breeze, a grassy field with leaves flying past on the next one. It was room to forget about the harsh vortex and to enjoy oneself in a dreamland. The ceiling painted a bright blue with a few wispy clouds floating past, gentle in the breeze as one could see a small flock of birds flying past as well, just out of reach to see what kind. The floor was grass and flowers; the odd part was that when one entered the room, one having to take off any footwear before touching the paper floor. The feeling of fresh dew coated grass touching the soles of the feet of all who entered. The smell reminding people of the days not trapped inside the vortex or for the unlucky born inside it, Telling people of a different time one with freedom and hope instead of dread and despair. Ameria and Kaye felt their jaws hitting the floor. This room was rather amazing with so much magic, effort and time put into such a place with grand feeling, this was something way outside the budget they could afford. "This is thanks to the man who came here before. Lady Auryn is inside the private hot spring which is behind the large the sliding wood and paper door at the back." The woman moved to the doors as she opened each one by sliding them open. "Each one is room to sleep inside, three bedrooms and you can also sleep inside this room by pulling out some pillows provided, or you can double up in one of the beds. They are deluxe king sizes with silk sheets, satin and curtains as well. Each one is connected to a private bathroom out back." Everyone felt stunned at this; the room was rather stunning in its beauty. Ameria entered into the kitchen as she opened the cupboards, finding so many fruits, vegetables and even cuts of raw meat inside a small ice box which had magical incantations to keep the ice frozen and the meat frozen for longer. "Wait for meat; well everyone I think we will be cooking some meat tonight!" "How about everyone enjoys''s the hot springs, I''ll prepare the food for you all." Ameria nodded her head as she watched the vampire starting to pull out dishes, plates and ironware. Using magical crystals to be heating up the cooking area as she was preparing to cook using just magic itself which was a rarity. Currently, this was the fancy rarity that only the super-rich could afford or enjoy, even she had never received such a high-class treatment. Everyone quickly pulled off dirt, sweat and crusty clothing that had stuck to them for the past week or so, everyone glad to finally get a wash and enjoy the hot springs. "I''ll have someone clean them for you and return them to you as soon as possible. In the meantime, you can wear the silk robes provided in the rooms or the hanger in the hot spring. Ameria moved to the sliding door, slowly opening it as the warm wet air flooded through, the stone moulded floor leading to an artificial hot spring that was powered by magic. Two large tanks on the right-hand side with water for washing one''s self before entering into the hot spring and a set of robes hanging near the door just as provided. "You all made it come on in the water is lovely." Auryn stood up from the warm water, the hot spring still lifting steam into the air as everyone turned, staring at her as the beauty of her body stunned them completely. Kaye and Ameria were blushing as they looked over such a lovely and perfect body, fertility making her become such a beautiful woman with curves that could kill. "What is wrong guys?" Auryn spoke as she was confused as everyone stopped talking, staring at her. "You are so unfair with that power that Nathan gave. You are the biggest cheat!" 62 C62 Emptiness Nathan and Delina exited the underground area, the remaining issues cleared up by the vampires in reserve now that the area had cleansed of everything dangerous and rodent-like. "Thank you. Nathan, you have helped us a great deal by getting the orb back." Nathan was still holding the orb in one hand, wondering about a few things as he looked back at the woman with a small smile. "I can''t give this back to you, this is no longer controlled and will continue corrupting those around it." Delina blinked, staring at the man as she was confused at the wording, though knowing the man''s true identity she could not make any assumptions. "Oh, so what shall we do then. I hope you will not just assume for us to die?" Nathan shook his hand as he held the orb in the other. "No, I will take care of everyone. I filled sanctuary, our home with divine energy which will help, but with this death orb with pure power inside. I have an idea so please give me some time." Delina let out a soft sigh as she nodded to the man, agreeing with him for the moment as she trusted him to provide a solution. "Delina I will provide direct power, I will need this orb for now and some rest. I could use a good wash after getting coated in rat blood over and over again." The woman laughed as she waved over a younger vampire, a petite woman just under five foot tall with small red curls that seemed to flutter. "Mina please see to our lord that he is well taken care of and give him a good room!" Mina saluted as she bounced with a smile, getting a job that involved someone so talented as she rushed out the door, Nathan following behind her as he was led out of the basement and into the central part of the building, eventually reaching the main corridor. Eventually reaching the back area before getting the keys from Mina as Nathan entered his room for the evening. The inside was similar to the ladies as it held the same paintings and design choices, the room had only one bedroom instead of the three with a much larger bed. "So one room, the hot spring is out back, it''s easy and you can go in when you want. I will wash those clothes now personally and bring them back." Nathan looked at the woman, pulling off his clothing quickly as he then folded it up before handing it over to her. His face showing no emotion as he merely handed it all over to her. "Oh wow, no shame as you just stripped right here for me!" Nathan blinked for a moment as he looked at her, standing fully nude as he felt no embarrassment or shame as he felt like something was wrong with this, why did he feel no shame. "It''s fine. Please have the clothing washed carefully, please." The woman nodded her head as she took the clothing and left in a hurry, giggling to herself as she exited and moved away. Nathan stood for a few moments before he started to walk towards the back area, his body carrying him over as he felt no fatigue or pain from the earlier fighting. "Better take off my glasses. Otherwise, they will fog up." His hand reached up towards his face as he tried to grab his glasses, his mind stopping for a moment as he came to realise something. "I''ve not had my glasses this entire time. I can see perfectly." The weight finally hit him as he stood frozen near the back sliding door to the hot spring as his mind raced. He was changing at a frightening pace, each day that passed he had learnt something new that had happened to him. He had felt hunger and thirst the first day but never again after, he felt shame as he hit the ground after slipping from the waterfall and he felt passion when he looked at all the beautiful woman. His hand moved the sliding door open as his vision saw the mist drifting from the Hotspring, four lovely and beautiful nude women sitting in the hot spring''s together, laughing as they ate meat from a platter nearby, wine in glasses sitting next to the spring as they enjoyed it. He felt nothing at all, the passion that drove someone to grab the woman and hold them; it was all gone replaced with nothing. The woman stopped as everyone looked towards him, Kaye''s face lighting up like a Christmas tree as she tried to cover herself. Ameria seemed to cover herself with a smirk on her face while both Auryn and Kai seemed not to mind, Auryn smiling with a beauty that could sway anyone''s heart. Nothing, Empty, Void. He felt nothing. "Sorry for intruding. I thought this was a private spring. I''ll meet you all inside the dining hall for breakfast tomorrow when you are all ready." Nathan shut the door behind him, his shadow moving away from the sliding door as the woman relaxed. "Oh wow, surprised that he just barged in here. Maybe Nathan has a more perverted side than I imagined." Kai shook her head as she just relaxed back into the water, leaves floating on the water as she was floating around like a leaf on the lake. "Sorry Kaye, I do not agree. I saw no passion, thrill or excitement in his eyes. I''m kind of annoyed that his view got nothing from him. It''s like I''m not a woman!" Ameria nodded her head as she looked at the rest, her eyes shifting as she looked over to Auryn. "He is changing, I can see that much, but I do not know if its good or bad. It''s a shame we do not have Feya with us; she knows him the longest." "Let''s just hope this is a change for the better and not the worse." 63 C63 Two for the price of one. Sitting on the end of his bed in deep thought, Nathan looked to his clothes washed and brought to him not that long afterwards, his mind racing as he quickly placed everything behind him. He had so much more to do that he had no time mourn some missing parts of himself. "System, let''s see my current status." System: Opening. ====================================== Name: Nathan Blackrose Age: 27 Race: Arch God Title: Creator God (E), Freefall Expert, The Fool, Exterminator Dominion: 3/15 - 1 In Use (Auryn) 3 In Use (Water Temple Orb), 8 in Use(Sanctuary Valley) Faith: 12440 Words Of Power: (Three) Power Word Bow - (Rank Iron 96%) Power Word Fertility - (Rank Silver 40%) Power Word Aqua - (Rank Silver 12%) Minor Sub Skills: (Bow) - Bolt Of Unstoppable Might - (Rank Silver - 72%) This ability fires a single bolt that is unstoppable by non-divine beings, If non-divine being lives after the blast then they will be permanently terrified around the caster. Major Sub Skill: (Bow) Lord Of That Which Falls - (Rank Bronze - 8%) This ability allows the user to redirect any ranged weapon that is fired in your presence, non-divine beings cannot stop this process. (Fertility) Sever The Lines - (Rank Iron 10%) Target in sight. The target is rendered sterile. All their children immediately suffer and quickly perish. All grandchildren will then get targeted, then Great grandchildren all the way down to the fifth generation. The only cure is divine intervention or another divine power word to interrupt. Mortals have no method to resist. Current Relations: Auryn Zey - Eria Elf - Fertility Vassal Current Loyalty - 70% Status: Healthy Current Missions: - Primary - Increase Followers to 10,000 - Secondary - Increase Vassal''s to two. Create a Miracle Extra Abilities: Admin Menu: Locked ======================================== He stared at the faith that had increased by such a significant amount, while he looked at it knowing he could spend it to gain his next power which was one of the mighty seven. His mind went back to the number of creatures he had slain. Thousands or maybe even more of them slain like snuffing out a candle with a simple blow of his mouth or a pinch of his fingers. He tried to process this, but just nothing came to him, no remorse or regret. It was the best strategy at the time, gaining so many allies was the best plan, and the other side was violent and attacked anything at all. He knew this plan was the best, but something still felt wrong with himself. "It''s too late now to think about this. It was the best plan; I now have enough for the next power word. Let''s get that." He quickly opened the shop as he looked back through the options. ======================================== - Welcome to God''s Store! - Power Word Sale! (Monthly) Bow (80% Discount): 1700 Faith (SOLD OUT!) Fertility and Aqua Bundle (50% Discount): 3000 Faith (SOLD OUT!) Journeying (20% Discount): 10,000 Faith ----------------------------------------------- -Card Effects!- (Monthly) Loyal Vassal (1 Left) (Popular!): 2500 Faith each. Tempory Power Word (3 Left): 500 Faith each. Power Upgrade (2 Left) 250 Faith each. ----------------------------------------------- Vassal Power Upgrades Auryn Zey - Eria Elf - Fertility Vassal Conversion Completion Status - 18% Increase Speed - 1,000 Faith ----------------------------------------------- Legal Items 1. We are not responsible for damage, destruction or loss of property due to these effects 2. No refunds. 3. No discounts for creating the game. 4. We offer no technical assistance, deal with it yourself! ----------------------------------------------- Next Month on the first the shop will rotate the stock; please make sure to purchase all the items you want or need before the end of the month. ======================================== He stared at the vassal powers upgrade, his mind halting as he could increase Auryn''s power at the cost of increasing the conversion speed. In the end, he decided against it. His hand was hitting the Journeying from the store as the system pulled up another window. ''Do you wish to purchase Journeying for 10,00 faith?'' He accepted the charge as the power flowed into him, his body feeling closer to completion as the power melded into him before settling inside him. His eyes opened again as he then pulled out the death orb for the second round. System: What are you planning on doing Nathan with that. "Well, If you were an all-knowing system, then you could tell me yourself." System: ... "See, I''ve come to think about our arrangement. I think I have narrowed it down. You are not a system but a person, I think I may know who but out of the two people I still need to narrow it down. Since that is the case, you will not know about this method." System: Method for what? Nathan pressed his hands onto the death orb, pulling away from the layers of power that had trapped the divine energy inside, his energy pulling it out before absorbing it, his eyes flashing as he felt the energy become one with himself. His mind racing as he felt all the connections to the orb, so many vampires living inside this place. Everyone connected and dependant on this energy to live, it was not a life one would live normally, and with only death magic, it was a half-life that required blood to keep themselves stable. Nathan replaced each strand that connected the orb to each vampire, instead of making it connect to himself as he also weaved other divine powers in with the death energy. He added in both Aqua, Journeying and fertility in small amounts, this difference added could start to change the vampires, giving them each a different source of powers. Some slight amounts of Journeying power could allow them to fly while with fertility they could start producing blood for themselves and did not require to drink from others while the Aqua permitted them to be resistant to the once dangerous water magic that usually hurt them without certain magics already installed. Nathan opened his eyes after finishing connecting all the vampires back to himself with new sources of power, the difference between this and Auryn was mainly the output of a small drip to a flowing river which meant he needed no dominion cost till he had an entire nation of them. "So, did you figure out what I''ve done yet system?" System: You have acquired Power Word: Death 64 C64 We Plan At Dawn Thirtieth of New Coming of the Year 997 - Inside the Crimson Manor Nathan awoke from his slumber, his body cool as the room around him was rather cold after the long night, the sounds in the distance of people working as he heard someone outside the back door. It was clear they were cleaning the pool during this time. Nathan stood up as he moved into the en-suite bathroom, his eyes looking to the mirror as he noticed small but noticeable changes, he appeared slightly taller, and his body had started to fill out somewhat, his malnourished look has become less pronounced. It was clear that the powers themselves had caused his previously malnourished body to grow healthy and correct itself to a natural state. While this seemed like a slow change of pace, it was natural since his own power words never affect direct change in him. He had noticed the difference in many others around him when the transformation process continued, but sadly in him, it always remained the status quo. Nathan left his room as he walked down the hallway, the floor creaking lightly under his footsteps before he eventually arrived in the massive dining hall. It was early in the morning as the sun had just started to rise over the eastern horizon. Nathan took a seat on one of the dining tables near the middle. The few vampires around seemed surprised at him, everyone staring at him as they had felt the power coming from him. While they usually could sense nothing from the man. This time it was different as they had connected to his source of energy. Everyone felt the power erupting from him like a continuously erupting volcano. It only took a few moments before the few vampires around bowed, everyone, getting onto hand''s and knees, praying towards him as they had given them a new lease on life. They had all felt the multiple channels of power entering them, everyone feeling even more alive than ever before as fertility, aqua and journeying magic came to them, few of them still outside flying around with the new divinity. Nathan sat thinking about everything as he heard the chair across from him getting pulled out, a dark elven male smiling at him as he sat across from him with a cheeky smile. "Pleasure to meet with you, I hope you do not mind. It''s rather lonely to sit by yourself, my friend?" Nathan looked at the man for a moment, eyes looking him over as he took a moment to think about the offer. It was clear this man had some business with him; he just needed to figure out why. "My name is Denoth; I''m a trader by heart and an actual trader in Sengi Underway." Nathan raised his eyebrow as he heard this, he was heading to the underway and eventually he had to start a trading contract with them. "That is very interesting. I''m Nathan, and I''m from a new settlement called Sanctuary down south." Denoth''s smile seemed to grow as he picked up a menu, looking over the choices as he looked around, only seeing bowing vampires as he sighed. "What is up with these ladies, so odd." He whispered this before putting down the menu, turning back to Nathan with the smile plastered over his mouth. "Oh, you are the caravan leader then, I spoke to several beautiful ladies on the trip here to the manor. I heard you have some exciting items to sell." Nathan listened as his eyes moved to one of the women bowing, as his eyes connected with her, the woman instantly stood and walked over as if commanded by just a gaze. "Oh service finally, that is excellent." Denoth pulled the menu back up as he started to gaze through the options. "I''ll have the steamed eggs, sausage and bacon with the sauce you guys make especially please." Denoth finished his order as he looked over to Nathan who shook his head to the woman. "I''m fine for now. Thank you." The woman left without another word as she bowed her head in respect to the man before fleeing to complete the order. "May I ask Nathan what items you are willing to trade so that we can make a good bargain with you?" Nathan shook his head as he looked the man straight in the eyes. "It''s not that I''m looking to do just a trade now but an ongoing trade. I have so much food, water and wood that I''m trading for the future. We need everything the Sengi Underway produces and from my knowledge you need everything we produce." "So what I am going to offer you will be something closer to a monopoly as you will be the one I trust for this I will need something in return." Denoth''s face turned from his usual happy smiling self to a frown as he leaned back against his chair. "I can tell you are not a merchant by trade then, that offer is far too good to be true, how can you even enforce that?" Denoth let out a sigh as he leaned further back in his chair, his hopes dashed. "Let''s say that the path to get to our location is very hard; I can provide a way for instant access to and from our site and as long as you can provide all the materials we need. Then you are more than welcome to sell the goods you get from us, and we will not say anything to anyone else." Denoth listened before shaking his head. "But what about everyone else in your area, will they agree to such a thing?" Nathan listened as he was starting to get bored of this conversation, it was clear the man did not trust him and he had to prove his worth before he gained anything. "I think I can prove to you our worth with ease. I''ll show you after lunch." Nathan let out a soft smile as he stared at him. "I hope you dont get sick easily." 65 C65 Racing Against the Dawn Denoth stared at the man for a few moments, his eyes adjusting still to the light as he stared at his features with confusion. "Sickness?" He asked with a brief mind to ask what he was talking about; maybe it was to ask if he got travel sickness which was not the case at all. "I doubt I will get sick since I travel everywhere for long times on horse, cart or even massive beasts." Nathan nodded his head as he watched the woman from earlier come over, dropping off the food as it looked like a massive mound of stacked sausages. Denoth looked at the plate as his mouth felt like dropping to the floor, meat was one of the few luxury items in this place that he indulged on every time he visited, each sausage cost as much as an entire meal. "This is too much; I''m not paying for all this meat on my plate. I just wanted a few sausages." The woman tilted her head as she looked at him, her head turning to Nathan as she nodded before saying. "It''s on the house." Denoth blinked a few times as he decided to eat, his mouth cramming in as many sausages as he could as he chowed down. He looked only up to see Nathan smiling at him as he was eating so much. "Hungry?" Nathan asked as he watched the man overeating on his meal. "When one gets free food you do not question it and eat. We are in the vortex after all!" Nathan laughed as he watched the man finishing his meal, his mind taking a moment to think as he needed to make this man understand, this time he was going to be rather blunt with him, showing him his real power. It only took a few minutes before Denoth finished his meal, sucking down sausages as his life depended on it. "That was some good chow, now how are you going to prove yourself to me, Nathan. If we are going to make this trade deal, then I need to see it for myself." Denoth spoke as he finished "Let''s go then. I must prove myself to the mighty merchant Denoth!" He said while chuckling as he walked towards the exit. Denoth following beside him as they exited into the main lounge and out towards the front of the manor. It was clear that Denoth was eying him like all the other members of the vampire coven started to bow before him. "You must be someone important though; these high-class women do not often show this kind of respect. I''ve never actually heard of them giving respect before!" Denoth spoke as he took a moment to rub his hair, making it lay slightly better after his nice nap the night prior. His eyes were looking at the man who walked with such commanding grace, his aura the kind that told people to walk with him. His appearance was of that needed help or food. Denoth had seen many humans before, but Nathan was one who appeared untroubled with time and was rather handsome if not for the malnourished nature. He hoped that this was not some sort of lie to try and scam him of money as he genuinely liked speaking to this man, it was the sort of talk that reminded him of an old friend. He sincerely wished to become an old friend with this man. Heading outside and into the sunlight, it would take but a brief moment before Denoth let out a small sigh, he disliked the sunlight as it made him feel uncomfortable, while it was not as dangerous for him as his family and friends as the sunlight caused rashes, burns, and even illness. Since he had a rather mild reaction, it was a natural reason for him to become a merchant in the first place. "So you wanted to show me?" The area around them began to shack, small rocks floating off the ground as Denoth turned back to the man, staring at him in awe as he saw rolling waves of pure white energy engulfing the man, he was bathed in absolute power. Denoth watched as the man turned to stare at him, the power engulfing him as the ground moved away from him. His body spinning in the air as he began to cartwheel around, his screams loud enough to wake up the entire town. Nathan was floating up with him at a rapid pace till they floated almost an entire kilometer from the earth. "Let me down! LET ME DOWN!" His screams echoing as he tried to grab anything, only the air greeting his fingers as the tears streamed down his face. It would be another few moments before he stopped spinning around. His body was staying as if he was standing upright on the solid ground. "Who are you!" "I''m Nathan; I already told you that. I may have forgotten to say that I''m a god." He felt his face going pale, Denoth upset that he had gotten tricked into this. His eyes were looking down to the ground as he could only see the town in the distance. "Oh god!" Denoth screamed out. "Yes?" Nathan replied almost naturally. "Not you! I was cursing at the fact that if I fall I will become a mess on the ground!" Denoth hastily replied as he felt fear rising in himself. "Are you ready?" Nathan responded with almost no emotion. "To let me down?" Denoth said with hope "To fly." Nathan replied crushing that hope. Within the next second, Denoth felt his body thrust forwards, his eyes shutting as he began to scream again, his voice starting to go horse as he felt the wind hitting him rapidly as he thought the motion on his body, this was like a nightmare. It was only after a few minutes before he heard nothing at all, no wind or pressure of movement as if he had stopped, his eyes slowly opening as he felt panic but also a slight sensation of joy hitting him. He was flying above the land, his mind free as he felt nothing as both men flew above the ground like birds, so fast that everything below was a blur. "I''m Flying!" 66 C66 Sanctuary Growth The world past by quickly, Fifty minutes already passing by. The dunes were surrounding them below as it was clear the scale of the entire vortex, covering a whole kingdom''s worth of area. In the distance the divine wall placed by Saleh was easy to spot, the majestic white wall that was a few kilometres in height with large floating orbs floating above each tower on the wall, roughly ten kilometres apart each. Flying at such a height one could see past the wall to the lands around, it was clear that they were surrounded by sea to the south, east and west while the north had lush planes past the wall, it was difficult to see much as the distance was considerable. Nathan saw this world with different eyes, this was no longer the same world that he had created, the war had changed everything, and everyone and the past had left behind so much. His eyes were looking at everything around him with fresh eyes as he felt freer then he had ever felt before. "Hey, Nathan were are we going?" Denoth had calmed down after the first few minutes, his screams of joy dying down as he came to terms with this flying, any fear of dying as he saw such amazing landmarks. He watched the man next to him as he had so many questions, how did he manage to pull such a powerful man next to him. He knew why and felt some slight guilt and worry. "We are heading to the town of Sanctuary; I need to show you what you are working for. I do not wish you to underestimate or overestimate our potential and make the best deal for us." Nathan flew towards the location, the speed so fast that the ground was flying past without much detail, the trip that had taken six days was now getting flown to in just under sixty minutes. "We are almost to my new home. It will be another few or so minutes of flying; I hope you can hold on?" Denoth stared at the man as he heard the sixty minutes timeframe, his mouth slightly watering as he was still under the heat from the sun above. "How long does it normally take by foot or carriage?" Nathan listened to the question, thinking for a moment before he looked back to him. "Roughly six to eight days, we got lucky and found the correct path. Thinking back on it I can say we may have been able to shave a few more days from the trip with a separate passage but danger still exists." Denoth felt his mouth hitting the floor, travelling almost six days in sixty minutes was insane. His profits could increase by so much if he were able to move so far. "If that is the case, it will be almost one week and a half of travelling; It took me ten days from my home to Baski, it gets harder each trip with the roving monsters wanting to eat everything that moves. Trade will be very hard." Denoth''s eyes were looking back to the ground as he could see the southern wall approaching slowly off in the distance. "I''ve got a few plans for that; I can make instant gates to teleport people between locations. It will cost some of my power, but if it''s for this trade, then I think I can manage." Nathan responded as he knew the town was coming up, his eyes watching the horizon as he felt his power-up ahead. "Wait, teleport and gates. What are you talking about?" Denoth seemed confused; he had never heard of any magic that allowed this sort of movement, he knew that tier 7 magic could allow flight which was almost ten to twenty times slower than this. "Simple, I can set up a portal that allows people to enter and instantly transport between two locations. It can transport goods, people, and even large beasts through it." Denoth was amazed as he continued to blink, wondering what other sorts of power this gentleman had. "The town is ahead, please have a look." Nathan pointed as they slowed down, rapidly descending as they landed onto one of the rock outcroppings above the valley, his eyes growing soft as he saw the place he first attended, feeling some emotion for this place as he saw people working hard. The fields filled with people picking, cutting and taking out fresh fruit and vegetables. He even saw several hunters exiting and moving around the massive woods as he also saw one or two exiting with brown and silver rabbit-like creatures. The one main difference was the large building in the centre of the town; it was very large oblong like building with the entrance facing towards the south. It was clear the building was constructed using some magical properties, and the only reason it was finished so quickly was that of rushed construction to allow everyone a place to sleep inside. No windows, other floors or even separate rooms as it was a necessary dorm building. "That building seems rather average, was it here when you arrived?" Nathan shook his head as he turned to look at the man. "No, It was built maybe in five or six days I''m guessing." Denoth stared at the place, his eyes wide as he saw the massive fields of food being picked, the enormous river of water that could provide endless drinking supply and finally the forest that seemed broad enough to take wood for an eternity, the trees three times larger then any other tree he had seen in his life. He turned as he got down onto one knee, his head lowering as he felt the need to prostrate to this man. "Nathan, I will do what I can to secure this place with tools, supply and other items that are needed. Please rely on me and allow me to live in the town!" Nathan moved over to the man, his hand reaching out as he pressed it against his shoulder and pulled him up. "Consider it done, Denoth." 67 C67 Splitting Up An Hour Later Nathan and Denoth arrived back at Baski, Denoth still looking slightly pale after getting thrown around in the sky like a leaf on the wind, his body quivering as he finally touched back onto the ground. "Sick, you should get used to flying around like a bird?" Denoth slowly raised his hand, waving it at him as he let out a groan, his stomach trying to heave up as he was sure the man had flown faster than before. "Fuck you; I care not if you''re a god that was horrible. Dark Elves live deep underground and not in the sky like a bird thing." Nathan looked at him with some confusion as he came up to him, his hand patting his shoulder as he let him rest for a few moments. "It''s going to be ok." Denoth stared at the man, no emotion on his face as he just patted his back like he just lost his family. "I''m slightly airsick, not that I lost my entire family in a tragedy." Before the conversation could go on any further, three women approached the group, leading the pack was Delina followed by Jelia. "Nathan, how was the morning air. I hope you had a good flight." Delina said with a mischievous grin on her face as she approached, her body getting to close as she pulled her body exceptionally close. Her eyes were fluttering as she looked up at him. "So, maybe we could have a more intimate talk. Just you and me?" Delina''s arm wrapped around his, pulling his arms closer as she moulded herself against his body, arm pulled between her breasts as she felt the need to feed rising again. The need to feed as she stared at the man''s neck, unable to sense a pulse but the power below him was intoxicating her at this distance. "If you bite me, I can''t guarantee that your teeth will survive." Nathan responded as he stared at her. It was clear he knew what she was going to do. The look on her face, her body getting closer and the fangs poking out of the bottom lip was a definite sign of hunger. Even though after giving them the power they did not require to feed anymore. "If you are nice to me as our new master, then you should allow me to nibble every now and again right?" Delina whispered to him. Nathan looked at her while sighing, rubbing his head as he tried to think of the best way to explain why that was a terrible idea. "If you try to bite me, imagine you trying to bite the top of a lit torch while trying to bite the flames as well as the entire torch." Delina let him finish talking as she moved closer, her lips kissing up his arm as she reached to his side. "That sounds hot." Delina said with a smile, lips pressing together in a cute pout. "Hot as in you dying within three seconds and become crispy bacon vampire strips. When the power hits you, it''s like putting your face into a blender." "What is a blender?" Nathan let out a sigh as he forgot he was not in the real world, unable to use that to teach her about not eating him. "Trust me you can''t eat me, and you should never try." Denoth stepped forward, his face even paler than before as he looked at them all. "Wait, Vampires?" He looked at them before letting out another small sigh. "Is it just you?" Delina shook her head as she smirked again, clear as day that she was about to enjoy the next words. "Oh no, every one of our staff is a vampire, the lovely woman Theyi that you enjoyed last night also really enjoyed you." Delina looked like a cat who was lapping up lovely milk as she watched the man growing paler by the second. "What, Oh no. Every time I came for her, Theyi was drinking me." He quickly felt the blood rushing to his head as he tried to put the pieces together. "Well, it helps our customers and ourselves. Let''s be fair you enjoyed every single time right?" Delina was still smiling like she was pulling the man''s teeth because of his stupidity. "Of course I did. Still, I would have liked to known." "If you had known, you would not have gone for it, which is why you got such amazing pleasure." Nathan covered a hand over her mouth, looking to Denoth who seemed squeamish and annoyed as he wanted to escape. "Denoth go back and grab your things; we are going to head out now so its best you get ready." Denoth took this chance to quickly escape as he walked into the manor to collect his items and leave while Nathan and Delina stood together. "Delina, cut him some slack as I need him. May I also ask what you are planning?" Delina smiled as she pulled away from his hand, looking at him with a smile and a wink. "Easy, I''m going to get my vampires, and we will head to that town of yours. We have magic that can help with construction and a few of my girls know binding magic so we can get that done, what about you?" Nathan nodded as he started to walk inside. "I''ll be heading out to the next town. Please keep my people safe Delina." Delina watched as the man walked away and into the manor, her smile growing as she still felt her body tingle. This was one of the fates meetings, and she still felt like a little child, her memory always going back to when she was rather young. "Oh, I will do everything I can to get him as my own." Jelina stared at her Mistress confused. "How do you get a god Mistress?" Delina turned to her right-hand woman with her catlike smile. "Either dragging him down from the heavens or clawing my way up to them!" 68 C68 The Future Nathan came through the manor, his movement swift as he pushed through the double doors. His eyes were scanning the room as he finally saw the group of women he was after, his body moving towards the table as he took a seat down with them. "Morning Nathan." Auryn spoke, looking at him like nothing had happened, eating a massive plate of meat products that were given by the vampire staff. Ameria smiled at him as she was also stuffing her face while drinking a sweet, refreshing drink of tea with her meal. Kaye was blushing as she tried to avoid eye contact, it was clear that she was still nervous and thinking about the night previously. Kai nodded her head in respect, not eating anything as she was sitting like the awkward fourth friend that never knew what to say. "So Nathan are you going to spill the beans on everything that happened and the plans for us?" Ameria responded as she placed her cup down, the steam still rising from her cup as she began to cut up one of the slices of bacon. "It''s rather a simple story, the vampire leader knows me, and I think she will be a great ally. I''ve brought them all into the cause after I helped them the last night." Ameria took a moment to think as she stopped cutting her bacon, looking at Nathan as she raised an eyebrow. "What did you do for them?" Nathan looked at Ameria as he smiled at her. "Genocide of a few thousand or more Ratmen." Nathan responded with a calm attitude as he started to pour himself a cup of tea, adding in two spoons worth of sugar before taking a sip, "Ratmen, what are those and please explain more than one sentence please." Nathan looked at the woman as he placed his cup back down, his eyes looking directly into Ameria''s as he continued. "Ratmen are a mutation or corruption from divine energy. If one does not have enough willpower, then the energy will mutate and change the being into something closer to an actual living nightmare. These rats had been in contact with it and normally when a weak animal gets in contact with death energy, they die." Nathan placed his hands on his lap as he sat up straight before looking to them all. "One of them instead mutated which is a rare case, into a corrupted creature of death. It was able to hold the vampires off and started to spawn its own smaller and weaker versions of itself. It was a losing battle for the vampires and the reason I helped them because corrupted creatures are bad news for everyone." "When it comes down to it, I killed them all and fixed the situation. The vampires used to be reliant on a previous source of death magic; now they are reliant on my source of power which means they will be loyal to me and help." Ameria let out a sigh as she sat back, processing this information before she looked over to Auryn who was eating her meal as nothing had happened. "People like Auryn require this power as well, why are they not turning into monsters?" Auryn stopped eating as she looked up, her face going pale at the choice of words. "I''ve seen my people losing control before when getting to this source of power. We have been warned ourselves to be careful with it. Small amounts are fine for us, but it''s dangerous in any large amount." Auryn finished as she pushed her plate away, sipping on her drink as she looked away. Kai and Kaye were nodding as they listened before Ameria sighed and looked to her. "Sorry Auryn, I did not want to hit a nerve. We need as much information as possible." Auryn just shrugged as she continued drinking, clear that she did not mind this line of questioning as she finished off her drink. "We will be heading with a man I met. We will be heading north to the location while the vampires head to our home and set up. They have magic that is capable of construction. They will also be great in our future intelligence division." Nathan stood as he looked to them all before helping Auryn up after taking her hand, Auryn gently blushing as she took his hand. Ameria was rolling her eyes as Kaye blushed and Kai seemed the same as everyone stood up. "Let''s head down and get the cart out so we can continue. It will be a few days to reach the next town?" Nathan said as he grabbed his cup, finishing off the drink before moving away. He still had taste and the tea was rather delicious. "Who are we heading with?" Kaye asked as she wanted to know. "It''s a man named Denoth. I trust him for now as merchants are an easier sort of control. The money will solve any issues." Nathan responded as he led the group out the doors, vampires all around preparing as they gathered anything required for the trip. The group eventually came down to the town, picking up the cart from a still annoyed owner who scowled at them as they all left, finally meeting up with Denoth who was sitting outside the town. "Excellent, well let''s get started as it will take at least a week to reach the town." Nathan smiled as he heard Denoth before shaking his head. "It will take roughly two days. I know a shortcut." A few hours later Four figures approached the sandy town known as Baski, the weather hitting down on them as everyone kept up a nice pace as they finally entered the town. The person at the front was looking around before they approached a woman coming down from the manor as she had a list of items required to purchase. "Excuse me, Miss. Can you help us? I''m looking for information on a man." The woman scowled as she was annoyed at the interruption, she was to busy to deal with a random traveller coming into town. "Why bother asking me about a man. Why would I know?" The man pulled his hood back, the woman staring as she noticed his crimson slit-like eyes, almost like a dragon staring back her as the red scales covering only parts of his flesh like skin that made her even more curious now. "I''m not truly looking for a man." Azo staring at the woman as he moved closer to whisper it. "I''m looking for a god." 69 C69 Old Wounds The four members of the group stared at the woman, each one waiting for her response as time seemed to drag on with each passing moment. "Come with me then." She calmly responded as she turned right back around, moving towards the manor as she took steps quickly as the group followed behind her. Azo struggled with each step as Bull held onto his arm, helping with each move. "Man you are too weak to continue. I can carry you." Bull spoke quietly to Azo as he had one massive shit-eating grin on his face as he continued to press his hands against him. "I''m not that crippled yet, using magic only exists a body temporarily. I''ve only used magic for a day at this rate." Azo spat out as he felt his vision skewering as he was feeling weaker with each moment. Each step like his body was stepping in lava. Eventually, the group arrived at the manor, stepping inside the grounds as the gates closed behind them and locked. Fourteen other women surrounding the group as the woman who had led them turned. "Please mind these people. They are here to make sure you behave." Bull raised his chest as he looked at all the pretty and very sensual women, his laughter growing as he cracked his knuckles. "Oh my, I think you will need more than fourteen scrawny beauties to stop me, lady." Azo stared at them all; his body was used to the death energy that his crystals had used for power, he sensed the insane amount of death energy they all gave off. "Bull, if I''m right then they are all vampires." It was almost like a transformation as Bull stopped cracking his fingers, looking at each of them. "I think fourteen will be enough." He sheepishly said as he took back what he said, vampires had a reputation that gave respect due to the combat prowess. It took only a few minutes before everyone sat inside one of the manor''s many rooms, this one is rather sparse as many items had been moved out. It took but a few moments before the four sat across from a woman that sent fear down everyone''s spine. A few other vampires scattered around the room as they watched. It was easy to see the amount of the power the woman currently held, her beauty stunning and her age making her appear younger than she was. Delina smiled at the group as she sat back in the chair, holding a cup of tea as she looked at each of them. "Oh my, what a ragtag of people I have inside my manor today." "Hectic day so far with so much activity due to a previous guest, and now I have a bunch of impossible people here." Bull stared at the woman as he crossed his arms. "Woman, we are not impossible. We are very much possible, and we kick ass." Delina heard the man with her voice almost spilling out in laughter with each word; it was clear that this man was not the bright one out of the group. "I mean we have two ununited Zerathels a half-ogre and the most interesting of all we have a Draconic Bloodline sitting here?" Delina answered as she pointed to the twins, then Bull and finally her eyes setting onto Azo as she felt her smile curling up. "It''s rare to see any of your kinds; you are the impossible group of people who should never have met up due to rarity, but yet you formed a group together and came looking for a certain person?" Azo felt the sweat crawling down his skin as he knew this woman was not someone he should mess with, she was influential in many ways including knowledge. "May I ask your name. Its only right to ask a lady her name first." Azo let those words slide out, trying to add some slight charm to them as he watched her reaction. "Oh my, how nice. My name is Delina. My last name does not concern you." Delina finished as she leaned forward, her interest in the man with scales growing more as she smelt fear and sweat coming as her name got mentioned, this man was also one of the few well-informed individuals. "Oh, you have heard of me?" Azo twitched slightly in his chair as he had gotten pegged quickly. "Yes, the leader of the two main vampire clans. One chosen by the Goddess Aelina herself. It means I''m in the right place after all." Azo looked into the woman''s eyes as he tried to hold his breath, knowing that this knowledge was dangerous to give out. His vision was wavering as he still felt tired after an entire day of magical usage. "Right place indeed, you seem rather tired though and almost on the verge of magical collapse, it''s best if you take a rest and talk to me in the morning." Azo stood up at this point, annoyance on his face as he had spent the entire day using flight magic to power a vast amount of space and sleeping inside the ring''s spatial room to cut down the time as much as possible. He had just met someone connected to Aelina, and he was going to get to this person that was supposed to be another God who could help. "I met Aelina; we met her." He spoke that line as the room went silent, the smile destroyed from Delina''s face as the other vampires looked to each other before quickly exiting the room. Delina stared at the man as rage and pain were evident in her eyes as she stared at him the power more potent as it was clear she was trying to suppress her anger. "That is impossible. Aelina is dead. I''ve looked for her every day since she went missing and its been years without any notice." Azo smirked softly as he finally found a topic that he had some extra knowledge on, it was always nervous being against someone who knew more than him. At least he had seen a part he could best her on if needed. "I found her being captive in the church. She is under the capital city of Senoa, and she asked us to bring a message to the God in the east." Delina felt her shock hitting her hard. Her mind racing as she knew if this was the case then it was of importance for him to meet Nathan. "Fine, I''ll take you to Nathan. Get up we need to move. I also do not need to remind you, but if you do any funny business, then I will kill you all." Delina stood as she spoke, allowing the other vampires to enter as everyone looked to her with expectations. "Move, Is he not here?" Delina turned to Azo who asked the question, her smile coming back. "He just left an hour ago roughly. If we leave now, we can catch up by flying." Azo let out a small smile, his body cursing him as he knew he had to continue working, it was not till he felt his body getting grabbed and lifted that he started to complain. "H... Hey! What are you doing!" He opened his eyes to stare at Delina holding him in a princess carry, taking him out the door and to the exit. "Rest tired boy. I''ll look after you." Azo''s face was scarlet as he tried to get free, his body getting gripped by the strength of the vampire. "if you keep wiggling I may drop you during the flight!" Azo stopped as he heard the woman say he may be dropped during the flight, the small giggle and smile from her lips confirmed it as he stopped moving and became a statue. "I trust you will not drop me." Azo quietly responded. "Worry not my Draconic Prince. I will protect you." Bull was creasing in laughter as he watched this go on, it was not until he felt his body getting lifted by a tiny vampire with bright red locks that made his voice also grow silent. The twins were taking hold of Jelia as everyone flew into the sky, Azo staring in disbelief at the kind of flight. "Wait, flying without magic, it has to be divine power!" "Correct, wait to you see Nathan though. You have seen nothing yet." 70 C70 Dark Skies Several kilometres outside of town, two caravans moving side by side as they made their way across the desert. The sun was beating down as the desert horses made each movement slow but steady. Above, flying in a formation as twelve vampires soared above the skies, two vampires escorting each of the vampires that held onto the members of the adventuring party as Delina made her way across the ocean of sand, following her instinct as she knew the location of the source of everyone''s power. Eventually, the group caught up, the flying vampires descending onto the ground. The caravans were pulling up and stopping as the group exited and looked up to the hoard of vampires flying to them. Nathan, Kaye, Kai, Ameria, Auryn and Denoth stood side by side as they watched the fleet of vampires landing down to the ground to the sandy desert below. His eyes were looking mainly at Delina who was holding a strange man, covered in small red scales which also seemed to blush along with his skin, struggling pointlessly in the vampire''s grasp. The little young vampire was holding a massive bolder of a man and then the twins holding onto Jelia. "Well, this is a surprise Delina. May I ask what the visit is for?" Nathan responded as his eyes looked across the man who eventually freed himself from the grasp of the vampire, standing up straight as they locked eyes, staring at each other as Nathan stared down the man. Azo felt his heart beating as he eventually landed to the ground, his heart inside his ears as he continued to hear the rhythm of the beat. He looked at the group of woman, his eyes eventually hitting the man. He felt drawn to him as his gaze stared into those eyes, pulled into them as he saw so much history and wisdom behind them. It was almost scary as he felt the power dwelling deep inside, almost like a sleeping dragon that could wake at any moment to destroy the surroundings. "My name is Azo; this is Bull. The twins are named Mirya and Renade." Azo finished speaking as he pointed out everyone in the group, it was then he looked back to Nathan who then began speaking himself. "Impossible group huh?" Nathan lightly said as Delina began chuckling in the background, happy that Nathan had the same ideas as her. "I''m sorry to ask sir. But if you are the God, then I need to ask to prove it." Azo felt the words escape his lips as the mood went south rapidly, the hatred from both the vampires and the woman around Nathan soaring against them as both the twins and Bull felt this, preparing to defend themselves as it was an overwhelming sense. "Sure, I''ll show you." Nathan responded almost casually as if this was nothing new, the woman around him almost staring in disbelief. It was Auryn who reacted first as she moved closer to argue against it. "Nathan, you need not show them. We all here can vouch for the powers you possess." Auryn argued, the mood for the rest showing support. Nathan shook his head and gave a small smile to Auryn, feeling some joy that the people close to him felt like this for him. He also felt some more joy realising he could still feel something. Nathan decided to put on a small show, his smile growing as he wanted to bring this same joy to everyone in the vortex, no matter who. Everyone surrounding Nathan took a few steps away, the ground beginning to shake as the man turned from his regular self into a beacon of pure white energy. His body was forcing out such amount of power that the sand below his feet became glass, the rolling waves of energy cascading out from him as it was close to exploding outwards. Azo watched the entire scene with wonder and awe, his eyes locked as he saw no chanting, casting or any of the signs of magic, this was pure celestial might as the earth responded and gave him power. He continued watching as he knew this was not over. It was only a few moments before the sound of the power exploded outwards, hitting into the sky above as dark, ominous clouds started to form. The pillar of white blinding light was continuing to hit the sky as the dark clouds began to spread across the Vortex, eventually filling up the entire space, everyone in pure awe as anyone could see this power as it was rather flashy. After a few minutes, the pillar started to fade before eventually stopping, Nathan turning from the bright beacon of might back into his regular self. The silence was almost palpable as the first sounds of the water landing into the sand around them was the only thing that destroyed the silence. The heavy patter of rain hitting the ground as the clouds opened up, the heavens raining down upon them as the cascading sound of the water landing around them as the entire vortex found its first rain for years. "Forgive me, Nathan. It was rude for me to ask this. I received such an important task that I could not fail it." Azo sank to his knees as the wet clumps of sand clung to his knees and legs, he cared little about his discomfort as he needed to make amends to the careless actions he had taken to prove the validity of the person. "May I ask for you to explain yourself. I trust everyone around me. So please tell me." Nathan sank to one knee as well, a few people around him surprised as a God had gotten onto one knee for someone who was apologising to him. Nathan cared little for this as his hand grabbed the man, pulling him back to a standing position. Azo also noticed this gesture as he felt his heart pounding rapidly, his emotions getting the better of him as he gained respect for the man that was both above him but still stood by his side. "My group is... used to be an adventuring group for Senoa. We used to head into a dungeon in the city to kill the undead for rewards, exploring the floors and clearing it. We received a job from this woman to head to the last floor, the tenth floor." Azo felt nervous giving this next bit of information, the power of the ring and the identity of the woman still on his mind. "She gave us this ring to head to the depths. It has some fantastic spatial properties that allow people to go inside and rest without much time passing in the real world." He fiddled with the ring again as his eyes looked to Nathan, his face almost impossible to read as he continued. "When we reached the tenth floor, the undead no longer pursued us, we followed our instructions and came to this large open room. Inside this room was a large pit that seemed almost endless. Stacks of undead like flesh on many tables." The rest of the adventures nodding as they remembered it all too well, the atmosphere and aura of the area still carved into memory. "When we reached the massive hole, stepping onto a small rising with a book on, we heard chains rattling before a large being came from the darkness, missing many limbs with holes in her body." Nathan watched the man struggling to find his words; he had already felt the power inside his inner pocket, so he was able to put it all together with the undead. "You met Aelina. Goddess of Death?" These words came from Nathan''s mouth directly, the group around him stunned as even Azo felt the shock hitting him, his head weakly nodding as he continued. "Yes, she asked me to bring a message to you. To tell you where she is. She also asked me to bring you this." Azo fumbled inside his pocket as he pulled out a bright yellow stone, the colour having changed from the darker tone to this brighter one during transport. Nathan reached out as he took the stone, his eyes looking over it as he knew what this item was before the system even posted to him. System: You have gained. Heart Of Death. System: Heart Of Death: This holds the soul and life of Aelina the Goddess of Death. This item is required to revive the Goddess. The rain started to pour even harder as the distant flash of lightning causing a few people to stare at the loud rumbling of the thunder echoed across the vortex. The anger was flashing in Nathan''s eyes as he looked at the man. "Why was she down in that place?" Azo felt this anger, his own body telling him to run as fast as he could, his danger sense screaming bloody murder into his ear as he shivered uncontrollably. "The church had captured her underground with some chains. It looked like they were carving pieces off her for the past three hundred years. She had requested us to bring this news to you and the items." Nathan felt his anger rising as he looked at the people around him. "Who is the church?" Auryn stepped forward as she touched Nathan''s shoulder, apparently trying to calm him down as she was worried, the sound of thunder and the flashes of lighting growing faster and more evident as time went on. "They are the people who Worship Saleh. They are corrupted and run the Vortex. They are in the main capital city of the Vortex which is a town called Senoa." Nathan looked at everyone around him before his eyes settled on the Azo again, his eyes landing on the ring. "One more thing. Who gave you this mission to find out all of this." Azo looked down at the ring himself as he gulped, knowing this was going to be rough. "It was a beautiful woman, peerless in age and beauty; she was almost like a doll with her beauty and age." Nathan stopped the man from continuing as he continued himself. "Long black hair that reaches far down her back, perfectly straight and with a porcelain-like peerless beauty. The smile that can send a shiver down your spine?" Azo felt another wave of surprise hit him, his mouth agape as he just nodded his head as he stared at the man. "How do you know that?" Nathan looked to everyone around him, his eyes staring at everyone as the rain continued, everyone looking soaked from the water hitting them. "She is my daughter. Celorian Blackrose, I''m Nathan Blackrose. I raised her myself. I raised all the Demigods to be fair." Azo stared at the man, feeling his mouth dropping as he had come to guess what had happened, the others around him also fitting the puzzle together as both Auryn and Delina smiled, both in the knowledge prior. "I''m the Creator God; I made this world and the Demigods. I promise you all here that I will punish the Church and free everyone from the binds of this horrible vortex." Everyone felt a shiver going down their spines as the words hit them hard, everyone falling onto one knee as they all lowered themselves to the man who was going to lead them into a new future. "I declare war against the church!" 71 Annoucment and Thanks Hi all. Before I begin, if you have enjoyed it so far then Please Visit my ******* for early releases https://www.*******.com/Cddizzym Please Join the official Discord. https://discord.gg/Ap9KZkQ , Otherwise, this is just a quick announcement chapter to thank everyone for the support and love I have received over the short period of time writing this novel. It''s been amazing to see everyone''s feedback and support during this time and I want to let you all know that I do read everything you post. I may be unable to reply to most of it! The support you have given me is what keeps me writing and gives me motivation. I really can''t wait to continue the story and give you all not just Nathan''s story but the story of those around him as well. I want to thank those who supported me with power stones as well as all those on my discord. You are all amazing and you all should be proud. Thank you all! Nathan: Thank you all for the support! Maybe one day the author will let me rest! Auryn: No rest, we have to prepare. Hi everyone! Kaye: So many people are watching me... Wait they saw me naked! Ameria: We all did. I''m sure the steam covered you up! Kai: ... Feya: I need more screentime! Come on Author! Everyone pester him to add me back in! Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click for visiting. Lee: Same! Delina: I should be given the lead role. Jelia: I agree! Auryn: Over my dead body! Delina: That can be arranged! Maybe I should not allow characters to come out of the novel. Things could get rough. Thanks again guys and I can''t wait to see you in volume two! 72 C71 Blushing Summer Day Fifteenth of Growth of the Year 997 - Sanctuary, Summer Celebration During the beautiful day, spring has finally ended. It was time for the summer to arrive inside the vortex. It was usually one of the holiday dates ignored by those living inside the vortex due to the constant barrage of heat that engulfed every portion of the land. Today inside the small town of Sanctuary as the locals singing songs of praise to the coming of summer as children ran into the river, splashing and laughing others around them with joy-filled eyes. Many small tables carved by the local artisans and carpenters only after a few days, the surface almost glossy with the finish given to every one of the tables made. Covering the tables to an almost ridiculous state was the massive piles of food that seemed to become almost endless. Fruits, vegetables and even to the surprise of everyone around. Small game like desert rabbits and foxes also had a little place on one of the tables. One woman bringing over the food, laying down another set of wooden bowls filled with leafy greens felt onto the table. She felt her arm brushing against another person doing a similar job to hers, her cheeks growing redder by the second as she turned to see a similarly aged man from the army helping out. It was a rather lovely sight to see both blushing as they stared at each other, the month of Growth not only the month of Summer starting but also the month of love. The town had grown from one simple large and straightforward building to house everyone. Currently, sixteen buildings spread out all across the village as the introduction of the newest members of the family had made everything go much faster. The first building constructed was a large storage hall for the food, water and many other traded goods that the town needed to use on a daily basis. The next eight buildings constructed were the central places for those with families. The buildings consisted of the upper house and the lower house. Each family was getting either the ground floor or first floor as the homes became apartments then substantial homes. The next building constructed next to the river was a fishing dock with drying racks, a set of jars lining along the side of the pier as every worker was squeezing a small gland from each of the flying fish, a very sticky paste getting pushed into the jars. Along with the paste from these fish the feathers from the fish got taken. Each set of wings from the fish gave roughly. Three hundred feathers which only gave two hundred to two hundred and fifty usable feathers. Currently, the feathers which were one of the topics of debate were split equally between the civilians and the military. One for comfort and ease of living and the other for arrows and other items. The next building made was due to the plan Nathan had suggested regarding trade with the city of Sengi. The constructed Inn was here to house incoming merchants and officials that came. While at the moment only a few rooms held some furniture and just a small selection of alcoholic drinks which was one of the few items brought by the vampires. The Inn was also one of the few buildings with both vampires and other mortal races working together. This move helped ease the tensions of having the immortal bloodsuckers suddenly show up at the front door of this new village. The last four buildings made at the request of the military for defensive purposes. The entry into the valley now had one massive palisade around the entrance with two watchtowers and a single wooden gate to allow entry. This building became a high priority after not only the vampires arrived, but many carts with others arrived. The vampires coming was not the only new addition as almost the same amount of mortal races came along with them. Farmers, merchants, workers and others who worked with the vampires. This event drew the attention of General Lee who suggested and quickly pushed the idea through as having hundreds of people just wandering into the valley was not the best idea around. Fifty soldiers always on duty at the wall every day as the defense of the valley and the treasure it held was to be protected. It was standard now to see hundreds of guards patrolling around the outer limits to protect the grounds. The water temple was one of the few places that had seen a flurry of activity. Soon after Nathan had left a small group of villagers and guards came together to found a temple in honor of Nathan. Cleaning up the temple and with the help of many of the new vampires had turned it into a real temple worshipping the man. The temple grew at a rapid pace till almost all of the town had officially joined, small groups of people still supported the other religions, and unlike the other cities of the Dusk this was allowed and supported by the people. The last area in the valley was a small mine that started in the north area, the few workers still around the entrance as they continued to dig around as the prospectors continued to use necessary earthen magic to discover veins. The critical part about the vortex was the materials available to mine, due to the previous religious area the rights of mining never got fulled exploited, this was due to it almost always being outlawed. Today now this law had been destroyed by the need to survive. The miners had found traces in the Northen Area but due to the disruption of the natural Celestial power in the area around them it currently posed a difficulty trying to find or even access such veins. The small town of Sanctuary grew in such a short time to become a busy and loved area. It was such a shame that a power struggle had already begun inside the newly formed area. 73 C72 Celebrating Summer Inside the town of Sanctuary, the people had begun the preparations to celebrate the coming of summer time. It was a standard event every year as the spring came to a close and the summer started. This tradition in the vortex mostly began suppressed due to the issues revolving around surviving in such harsh conditions. If food costs several times more then one could barely afford even to pay to eat then actually have a feast to celebrate. Feya had come to a decision early on that they could and would support the traditions of the past. It showed that bringing back such traditions raised the morale of the entire people and also showed that even living in the vortex was possible. Feya''s had enough trouble trying to deal with the Military side of things. It was clear that as the future Queen she had to consolidate her power. The situation became slightly messy a few days into the new month of Growth as almost two hundred vampires arrived. It almost caused mass panics, fleeing and even a full-on battle as the vampires arrived by landing directly into the camp. Without the intervention of herself, Lee and Delina. Such an event turned everyone''s attention back to Nathan who had managed not only to subdue the vampires but also managed to get loyalty and from the current situation, he may have gone overboard. The integration was somewhat slow, the only reason it even moved along was due to a few vampires living inside the town and helping out at the Inn. This Inn is becoming a mixing area for both Vampires and other people already living inside Sanctuary. A few days later a staggering two hundred people, both mixed of common-folk and soldiers had arrived which mixed into the already predefined factions rather well. Feya knew something was off from these people; it was not till another few days afterwards that the real intentions of these people became known. The people who had arrived from the town of Baski were all loyal directly to the vampires who had made unswerving loyalty to Nathan instead of Feya or Lee. The next issue arrived when it became known that the vampires had started a new religion based around Nathan who they continued referring as the All-Father. "All-Father my ass, he is just a regular Demigod. The creator god should be something more divine then him. He barely even registers as a Demigod." She said to herself when thinking of past events. She still believed in Nathan, but she was never overly religious in the first place. She had always based herself at the moment and never thought much more than that. Sadly she was only one of the few as the town''s religion flipped in almost a week, Nathan becoming known as the All-Father and as the creator to all. Most people have never even seen a Demigod before which gave them no comparison to compare. Feya stood from her chair; her office now located on the second floor of the rebuilt first large building made. With the vampires helping to construct a new level added with windows and a few other rooms and storage on this floor. It was split equally between her side and the Armies, her hand having less need for the rooms right now as she only had a few assistants that helped her with day to day activities. The sound of knocking on the door woke her up as a young woman walked inside, being just over the age of sixteen as her small, lithe frame moved into the room, shutting the door behind her. "Megum what is the issue?" Feya smiled as she looked over the young woman who had become her assistant, she was young but relatively intelligent at her age and able to both read and write which was a bonus. Small height being at 5''4 with dark blue hair that seemed to resemble the sea itself. two small half-elven ears were poking from her head as it was evident due to the natural colour of her hair that she was a sea elf-human hybrid. "My Queen, It''s in regards to the Church. They wish to speak to you and the General in regards to the state religion." Feya let out a sigh of displeasure; she had to argue with the old cow in regards to this again, her eyes looking out the window when she came to realise something. "Pushing this title on my Nathan, you sneaky bastard." She spent so much time thinking about why he had put this onto her, it all came down to the fact that he was currently out adventuring and doing other things while she was here behind this desk with paperwork stacking up on leather-made paper. Her body pulled itself from the chair as she moved up to Megum, her attitude frosty as she knew the oncoming was discussing was going to make her entire day ruined. It was a short walk from her offices into the central meeting room, inside General Lee, his assistant and a couple of captains talked to each other, stopping as they noticed her enter. "General Lee." She said giving him a slight nod, the man turning to look at her as he gave her the same respect as he nodded back to her. "Queen Feya. Can I help you?" Feya smiled as she knew the man could easily see she had a small plan, her eyes looking to everyone as she eventually went back to looking at the general. "I have an idea; we need to block this on a united front to stop her faction from growing any further. She already has swayed both our sides towards her wing and let''s be fair. we should not stop each other and focus on her." General lee just nodded his head in agreement as they waited for the lats member to attend. "Perfect, let''s show this old hag that we do not take kindly to outsiders trying to change the status quo." 74 C73 Inner Struggles The music outside had started in full swing, everyone together as they played and enjoyed the music, food and new freedom they all had received with even some vampires out as well as they chatted with the locals. It was a perfect summer day and generally inside the vortex, a day like this was hell, in the safety of Sanctuary it was a blessing to be able to get water whenever one wanted, eat as much as you wanted and even to sleep without worrying about something wanting to kill you. Delina came from the temple escorted by Jelina and several other vampires. Every one of them wearing a white shrine robe that had been prepared from Baski after they had arrived. It was a similar colour to the power Nathan had displayed when using his divine will. It was easy enough to consolidate power between each vampire when nearly everyone had already seen his ability first hand, able to decimate anything in his path but also able to provide strength and life to those around him. After receiving the new power from him, it was clear that every vampire was able to live without the constant hunger for feeding. It also had a side effect of being able to taste again. Delina''s first meal was a simple steak cooked to perfection. Such a simple thing that non-vampires got on a daily basis could bring her to tears. Heading out into the sunlight was no longer painful and did nothing all too dangerous, and it seemed that many other previously dangerous anti-vampire tactics became nulled by this addition of power. The all-father was able to do this; no other Demigod had managed to do this similar feat which was the reason why all the vampires now stood at his back, ready to support him and serve him forever. The group that had come with them, the villagers from the town was another issue. They were loyal to the vampires but not necessary Nathan. This issue proved again to be rather easy to change everyone''s mind. The large area filled with greens, trees and fresh flowing water had turned even the most suspective person into true believers. At this point it was easy to start converting the people in the town, many had seen the mystical powers of the man himself. Unlike the other Demigods who had been dead for sometime this man was standing by them and had provided them with an apparent miracle to them. Faith in the other Demigods wained as six of them had died hundreds of years earlier, and the other Demigod never showed herself anymore except for the one act she committed to building the vortex. This act caused her church to spread like wildfire, nearly everyone submitting to her with the remaining submitting to her will to save themselves from the church''s wrath. Those inside the Vortex had felt this pain due to the power of said church who ruled with an iron fist, doing as they pleased. Everyone inside the vortex currently lost with no way out. She planned on bringing them all under Nathan''s fold and providing them with everything they desired. This plan could gain them all something much more potent. Total loyalty. Reaching the main building in the centre of the town, the group of vampires entered and headed to the stairs. The ground floor still filled with many simple beds with clothes, blankets and other items to provide the bedding. The entire Civilian population currently slept in here except for the families who had gained a home. Reaching the second floor became a different story as Military personal walked around, speaking to each other and getting reports and items resolved. It was clear to see that the Military occupied the space much more efficiently than the Queen''s side. Only a few members of her department even around to discuss matters. Reaching to the meeting room, entering inside with a sudden knock as she saw the many members of the Military with General Lee at its helm and then the sad side of the Queen with only one assistant with her to discuss matters. "Thank you for allowing me to come here and visit you all. I have a few matters to discuss, and I''m sure we can agree on them with ease." The room seemed somewhat tense as Delina sensed hostility from Feya already, the natural state from General Lee held some promise though as she brightly smiled to the group. "Firstly I already think you know we established the Church of the All-Father in celebration for our Lord and god Nathan." She bowed her head slightly as she took a moment to look around the room before continuing her speech to make sure everything became ready for her next plan. "Due to this fact, I think the new town''s religion should become adapted to this religion. The city already majority supports this, and it will be a fantastic idea to support this." Her eyes are looking at each member as she stared into everyone''s eyes, making sure to give eye contact as she knew that making everyone made aware of her power and passion for getting what she wanted. It was clear the intention''s of the room as Feya currently was the only one giving any hostile intent towards her. Her smile was continuing as she then began on her next tactic. "With this being the case I think we then should begin to expand our influence outwards, the other towns that have yet to pick a side should be brought under us. We can then make our nation when we gain enough support from everyone." She smiled to them all as she laid down her plans for the short term to gain more power for Nathan. Her head was turning to Feya as she felt like she knew what was coming. "Really?" Feya coldly responded as she looked to Delina. Her eyes showing the distain for the woman as plain as day. "Are you stupid?" 75 C74 War of Words "Are you stupid?" The words quickly echoing in the room as everyone''s attention became drawn towards the one woman who spoke those short words. The vampires behind Delina seething in rage as they felt the need to vault over the table and strangle the woman right here. Delina turned herself to face the woman as her fangs became rather easy to spot between her lips as it was clear that she was not too happy with the words that came from Feya''s lips. "Stupid. No, I think not as all my ideas are rather brilliant and reflect true faith in our real leader, Nathan." The words fired back also as damaging as it showed both a lack of respect for the apparent new Queen for this town. The other members watching as both these woman stared at each other for a moment. "Let''s be honest here. This town is a sanctuary of all people and religions. We can not and will not make it a one faith system like the Church of Dusk. You should know this yourself?" Feya fired back as she stared down the woman, not giving her an inch when it came to this, she could not get bullied down by the recent arrivals. Delina shook her head with disappointment as she stared at the woman before her, it was clear that she was going to be a problem. Maybe she could persuade the General in the room to go along with her idea instead. "Look, this land we are on and the water we drink, the forest that provides the resources and the bounty of food that we eat. Please tell me which of the Demigods gave this to us. None of them helped us except him. He spent his own time and power to give us this land and helped us all out. We are supposed to treat him as an equal to those that abandon us or worse put us in this hell." Delina''s words shook the room as many of the general''s staff turned to each other and spoke, apparently swayed by the words as even the General had a solum face. "We can still have respect for him, in the end, we need to support everyone and putting one religion forward will scare others away just like the Church does right now. Honor Nathan is excellent and hell, I''ve got no issues with the temple you started. I''m not going to force people through the front door." Feya fired back as the people looked to her again, it was becoming a war on who decided the next major thing for the town and also who had the most power at this time. "I''m not forcing people to do anything; they can worship whoever they please. I''ve even checked the town with a few people, and the majority by a longshot idolizes and worships Nathan. Back in the day, many of the gods did the same thing. Each of the primary city''s back in the day held one religion, and the state religion was also that." Feya felt her annoyance rising as she stepped forward, shorter than the woman as she looked up to her with a gaze that was trying to command death. "This is not the old times with all the Demigods around. Each of the holy sites burned down, rendered into ash, dust, and nothingness. We need to be open to everyone and not just the people here. Wait, did Nathan even ask you to do this, or are you doing this on your whim?" Feya stared at the woman as she caught the slight twitch in the eyes of the vampire, it was clear as day that she was acting on her own accord. "So this is something Nathan does not know about with this religion nonsense. Do you even have the right to dictate how his religion starts?" Delina stepped up at those last words as she glared down at the woman, the fear in the room escalating as if looks could kill it was certain Feya would undoubtedly be rotting in a grave right now. "I have every right. Nathan is deserving of one and is too concerned about us all to do it himself. Every god gains power through worship and faith. I''m trying to repay him for the kindness he has shown in protecting us all." Feya raised her hands as she was getting nowhere fast, she still had the edge with the General agreeing and taking a step back, applying her shit-eating grin as she just looked to the woman. "Well, lets vote. I think we need to each vote and see if this passes. I already know you want it, so that is one vote for it." Feya moved a hand onto her chest as she spoke with apparent conviction. "I think we should let Nathan decide this, so I decline this with strong opposition." She smiled to him as both women turned to look at the General who was standing at the back of the room, quiet during the entire phase of talking as he was the most neutral party here. "General Lee, what is your opinion of this matter?" Feya turned to look at the man as she smiled at him with a soft gaze that felt nothing was wrong at all. Hoping for the man to shoot down this agreement right here to keep the status quo. "Yes, General Lee. Please tell us what you think." Feya turned her head rapidly as she heard Delina speak the same question, her throat going dry as she turned back to the General who had a pale face as he did not want to deliver this news in such a horrible way. "I vote with Delina; it''s for the best that we keep Nathan in power to help us all." Delina smiled as she turned to the young woman, her cocky smile coming on now as she tilted her head, watching the Queen''s shit eating grin fade. Feya stared at the man she thought would have her back, one word slipping past her lips as she felt the anger rising. "Traitor." 76 C75 Sengi Situation Fifteenth of Growth of the Year 997 - Inside the Sengi Underway Auryn felt the air sweeping past the caravans as they had spent the last few days in the underway, without Nathan this journey took even more time than expected after a few collapses of the old tunnel systems which had caused many delays. The entire underway patrolled by the guards from the Sengi underway making it safer for all. Auryn noticed rather quickly that most of the people greeting her inside this labyrinth of underground tunnels were all Dark Elves and Dwarfs. Auryn had received information during her time inside the Vortex about the Sengi underway. Hearing about the fact that the people living inside Sengi underway city were survivors and previous prisoners of war from the battle between Draxus and Celpha The empire had taken them and just dumped them into the Vortex after communications had broken down between both the nations. The pows having fled together as a group to form this nation as far into the territory as possible. The area around them filled with ancient statues that looked worn down due to the amount of time left without maintenance or any care looking after it at all. Each statue had some historical value with each one being a historical figure carved into the stone. Sadly with the amount of time passing it was almost impossible to tell which each character was meant to be and even in some cases it was also impossible to determine the gender or race. Auryn sat beside Kaye with Kai in the back. Auryn had never seen Kai get so agitated when she was asked to stay with this group instead of going along with Nathan. She could have sworn that this Wardancer would have escaped the first night and pursued the man. "Missing him?" Kaye responded as she kept her eyes on the path ahead, the carriage forward carrying all of Denoth''s items including himself. Her eyes were peeking over to Auryn as she saw such an intense face. "Well, yes. Nathan is critical to us all. He has given me the power to resolve an issue and let me fellow elves no longer suffer. He keeps saving and helping people without asking all too much in return. He is a pillar that we will all need. I need it to be sure." Auryn spoke with confidence about him, her eyes almost glowing with passion as she remembered all the times he had helped them, her heart beating with the same enthusiasm as she smiled. "It seems like you have feelings for him, do not tell me you have fallen head over heels for him. Do you Love him?" Auryn felt her cheeks getting hot as she put some thought into it, hands coming together as she felt the flames rising in her cheeks as the caravan continued on the journey. "I suppose I do. It''s a pointless feeling as I know he feels something different towards me, teacher, to a student or maybe a father to a daughter. He is the creator god after all, and I doubt I will be able to shake that feeling from him." Kaye felt rather sad at this point, having gotten Auryn to admit her feelings and then trying to kill them in the next sentence. She held onto the reins as she looked to her with a big smile. "Well, I''m rooting for you. I''m sure you can win his heart. My mother had to do the same for my father. Pester them till they finally give in and are forced to love you back." Auryn stared at Kaye as she spoke those words, feeling the whole concept of wearing someone down till they love you being a rather strange concept. "Your family are rather bizarre. Thank you though for trying to help me. Tin-can" Kaye let out a breath as she heard the nickname, feeling rage coming over her as she wanted to turn around and strangle Auryn so she could never spread this horrible nickname ever again. "Nathan told me." Auryn responded and laughed as she watched Kaye shout in her mind, cursing Nathan with every fibre of her being. "I know you all are having fun back there. Just to let you know we are arriving at the main gateway now." Both women stopped laughing and arguing with each other as the turned to look toward the main gateway to the actual city. The Sengi Underway was an extensive collection of massive ancient tunnels that led to many other locations. Each shaft was roughly half a kilometre wide by the same wide. The path in the middle approximately only being about one-quarter of a kilometre in length as the sides were both drainage and areas with large statues build to add some flavour to the tunnels. Reaching the main gateway, both Auryn and Feya gasped as they looked up at the two large empowering statues that stood outside the gate, two figures: one a dwarf and the other a Dark elf shaking hands as they stared into each other''s eyes. The gateway itself is impressive as it was a massive metal gateway that seemed large enough to allow a giant through the Archway. The gate''s construction had written and scribed iron as the main body, along with the outside layers of gold and Mythril which also had runes and other magical symbols layered within it. Several guards came from a small tunnel to the right of the gateway, coming over to the caravans as they spoke to both parties. "Welcome to the city of Sengi. Before we allow you to enter, we must proceed with magical examination and truth-testing to see if you are a spy from the empire or not." Both Kaye and Auryn stared at each other for a moment before the guard. Such a procedure was usually an invasion into one''s mind, and even the empire was careful using such matters inside the territory. "Worry not, if you are not spies then you have nothing to worry about." The dark elven male approached them both, spear in hand as he looked them both over, eyes lasting a moment to long on Auryn''s figure as he was rather affected by her looks. "If you are a spy, then pray to whatever god you hold dear. You will meet them soon enough." 77 C76 Testing Truths Auryn, Kaye, Kai, and Denoth sat around a circle table after getting pulled into a side room, both carts outside with guards protecting them as they also began an inspection of the goods they had brought. Inside the side room, two guards stood side by side as they looked through a magical barrier between them as they watched the goings-on. A third member came inside, smaller in stature as the dwarf held a list in his hand. "Aye lads. This cargo has been an interesting search. I''ve found nothing too strange in Denoth''s cart, but that other woman had some unusual items." The dwarf came over to the two dark elves, one male, and the other female. Both staring through the glass as they began to wonder about the items they had brought. "From a quick glance Keen, they brought just some food and water. It''s not that strange as it''s a staple of our trade income." Keen looked back at both of the Dark elves as be stroked his long greying beard, the blonde strands still inside parts of the beard as he just let out a laugh. "You youngsters are simple. I used an ancient magical detection wand to check everything." The male Dark Elf stepped forward, clearly annoyed as he heard himself being called a youngster. "We are only twenty years younger than you. Stop classing us as youngsters. I''m already two hundred and thirty-two years old. Also checking it with that wand is standard procedure." The dwarf looked at him with a similar feeling of anger as he was interrupted, his hand stroking his beard with a quickened pace as his sigh escaped from between his lips. "You sure like to interrupt you, youngster. Let me say that everything lit up on the wand. Every item had a magical influence. I even took a bowl of water out and tested it away from the cart. It had enough magic inside almost comparing to low-grade mana stones!" Both Dark Elves stopped as they looked to each other with surprise as they turned back to Keen looking disbelieving instead. "Look, I know what to do. I''ve checked for the compartment''s, and I even had the team pull everything off. The cart has nothing inside it and the items they brought it all raw materials with no inscriptions. This batch is magical. Either made in a magical historical site or made by the Empires bitch of a Goddess." The Dark Elves nodded to each other as they turned back to the screen, clearly thinking about what to do. "One is an unstable supply while the other one is a massive issue for the safety of our town. One is better than the other one if that is the case. Keen go inside and conduct the interview. Show us how it''s done." Keen let out a belly laugh as he grabbed his items, waving to them as he exited and walked towards the room. "Fine Youngsters. Let me show you how it''s done." The Female Dark Elf turned to the man, unsure as to why he had done such a thing. "If you catch them then you could receive high honors and money. Why give it to the fool?" The male simply smiled as he turned to her. "Either way we win. If he fucks up, then I can salvage with the information he gets. If he wins, then I can ride on the coattails. Either way, It helps me along." The chuckling of the elves unable to be heard as Keen entered the room. "Greetings Lad and Lasses. I''m Keen Shakri. I''ll be the processing officer for the City of Sengi Underway. I have just a few simple questions for you." He placed down his paperwork as he sat opposite them. His quill was dipping into the inkbottle as he looked over at them with apparent interest, his beard stroking continuing as he started to ask some questions. "I''ve already gotten the descriptions and names for everyone except for the War Dancer." Keen pulled out a small box from his robe, a very tiny scroll getting pulled from it as the man unrolled it before incanting his spell, taking two minutes to finish. In the centre of the table, a large visible demonic eye looked over all the people with clear intent as it stared deep into each of them. "Well, I need to get a few bits of information before I can even allow you to buy a guest pass in the city. This magic is the seventh level spell Demonic Truth. If you lie, I will know. If I catch you lying, then I will not only disallow entry I will confiscate all goods." Denoth felt his face flushing in annoyance as he looked at the dwarf, clearly having issues in the past with him. "This is stupid. I''ve lived here since the town founded and I get lumped in like a common criminal when I''m trying to get new trade partners!" Keen smiled as he looked to Denoth as he laughed in returned. "Yes Yes Denoth, remember you are an outside walker. We trust little from what you say as you can be influenced by others to do things for free. The church still offers that I believe and they do not trust us at all. Plus we still remember the last time you smuggled in half rotten food." Denoth''s face flushed red as he looked close to bursting out in a rage. "Like I said earlier. That was not my fault. The item''s I got were fine when I got it. I even preserved the food correctly. How was I supposed to know I got duped in the salt trade for crystal fragments." Keen just waved his hand in annoyance as he looked over at Kai first. "I need her name. I know they usually don''t speak but I''m sure one of you knows." Kaye looked around as she spoke up quickly. "Well her name is Kai." Kaye saw nothing from the magical spell as she let out a sigh of relief, continuing. "She speaks to no one really except for our leader. Feya..." As soon as she finished Feya''s name, the giant eye turned directly to her, the glare causing her to bite into her tongue as she felt the pressure almost digging into her. "That is a lie. Oh, how naughty. It seems you do not truly believe in this woman called Feya." "Who is your true leader?" 78 C77 Eye Avoidance Kaye felt her tongue hitting the top of her mouth as she felt like screaming in frustration, this magic ability to tell if she was lying. Feya was the leader of the town, but the real leader was Nathan. "We have another leader who is very powerful: he is a man who provided for everyone." Keen raised an eyebrow as he looked up to the eye, letting out a small hiss as his hand pressed against the stroll. "One second, let me reset this spell. It requires the spell to be reset every time to function in such a small scroll." This time the spell reactivated, the giant eye appearing as it looked at everyone once to check. It hit Kai, Kaye, Denoth and then Keen. It seemed to miss Auryn entirely this time. Auryn felt something was off. This magical spell was not checking her during the reset as she looked around to Keen who was not paying attention. "Please. Miss Kaye?" He said as he looked to the woman who was speaking before. "Please continue with what you were saying before." Kaye felt her nerves getting the better of her as she nodded her head before continuing. She tried to hold herself together, but against anything magic, she felt worse. Unlike a sword, she had nothing to defend against such a weapon. "Again, we have another leader who is powerful: he is a man who has provided for everyone." The strange magical eye did nothing, seeming happy about the answer as Keen wrote down the response. "I''m thirsty, can I get a drink." Auryn said, lying to the man as she had felt fine the past day roughly or so, not requiring any water at all. She had assumed it was her new power that had made it, so she needed no food or water as she felt outstanding. Her eyes were looking up to the Orb which still did not react as she discovered something rather interesting. It could not detect her lies. "You will get to buy a drink afterwards. Shut up unless I ask a question." It was a few seconds before Keen shook his head as he picked up his notes, noting a few items down before looking at the group. "Right. Who do you work for?" While Kaye was about to answer the question again, this time she was cut off directly by Auryn who spoke instead. "We work for a small town called Sanctuary. The leader of the town is by the name of Feya. She is the Queen. Our leader for this group is a man called Nathan. We came here to set up a trade agreement. We have enough food, water and wood to supply ourselves and still retain seventy per cent in the stockpile." Keen rose his eyebrow as he looked to the magical eye, clearly a smile coming to his lips as he saw that this was all true. "So you are saying you have a magical place that produces enough food, water and even wood that it covers all the basics for you. You still have enough to stockpile that amount. Is this a newly started town?" Keen spoke as he knew if he brought a goldmine like this to the council his life was going to improve by a dramatic amount. He could even afford the highest tier building in the centre of town. "Our town started only roughly a month ago. We have set up a few buildings, but we are capable of producing water, harvesting the bountiful crops and the trees are large enough that one is enough to provide enough wood for an entire small building." Crossing her arms and legs as she sat back, her beauty causing Keen to stare for an extra moment as her smile caused him to come back to his sense. Keen shook his head before looking at his notes; his mind could not make something fit. They had arrived at the site a month ago but already had suitable farming land and already had enough crops to do all of this. It was simply impossible. His eyes were shifting back up to the orb as he caught it in a standby phase. She was not lying so far. "Do you all work for Saleh or ever worked for her empire while in the Vortex." Kaye felt her face twitch as she felt panic coming into her, she knew this was a question that would give her away as she had worked for the church before they had decided to join Nathan. "No, I''ve never worked for the Church. Neither has Kai or Kaye." The orb stayed inert as Kaye almost felt like tearing out her own hear as she turned to stare at Auryn who seemed calm and intact through this entire thing. "Oh. Well, that is a good thing. Then tell me how do you explain having crops fully ready to go in just a month. It''s strange that you also found such a fertile valley in the eastern area without anyone else finding it." Keen stared at the woman as he probed for more information, this was all too strange, and yet this woman was coming clean on the lying spell. He knew she had not cast any magic due to the anti-magic spell room they currently resided. Anything below tier seven was disabled and anything higher required a long casting time which was not stealthy. Auryn folded her fingers between each other as she looked up to the man with a big smile on her face, such a smile sent a wave of mixed feelings to Keen as he was looking at beautiful women, infatuation filling him. The other emotion was pure fear, the kind that told him to run as fast as his small legs could take him. Auryn''s eye''s stated to leak pure white energy as her hair started to lift from her back, the power flowing from her without a single word or command to prove it was actual regular magic. The table, chairs and the walls shaking as dust and rock''s fell from the roof. Auryn smiled at the man as she stood up, hands pressing onto the stone table. "Let me show you how it''s possible." 79 C78 Proof Of Fertility The room continued to shake as Keen tried to pull him back, his hand reaching for his weapon as he felt the same fear rolling down his spine in waves. His eyes were staring at the woman who continued to have this powerful aura rolling down her neck and shoulders like a perfect divinity cape. It was almost overpowering as the room shook with power and energy, the scent of moist dirt catching his nose as he just backed away further. He had no chance of fighting such a monster; it was clear this woman was a divinity or a divine goddess that had descended, her gaze powerful and commanding with a beauty that made him want to weep. It took but a few moments before grass started to spring up between the gaps in the stones under his feet. His eyes were looking down to the floor as he watched mother nature itself pushing the rocks apart, carpets of grass pushing the level aside. The wall started to grow small mushrooms, vines, and moss that began to spread rapidly through every space. It was clear that the power was creating the life around them as even a few screams in the room next to them echoed out. "Stop! I get it!" Even when he commanded, the woman just smiled at him with no intention to stop. Why should a Goddess stop for a mere mortal? The next instance a few large plants grew from the floor. A mixture of sunflowers, corn and other tall plants and bushes. Eventually, the power subsiding as the entire room was transformed from a dark and rather bland stone room to one with life and energy. Auryn reached out as she grabbed one of the stocks of corn. Her smile was growing as she quickly picked up the table that became knocked over as the room was transformed, placing the corn on the table before putting it back down. "That is how we can produce so much food. Do we need to answer any more questions?" Standing almost like a mouse cornered by the largest meanest cat he had ever seen. Keen just nodded his head. "No more questions. Please give me a moment so I can go speak to my supervisor and process the paperwork." Similar to a mouse and with an agility that even could put an elf to shame as the dwarf dived out of the room, his footsteps echoing down the corridor as a few other sets of footprints followed. Kaye stood at the edge of the room as well, staring in shock as Auryn had caused such a powerful move. It was such a contrast to the previous time as she looked at her. "How can you control that so well?" Auryn took a moment as she placed down the chairs, sitting back down, head currently stained in sweat as she smiled to Kaye. "I practiced every day, turning sand to fertile land. It got greater every day I practiced. Compared to the lifeless desert sands, this was easier and smaller." Kai sat back down with Denoth seeming only slightly unsure as he took a seat as well, Kaye the last one as she took a few more moments before taking place next to Auryn. "Do you think this is wise?" Denoth said as he looked to them all, his eyes focusing on Auryn as he asked his question, clearly looking rather worried about the tactic the woman used. "It is a perfect idea. They know I''m not Saleh as she has a human form while I''m an Elf. If they dislike the empire and the Goddess, then I''m the perfect ally for them. With the ability to produce food at the rate I showed I''m even better than a perfect ally for them." Auryn finished as she picked up the corn, taking a small bite from it as she chewed for a few moments. "Mhm, this corn is lovely. It always amazes me to see this power when I had almost no power in magic." Denoth looked to the others before back to Auryn. His worry still evident as he gulped before beginning to speak again. "Are you not worried that they will want you and not bother with the town. They do have the strongest military compared to any other independent nation." Auryn turned to look at Denoth, her arm moving over as she pressed her hand against his shoulder, grasping as she provided some comfort. "Worry not; I have Nathan. If I can do this and I make sure to mention my good old teacher Nathan. They will not make any sudden moves. I''m already guessing the news of the Vortex army getting defeated has spread like wildfire which could become a vital bit of intel to strengthen our side." Denoth just nodded his head as he still felt a small sense of worry, the woman acting similarly to Nathan by using a show of force or power to gain the recognition of others. It was clear to see why when others around them bowed and responded in kind to such displays. "Also I''m sure you know that the town of Baski is running dry. Nathan having recruited most of the people in town. I''m guessing you know what will happen now." Auryn finished as she took another bite of the corn, Denoth feeling his body quiver as he knew what was bound to happen. "Without a supply of food, water and the necessary wood that gets harvested from Baski. It''s easy to see our town getting cut off and becoming starved in a rapid time frame." Auryn nodded to the statement made by Denoth as she turned her head to the door, hearing the footsteps growing closer as she placed her corn back down. Her smile shining like a beacon as her Aura was less mortal then before as she had a small glow surrounding her that made her feel more like a living saint then a regular woman. "It''s show time everyone. Lets get not only a trade deal but an allience. I want Nathan to acknowledge me over everyone else. Including a snotty old hag." 80 C79 Into the town of Sengi Auryn and the group eventually got led out of the ruined room, everyone still feeling nervous about the whole idea of getting taken by such an escort after Auryn went and destroyed the entire area around herself. Passing through security gate after security gate is it seemed the massive iron gates multiplied every minute of walking. Six doors in total as they passed by them through the tunnels to the left and right of them. It was almost like these doors were more ceremonial than actual working entries. The leader of the group was Keen. The men and women around him were numbering in the dozens as an entire military squad was currently ''protecting'' them. In truth, the soldiers kept an eye on the Snow Elf rather than watching the crowds around them. Everyone had received the briefing on the capabilities of the woman and even some seeing the damage after the fact. Passing through the final checkpoint, many of the guards on edge as they saw the military force leading the group through with almost no information given out to the regular guards. The info about what had happened getting suppressed to the least amount of people as possible. Entering through the last gateway, Auryn felt impressed with the number of structures, defences and other military posts. Such a fortress could require weeks, months or even longer worth of sieging through the main gates with a large and well-prepared army to also make a dent against the high doors. The other way with the many tunnels seemed to be a better way of attacking compared to the gates: this was another suicide path for an attacking army as this prefered the defenders The many small tunnels could collapse with a defender preference. All of the options available made it sure that the city of Sengi was going to be a commanders nightmare. Finally entering into the city made a stark contrast to the massive bulwark of defences behind them. It was an enormous difference compared to the military institutions. The entire cavern around them was devoid of rock, almost like several dragons had devoured this colossal area out themselves. It was a quarter of the size of the valley of Sanctuary but still impressive due to the rock removed. The city layered in rings as the outside layer looked filled with residential houses, small stores and near the entrance it also appeared to have many storehouses to keep stock and supply. With the army''s barracks in this area as well due to the importance of the items held inside. The city descended farther into the earth as the outer later was at the highest level. The middle area filled with many blacksmiths, toolmakers and other metal workers. The echoing sounds of hammers caressing the metal as the rapid sounds of the dings vibrating the walls of individual buildings. Dwarfs and Dark elves toiling away in sweat as the hissing of water as each blade received the cold water caressing it The smog seemed thickest in this area as the pollution flooded into the air and climbed to the top of the cavern. Magical enchantment''s lining the walls and the very height of the cavern to remove this pollution at just a fast enough rate to stop the town below becoming engulfed in toxic pollution. Auryn stared at the shops as she took a detour, moving up to one of the Blacksmiths as her curiosity got the better of her. The dwarf inside toiling away as his many assistants ran around almost like headless chickens. "Oi, you bastards. Hurry up and bring the Mithril for the core. This client is paying top silver for this!" The older dwarf hissed as he hammered away on a separate piece, the outer frame of the weapon became almost completed as he stood absorbed into his work. His eyes were only moving once over the woman that approached him, his body shaking in annoyance as it became clear that he responded to new customers with hostility during his working hours. It took him a second glance for his hammer to stop, mouth falling open as his eyes glued themselves to the woman. The beauty was causing him to feel something he had rarely ever felt for someone else. The apprentices and assistants stopped instead quickly as well, noticing their master stopping his hard work to stare, everyone''s eyes turning before they also felt jaws growing somewhat loose. "Please, Sir Blacksmith. I did not mean to interrupt. I''m always interested in a Dwarf who has mastered his craft." Each word caressing his ear as the Old dwarf stroked his long black beard, several small silver cuffs braided into his beautiful thick hair as the runes glowed with constant power. His height was equaling almost two-thirds of the Elves. "Please Madam; It''s no problem at all. Look at my wares, and if you require a custom price for a personal blade then I will be happy to give you the best deal this side of Sengi! Please call me Seros." Seros spoke his words smoothly as the assistants turned to the dwarf with shock and surprise: apparently, this was the first time since they had started that any of them had heard such words from their master. "Seros, that is an amazing and lovely name. I''m a traveller from out of town. Can you explain a few things to me about the sword you are crafting, it seems hollow in the centre. Oh and Silvers? You do not use gold?" The words spoken by Auryn again touched the hearts of everyone around, the beauty of woman causing many to grow attached to each word spoken by her, even the old dwarf who had turned from a grouch into a kind sensitive soul. "Silver?" It took a moment for Seros to process the words before he understood the questions, deciding to answer the second one first before getting into his craft. "Empire coins are worthless. They move based on the principle of the empires worth and not the coins worth. The city-state of Sengi adopted the Sengi Silver which is a coin valued on the contents of Silver inside. The coins are small, but about six of them hold valued at a single fake golden empire coin. Even if you cant use the coin in empire territory, you can smelt it down and use it for that." Auryn let out a small giggle as she beamed to them all, everyone staring at her like she was the moon gazing down upon them. "Interesting." 81 C80 Full Bloom During the next part of his task, Seros felt a cold sweat going down his face at the subsequent monumental work that needed completing. The fusing of two half''s of a blade with a mithril core was a feat that no one but himself had ever accomplished. His client requesting it along with such an impressive and lovely woman watching had only driven the height of the difficulty as the sweaty blacksmithy made him almost choke on his breaths. It took time and mana stones to complete the long ritual required for the blade, and the woman had interrupted this process, he did not blame her, but now his success had to become a reality as not only to impress the exotic beauty but also to show off his prowess with his blacksmithing skills. It took a few moments before Seros moved back over to the forge, magical runes covering the entire smaller of the two forges. The little pot pulled out with a bubbling blue liquid that seemed to hiss as the fresh cold air rushed at it. Moving with purpose as the tongs holding the pot twitched every few seconds, the process taking its pressures out onto the dwarf doing the process, the aqua blue and almost water-like liquid flowing into the hollow-like core of the iron blade. The fluid flowing all the way up to the weapons handle which was an iron handle wrapped in leathers that were placed inside with only hopes and dreams. The Mithril was floating just above the hollow inside as it was close to pushing out and spilling over the blade and anvil, the hissing continuing as Seros pulled the other half of the module, putting it on top of the half which currently held liquid Mithril which presently costed much more than gold. While both have sat against each other, it was now a race against the clock to finish off the blade before the liquid metal hardened. Seros took out a small box from beside the anvil as he grabbed a sheet with many runes scribbled onto the sheet by charcoal. In the next instance, the same sheet placed onto the sword, the dwarf''s hand dipping into a small bucket of cold water nearby, the water dripping onto the parchment with the runes on it, imprinting the charcoal directly to the sword before peeling it away with delicacy and art. "Bring me my hammer." His statement brought back some life into the nearby assistant''s as they began to fumble around in the tool rack, pulling out a small golden plated mallet with the blue profound runic symbol''s marked deeply onto the many golden plates, this iconic tool getting placed into Seros''s hand as he turned back to his masterpiece to continue. The room''s atmosphere so thick that someone with a knife could cut out chunks and then eat them. A few around even watching in awe, some in displeasure and greed with the final few in jealousy at the skill displayed. Bang! The mallet struck down onto the two halves together, the striking echoing throughout the store and even onto the street as people stopped to stare inside in wonder as the sound attracted the local''s nearby to gaze in awe. The charcoal''s colour was turning to a more molten red as the rune symbol''s started to act and impress themselves into the sword. Mana from several crystals in the many corners of the room activating as the power flowed from them into the blade. The two halves of the blade glowing before combing into one smaller sword. The weapon is becoming whole as it took on a blue hint of the mithril as it became an alloy weapon of both mythril and iron combined, while mythril was usually a fragile but magically attractive metal, iron was the opposite being a durable material compared to Mithril but repulsive to magic. It was clear of the skill of the blacksmith as it became a weapon that both produced the fantastic magical effects from the mythril and the durability of the iron. The blade sat on the anvil, the beauty causing everyone to stare for a brief moment before Seros picked up the blade, his other hand gripping the other end as he presented it towards Auryn who had watched the entire process. "You are a very skilled blacksmith, you should be proud as it''s clear as the morning light that you are blessed, skilled and experienced." Each word struck a chord with Seros: he had heard the same words from many people before, they had become hollow to him as he knew that each one just wanted a good sword for a low price. This woman had spent her time watching his craft without judgment and any interest in a weapon herself. That alone was not enough to pierce into his heart, but still, he felt like weeping with joy for the words blessed onto him. "Madam, please can you do me the honour of naming this sword for me and giving it a blessing!" It took a few minutes before Auryn responded, the crowd gossiping as this was an extraordinary proposal. The creations of the blacksmiths usually received a name from the said creator, and this was true for Seros as well who named all of his swords. Auryn smiled to the man as her fingers caressed over the blue dyed blade with soft eyes as she noticed the change in the man from the short introduction she had seen, it was clear that she had moved his heart in a new direction as her lips came close together. "I shall name this blade. Today and tomorrow onward this one shall be named Bloom." Her energy flowing from her fingertips as the pure white energy flowed from her fingers into the blade, power caressing it as she gave the weapon her blessing. The leather was stripping itself away from the handle as vines growing from the edge itself, moving down the grip as it formed the new base grip for the legendary weapon. Similar smaller vines crawled up the weapon itself as it began not just a collection of metal fused together but an actual living sword. "As you mentor those around you, this weapon shall also grow as time goes on. Anyone who has a pure heart will be allowed to hold this weapon while anyone corrupted will suffer from holding this blade." Auryn placed the blade back down into his hands, many staring at her in disbelief as many dwarfs and dark elves getting onto hands and knees, bowing before the women who just displayed divinity to them. Seros became one of the main people to bow before her. His voice almost hollow and horse as he whispered to her. "Thank you." 82 C81 To the Inner City, The Council Awaits. Auryn left the Blacksmith after a few moments, trying to pull herself away from the group that had started to kneel before her. With a heavy heart and mixed emotions she rejoined Keen and the soldiers who had watched the entire event. "Madam Auryn. Is it wise to leave a weapon like that in the hands of this Blacksmith?" His eyes were focusing as Keen looked at the woman with wonder and worried about the actual reason behind it, his nature sceptical as a weapon blessed by a Demigod was something that was extremely rare and never handed to the average mortal. "Please, the weapon is mortal forged. It''s not like it''s gotten a powerful enchantment. I just named and gave the weapon a small piece of myself. I''m not worried at all." Auryn responded by waving her hand. Her attitude made it evident that she was not thinking all too much about the consequences of giving a weapon with a divine enchantment to someone she just met. The group continued into the lowest part of the town, the buildings growing more substantial as the average home grew several sizes. The average house in the city was a long but thin building with tiles, bricks and glass-less windows. The buildings were built tall slightly then vast as the space around the area held a hard limited for the area given. This fact was different for the rich who both had massive manor style houses made out of exotic woods, stones and metals they also had great homes which each manor could potentially house an entire street worth of people. The few other buildings in the area seemed to mostly centre right in the middle of the entire city block. Sitting at the centre of the whole city was a statue of a tall man wielding a spear in one hand and a large shield in the other, the features of the man seemed to be worn with the passing of time as it was a very generic statue. The small plack at the bottom: bronze in appearance with engravings pressed into the metal. "Ingros - God of the Sun, Light and Hope. Champion of Armies and Soldiers." Auryn remembered the lore behind Ingros. The Dwarfs, Dark elves and a few other races that followed Ingros all suffered terrible effects when the Demigod fell. The Dwarfs and Dark elves suffered from sun sensitivity which caused them to move and hide in dark and remote locations. Losing the ability to tolerate the sun after the Demigod of the sun perished. Living with the Demigods provided so many benefits but once they left it started a chain reaction that began to curse and even hinder the races that followed them. Auryn stood at the statue: hands pressed together as she sent a silent prayer off to Ingros, hoping that wherever he was, it was better for him. "Madam Auryn, Do you have faith in Ingros?" Standing by her side, having already sent his prayer. Keen asked his question as he looked to the woman, trying to figure out what kind of person she was. "I have faith in them all. It was a paradise between all of them before the great war. I fear we will never go back to such a state, but maybe we have hope now." It took a few moments before Keen looked back at the woman with interest in what she meant. Before he could ask her any more detail, Auryn had already begun moving on. The few other buildings included high expense stores with the most top quality of food and supplies. The large church focused on the religion of Ingros and even allowed all other faiths except Saleh''s. The last building being the largest which was the city hall, massive marble pillars lining up the entrance as the group entered up the stairs and past the cornerstones before coming into the building. The interior of the building was a similar blue, white and black marble with related carved tables and chairs, transparent windows made of pure glass around the hall. Keen led the group up the stairs to the second floor. Many Elves, Dwarfs and a few humans stopping as they stared at the group that had arrived, this being the first time such a large group had entered into the city hall, getting lead to the council chamber. A few moments later Keen pushed open two large marble doors, creaking as the small group was lead inside with a few guards behind carrying some of the supply from the carts. "Incoming Auryn from the Town of Sanctuary as a mediator with her guards." Kaye rolled her eyes as she got the follower treatment compared to the woman with the special powers. "Let me introduce the council to you." Keen responded as he nodded to the seven people sitting behind the half crescent table in the middle of the hall, each seat allowing the others to see each of the council members. Starting from the left side of the hall, Keen pointed with a flat hand towards each council member. "Council Member Poiea, Leader of the mining industry." He said pointing to a sizeable dwarf woman, thick long hair that seemed to be almost as bushy as a regular dwarf''s beard with red strands in her black hair. Her eyes were sharp like diamonds as she folded her arms, looking to each of the guests. Going down the line to the next council member. "Council Member Karoth, Leader of the Trade imports and exports." The next one is a tall, thin and somewhat annoyed looking dark elf male who seemed to see this entire event to be above him in status, time and even money. "Council Member Fezin, Leader of the City Planning and Buildings" A bushy Dwarf male who seemed to struggle to even sit up in his chair, dark brown hair and beard covering his entire face and body which made him look like he could use his facial hair as a blanket with his naturally small size which was similar to a gnome then an actual dwarf. "Council Member Desren, Leader of the processing industry." The last council member here seemed to stare at Auryn with interest and hunger; it was clear that she had a keen eye and with the information spreading like wildfire about the sword she helped create the interest was somewhat real. Her looks similar to Karoth as her statue was almost similar in size. Her blonde hair the only difference. Her information network stronger than anyone else in the room. "This is the four council members. We have seven seats currently, we do not need all of them, and the seventh seat is for Ingros when he returns to us." Auryn bowed her head politely as those behind her did the same. "Thank you for the welcome Council members of Sengi. I''m Auryn." "And I''ve been sent here by the All-Father." 83 C82 Council Debate The room was silent for a moment as the words began to sink into every member that sat, stood or watched from a distance. The silence was so entrenched that it took a few minutes before anyone spoke. "You said the All-Father. Do you mean the Creator God who made all the races, world and the Demigods?" Council Member Poiea responded with a somewhat sceptical tone as she looked at the beautiful elven woman, she had already received the reports in regards to the woman''s powers inside the customs room. Using some necessary scrying runes still working inside the room, she had discovered that this was true and the woman''s power was nothing to scoff at compared to any other mage, warrior or army. "Of course. The all-father gave me my power, the power of fertility to save my people once I can escape out of the Vortex." Auryn Responded. Council Member Fezin was the next to respond, the small dwarf stroking his beard with interest as he looked at the woman. "Why did the creator god come after such time. I thought he had abandoned the world after his creations started killing each other. Countless records exist by multiple states with him coming into the world before the war but none afterwards." Auryn stared at them all, standing alone in the centre of the room as the council addressed her. That was supposed to include Nathan with her until the plans had changed. The questions posed to her usually could unhinge her and make her start to panic. It was a different response this time, her emotions calm and collected as it was almost like everything was perfect, emotions in sync as her eyes looked to each one, connecting to each council member as she noticed that she had everyone''s attention. "He has come to fix the issues from the past. He left the world to solve its problems as he usually always does. He has stepped in now to resolve everything as he is no longer sure that we can fix it." Auryn threw out a half lie as she clenched her hand, looking down in shame as she put her acting skills to use. It was clear that she was trying to show her guilt at that they all required help. All the council members except for Council Member Karoth seemed to respond well to this, clearly seeing her point. "What spew you are forcing down our throats. If he is the creator god, then he will surely be able to fix it all with the snap of his fingers. He is the all-powerful god of our land." Those words again shook the room, back in the opposite direction as Auryn stared at the man with displeasure. It was clear that he was going to be the hard one to convince. "Why should a god fix all our problems in an instant. You can fix the world and solve issues but winning the hearts and minds is not something you can snap your fingers to resolve. Peoples free will is not something he would try to change." Auryn fired her words back at the council room again became silent, Karoth watching the woman in annoyance as the words made sense, he cared little if the All-Father had shown up or not, all he cared for was trade and the income of the city. "We care little for the religious teachings you are here to spread. We all have agreed to follow Ingros even if he is currently passed on. If that is all you are here for then, you are free to leave." Karoth was firing those words back to the woman as he sat back, arms crossing as he again cared little for whatever she was doing here. It was clear that she was trying to expand her influence with the trick she pulled in the blacksmith area by getting people to bow to her, hearing it from Council Member Desren before the meeting. "I''m not here to force a religion on you all; I think the All-Father cares little for trying to set up that for himself. He has never really wanted one or even pushed for one." Karoth began to get even more annoyed. His current time spent talking to this woman getting wasted by this, he felt like standing and ordering the guards to remove the woman. As he was about to begin a woman to his left spoke just before he could form the first word. "Why are you here then?" Council Member Desren spoke, fingers locked with each other on the table as she looked at the woman with apparent interest, smiling to her as she wanted to find out the real reason. "I''m here due to the need for trade. We are building a city in the southern area of the vortex. We have food, water and plenty of wood. We require tools, ores and ingots in trade. With Baski getting evacuated now to our town. I think its best we agree. Since nearly all of Baski moved to our town of Sanctuary." Desren smiled brighter at this: it was clear that Auryn was indicating that it was best for them to cooperate otherwise issues could arise in the future with food "May I ask one more question before we continue?" Desren tilted her head to the right slightly, her smile coming on stronger as she leaned forward to look at the woman directly. "Why is the All-Father not here himself to ask for our assistance. I''m sure this meeting should be much faster with him here." Auryn turned over to Desren, apparently impressed by the woman as she knew that this was going to be one of the more critical council members out of the lot. She held the most power here just by the way the other council members looked to her. "It''s simple. He''s currently dealing with a more important matter." Auryn felt the hate from Karoth as Desren blinked in surprise. "What would that be then?" Auryn looked to them all as she smiled brightly. "To revive a Demigod." 84 C83 Senoa or Bus Fifteenth of Growth of the Year 997 - Outside Senoa - Slums Senoa stood busy as usual, guards moving down the main street as the army from previous began to march down the road, the numbers since the combat had diminished and the long walk back along the safest route caused the numbers to drop to roughly four thousand soldiers. Moral had dropped for the army as they continued to train, they had returned only a few prior days, and the grim news had shaken the church in the east side. They had yet to realise the same god that destroyed the army was standing outside the city, watching and thinking of the next plan to indeed destroy all hope for the church. Standing on the outskirts of the town, on one of the last dunes as his eyes rested on the many tents, metal huts and shacks that seemed to litter the entire outskirts of the western area of Senoa. "Such a large number of people in the Slums. It must be thousands living in such harsh conditions." Nathan spoke as he stood wrapped up in a cloak, his eyes scanning the homes as he noticed people wandering about below in the slums. It was clear that people in this area lived very rough lives to stay alive. Standing at his back all wrapped up in cloaks included Bull who seemed to tower over everyone else. Azo with his impressive deep eyes that seemed to hold deep wells of intelligence. The twins who both seemed connected by fate itself. "The slum has over twelve thousand people at last count. The city itself possibly has around double that with only a few thousand on the east side. Its scaled to drain peoples money." Nathan looked back to Azo as he watched him for a brief moment, his eyes turning back to look at the town as he just nodded slowly to continue forward. "May I Know what the plan is Nathan?" Azo requested as he followed behind Nathan, his eyes looking at the back of the man. During the last week and a half, he had spent so long walking back to Senoa with Nathan instead of flying. He had counted at least seventy-six spots that they had stopped at before reaching here. "You have stepped everywhere I have Azo, you have watched everything I have done. I''m pretty sure you know what I''m planning on doing." Nathan said as they reached the bottom of the last dune, walking towards the slums as a few people around the camp stopped and stared for a brief moment before going back to business as usual. Azo thought for a moment at the last week and a half, each stop was slightly different, but everything had a similar theme. Each time they stopped Nathan used his powers to make a small oasis, either underground, above or a mixture of both. He had repeated this process from Baski all the way to Senoa with each area filled with enough water and food for a large number of people for a few days. His eyes glowed for a brief moment as he turned to look at Nathan as he felt his mind almost blown open, if his plan came true then it was going to be a massive shift in the power of the Vortex. "My God, May I..." Nathan turned to him, giving him a sharp stare from under the cloak, Azo and the others stopping as the scaled red man stopped and bowed his head. "My Apologies Nathan. It''s just strange to call you by such a name as you are the father of all." Each word made Azo lower his head more as he wished not to cause any issues, having found out this man was someone very important, having met with potentially three gods in the past month had caused him to review his life. "I find calling me by such a title troublesome. I''m called Nathan, and you may address me as such. We are inside town now so Its best you stick to it." Inside the Slums, life was at an all-time low. Set shops right in the centre patrolled by mercenaries hired by the traders who set up tempory shops here. Each stall was holding many peoples attention as the oldest food items got discounted heavy causing massive riots just for loaves of bread. "Six gold coins for a loaf of bread?" Nathan spoke as he looked to the small loaf, maybe enough for a tiny family for the entire day. It was clear that this price was steep as gold supply was low. "The average price outside the vortex is half a gold coin on average for a full loaf. The largest loaves normally cost around one gold coin at most. The vortex does not grow anything at all except for a few small places." Azo stared at the many different objects for sale, most of them made outside the vortex, it was clear that most of these items would get sold inside Senoa, but any unsold items could get sold at a discount to the dregs of the slums. "These items are brought in through the Dusk Gate. Traders travel far to this town to sell them at places like this. Its dangerous due to the location but its still worth the price. Twelve times the price is horrendous." Azo felt his anger rising as he looked at all the prices, having purchased items of similar quality each day to get by. He was lucky being part of the adventurous guild as he happened to receive discounts on food, water and room. Continuing onward, in one of the back alleys between the shacks a woman begged for her life, three thugs standing over her as they each wielded rusted iron swords. "This is the third time we have to ask. Time is up Nees, where is our money." The woman felt her face draining of colour as she looked at all three men, two orcs and one human, each one looking annoyed as they wanted to enslave this woman to get any chance of getting the money back. "Please, My daughter required the money for the medicine and my son is too young to work yet. I need another couple of days. I will have the money." Nees looked over at the entrance to the alley, eyes going wide as she spotted a cloaked figure coming down, all three men looking back as well. "How about I take the debt off your hand''s gentlemen. You should agree with this deal otherwise..." A long black oak bow forming between his fingers, the string unfolding between the ends as the actual weapon gave each of them a feeling of greed and panic at the same time. "It will be the last day of your miserable lives." 85 C84 Choices Made Nees started at the man who came to her rescue, the thin stature with a cloak that did nothing to hide the frame to everyone else. It was clear the man poorly ate himself: it was not until the bow appeared from nothing that the tension rocketed up a many notches. The woman sat on her knees, mud, sand and dirt stuck to her pale legs as her tattered robes showed the bare life she had lived to this point, scrapping past everything day by day. Nees height roughly came to 5''02 with greasy thin brown hair that stuck to her face due to the tears and mud. Freckled with mud as her deep blue eyes looked over the man again as the bow gave off a feeling of dread to the men standing around her while she never felt a sense of this, including of the death coming from the bow, all she felt was hope and a bright future ahead by going to the man. "Well, if you are going to offer up something in return. It''s rather a large sum of gold. Nees here owes us roughly six thousand gold for over a month now." The bandits regained some composure as they held onto the rusting swords, one staying close to Nees to imply for Nathan not to do something so rash. "I do not have six thousand gold: I may have something else." As Nathan spoke those words, four more figures came down into the alley, backing up Nathan as the three bandits felt like running just at the amount of backup this man had. It was clear the group behind him had experience and wisdom in combat and had spent time in life and death situations. The attention of everyone came back down to his hand as he pulled out a stone so bright that the sun stood caught in its beauty. The rock a bright blue with what looked like crashing waves of water rocking inside, it was the size of an entire fist. "Mana Stone..." Azo spoke in a tone that was full of surprise. The main expense of an adventurer group was the Mana stones for the mages. Magic could no longer form naturally inside the Vortex which caused a power vacuum and allowed tradition sword and shield types to rain supreme on the battlefield. The most common Mana stone to find was a Death Mana stone that happened to stand filled with unlife. These stones naturally surrounded and were sold in Senoa as the adventurer''s dove into the dungeon to mine these resources. It clicked after Azo found the Goddess of Death in the dungeon, her body producing the death magic that filled the many stones and loose rocks, forming the Mana Stones. It was clear that the Gods presence had a direct tie to the magical forces. The stone in Nathan''s hand looked roughly ten times the size of the small shard in Azo''s staff. Each crystal could cast some spells depending on the level. Higher level spells required more stones and eventually a level seven spell could waste entire shards with a single cast. "Hey, brother. That is an Aqua mana stone. Those are extremely rare. It can be used to create water as well." One of the Orcs spoke in a hushed voice to the human who still stared with intensity at his hand, trying to rack his brain around Nathan''s decision. "It''s so much large then the death mana stones. Each one has gone up in price to around five hundred and twenty coins. This item must be worth at least twenty thousand gold, maybe even more!" Both orcs stared at the human leading them, apparently not understanding something was wrong with this situation. Why should a random strange come and pay off this women''s debt, he had back up loud enough to dispatch them all. Something did not add up. "Are you taking this, or should I just begin to dispatch you." Nathan responded coldly as his eyes glared at them, the flames of his power flickering in his eyes. "What is the catch?" The human spoke, his tone neutral as he dared not give offence to this man, who had power and connections to get such a crystal. "That crystal is worth over two times the amount needed to pay her debt." Nathan took a few minutes, he was somewhat confused by the first statement and then the second statement made his smile come back again. He had done it this way for them to accept the fastest so he could question the woman and use the debt to gain an insider''s help. "It''s for one reason. I may call upon you to pay the extra money back to me in the form of work. I will still pay though, and this is the proof that you will remain paid in full." Nathan tossed the stone to them with a light toss, the rock rolling in the sand before stopping at before them. Each bandit was shuddering as this was to the same effect as tossing a considerable stack of gold over the edge of a cliff with no hope of getting it back unless he could really keep his word and find them again at a later date. "We thank you for the generosity. We will leave this woman''s debt to you then. Good luck!" With but a few movements from the human, the blue mana stone vanished from sight, the three bandits moving away and out of the alley from the other end. Leaving only Nathan, the adventurers and the woman Nees sitting in confusion as she stared at Nathan. Moving forward step by step, Nathan let his bow dissolve into ash and fade away, his knee pressing into the dirt next to Nees as she stared up at him in wonder and worry. Who had she met, was he a person or closer to an angel? "Come with me, Nees. It''s time to help those around you and not just yourself." 86 C85 Nees to Know Basis A hand offered towards Nees, taken by her as she felt the man pull her up and off the ground as her face flushed in embarrassment. It was clear that she had no idea what to say or even do as she stared up at the man who looked back down at her. It almost seemed strangely romantic from an outside perspective. The first voice was Nathan as he broke the silence after some time. "So, may we go someplace quiet to discuss matters. I do not plan to hold you to that debt, but I do require some assistance as someone out of town." Nees nodded to the man as she stared up at him for a moment, her eyes glowing with wetness as she felt indebted to this man, he was like an angel from the sky who had come down to rescue her for the poverty. She still felt some wariness as she knew that this might become a problem if he wanted something else. Her eyes were staring up at him as she noticed the lack of emotion, nothing remotely indicating his foul intent to have his way with herself. She still felt her embarrassment as his eyes looked into her own. "Can we talk somewhere quieter, I need to discuss a few things about this place. I''m mainly an outsider so some perspective will be great." Nees felt those words hitting her as she nodded her head quickly, moving through the alley as she led the man out of the central shopping district and into the quieter residential slums area. The sound of children echoing around the group as this district seemed filled to the brim with children, after coming around a few more corners the sight changed again, instead of children this time it was many women standing in front of their own homes. Bull let out a soft whistle as he stared directly at several women, most of them waving at him with interest as his smile grew. "Oh my. These women are all nice. Maybe we can make some new friends." Azo looked to Bull before starting over at each of the women, everyone giving a flirtatious smile and winking to them as they walked past, it was clear what sort of services they offered. His mouth was dropping as he could swear Bull was dense in certain aspects. "Bull, these ladies are women of the night. They will be very friendly but for money only." It took Bull a few moments to put everything together in his mind. He felt his cheeks growing warm at his stupidity as he looked over to them again, his eyes watering slightly with embarrassment. "I do not have any money though." Each spoken word was coming from his mouth like a wave of water hitting across the women as they stopped smiling, turning away to pay attention to other men and women entering the street. The shock was running back to Bull harder than before as he looked to the ground dejected. As the twins patted Bull''s shoulder with pity, Azo moved up towards Nathan who was walking behind Nees who was leading them through the district. "Nathan, Can I ask you if this is wise?" Azo spoke softly to him, keeping his voice low for two reasons as he wished to keep this talk private from the person they were currently following, the second reason so that any undercover guards had no chance to recognise them as they walked past this area. "I can set up a meeting with a few of our connections. The money you spent on this woman could cover the cost of several of my connections to get anything you require." Nathan turned his head to look at the man, his eyes glowing sightly under the sunlight as he seemed confused at this conversation. "Have you heard the phrase. Kill them with Kindness." Azo stared for a moment as his confusion increased, why would Kindness help him with getting the information he wanted. "Azo if you do not understand my mission then maybe your intelligence needs to get sharpened. I''m not just after information." Azo felt his skin prickle as he heard this, his anger slightly rising at this insult. He never acted on it though as he merely listened for Nathan to continue his words. "I care not for people who are neither loyal or trustworthy. The contact you have may provide information at a steep price, but I neither trust them or have their loyalty to back it up. I will not buy people." Azo blinked as he heard the last part, clearly feeling something was not adding up correctly as he stepped closer to Nathan. "You just bought Nees?" His words received an icy cold glare from Nathan as he felt his soul shudder as his steps retreated away from the man. "If that is what you believe then you are really in need of getting some emotional intelligence. I think Bull beats you in that category." As Nathan continued walking with the woman, side by side. Azo retreated to Bull who had closed to the distance to hear the whole story, his smile growing as he looked to Azo. "He is right you know. He did not buy her but freed her. He does not expect her to pay back all that money and that is easy to see. It''s why she is looking at him as a divine being and not with disgust." Azo took a few minutes to let out a low groan, shaking his head as he never thought a day could come with him getting lectured about a topic from the large man himself. "We are here." Nees said as they came to one of the shacks on the edge of the entire town. It was clear how the woman made her money as lines upon lines of washing stood outside her small shack-like home, many piles of baskets each with a small package stuffed inside with some coin. As Nees came home, a young boy came running out. It was clear he was at most nearly eight or nine years of age as his shaggy brown hair brushed in the wind, his face covered in snot and tears as he grabbed his mothers worn shirt. "Mom! It''s Mea. She stopped breathing! She won''t talk to me!" The mood dropped like a rock as Nees began to cry as she rushed inside with her child, the only word coming from Bull as he watched with pain in his eyes. "Shit..." 87 C86 Divine Faith (Sorry to Disturb the reading. If you guys want this story to remain as free as possible with no SS fees then please consider donating a single dollar a month to my Patreon. https://www.patreon.com/Cddizzym This will be the only time I interrupt the flow of the story. Thanks for considering it. ) The mood felt chilly as the group stood outside for a moment, everyone staring at the door as everyone felt the same emotion of fear to actually even try and walk inside. Losing someone like this was a pain that none of them could even begin to imagine. The pain caused stronger than anything in this world. Nathan stood for a moment before bowing his head as he took a step forward, his body carrying him past the threshold as he knew what he had to do, the fear and pain not in his heart as he was possibly the only one who could try to fix the situation. He Passed through the doorway into the shack like home. His eyes were focusing on the darkness as it took a few moments before he finally saw the small size of the house. Three rooms which were no bigger than his old flat in the real world, every space crammed with items as everything had gotten scavenged and saved for future use. The second room was a small side room with a bed inside made of dirty leathers and cloths which seemed very uncomfortable. The third room which held the most significance. Inside Ness was crying with her entire heart on display, cursing the world in her own heart as Nees had done everything in her might to save her child. Two beds, one with a small boy sitting from before who looked pale and in shock, apparently not understanding the situation all to well as he looked up at Nathan as he entered. The other bed was holding the lifeless pale corpse of a young girl. Roughly around the age of six maybe seven. Clear as day that if she was still alive, Mea expression could have brightened the entire sky with her smile. Small glass bottles were littering a table next to the bed, each one holding trace amounts of a bright red liquid which held magical properties. Nathan''s eyes scanning over each one as this healing magic must have cost the poor mother an arm and a leg, which did not surprise him at the least. Azo and Bull came in shortly afterwards, followed by the twins as they all saw this sight, both twins turning away as they left. Azo was staring at this situation with a stoic face while Bull bit his bottom lip in anger and annoyance unable to do anything. "Bull, Can you grab Nees and pull her out of the way, Azo can you take this young man and make sure he does not come near me, please." Nathan spoke softly, each word catching the others as both Bull and Azo just nodded, moving forward as the large man took Nees in his strong arms, pulling her away from her child in the bed, the tears streaming down his arm as he felt almost close to the worse person in the world right now. "No, Do not touch my baby! I will kill you if you do anything to her!" The screams echoed out the house as Nees fought against the arm, clawing, scratching and even resorting to biting as she tried to free herself from the massive arm wrapped around her to keep her away. Staring at the man who took her place, sitting at her little girl''s side as she felt her heart sinking rapidly. Closing her eyes, she prayed to whoever was listening as the tears, snot and sadness flowed down her cheeks. ''Someone save my little girl.'' She sent her prayer off into the wind as her eyes opened slowly, Azo holding onto her son as he struggled to help his mother in desperation. It was clear he was unable to do much against a fully grown man. Her struggles stopped as she watched the man kneeling at his daughter, his hands taking both of his daughters as she saw the tears flowing from his eyes as two vibrant sources of energy flared from the man''s body. As they watched, two flame-like energy sources travelled from Nathan''s eyes, crawling down his face and shoulders before reaching his arms. Each second passing as it flowed like a river to eventually reach his hands before passing into the girl''s body. The dark energy surrounding Mea like a cloud to protect against anything from the outside attacking her. Protecting her from the world trying to harm her and shrouding her with its protection. The light energy flowing into her as her body started to grow warm to the touch, colour returning as her body shook visibly with each moment passing as a small gasp of breath became audible from her little lips as her eyes slowly opened to the world once again. Her body voting up as Nathan grasped her shoulders, hand sliding over her mouth as the poor girl began to cough her lungs out, eventually after a few minutes she stopped as she sank against the pillow, Nathans hand closing into a fist as he stood and walked towards Bull and Azo, nodding for them to release them both. Nees broke her heart again as she rushed towards her daughter, arms wrapping around her as her instincts made her pull the young child closer, head resting on Mea''s chest as she wept. It was only when she heard the faint but soft heartbeat of her child that the tears turned from sadness to pure joy, her head raising to look at the man who had saved her child. "Thank you. God! Thank you!" Nees and the young brother held the younger sister together as the family cried in relief. "Let''s head outside, give them some time to rest." Nathan spoke with a smile crossing his lips, the emotionless features no longer present as he was prideful for the thing he had done. After exiting the home, Nathan uncurled his fingers as he held a bloody bit of flesh in his hand, it had crystallised with pure divine magic. Azo was looking down at his hand as he felt his face growing pale, he knew he had seen something similar. "That is a piece of skin from the Death Goddess... How did you get that?" Azo said as he stared down at the bit of flesh, openly wondering how Nathan had retrieved it without entering the tomb yet. "It was in the young girl''s stomach." Nathan clenched his fist as he stared out into the distance, his eyes growing angry again as he bit his lip in rage. "Someone fed it to her." 88 C87 Cannibalizing a Goddess Everyone stood outside the house, staring at Nathan''s fist in shock and disgust as they had just learnt the fact about the strange crystal skin fragment. No one dared speak a word as the anger rolling from the Arch Gods shoulders seemed almost to cause the air to heat up around him. "Why is such a thing inside a young girl''s stomach. It does not make sense as to why such a valuable item is sitting inside a child''s stomach." Nathan stood staring for a moment as he looked at the city of Senoa, his eyes staring off into the distance as he knew which group could do something so horrible no matter what the plans involved. "This was done by the church for whatever reason. They are the only ones who have access. Either it was done by a single person or group inside the church or done by them as a whole. We need to figure out who and then stop them. This reign has gone on far too long in my opinion." Nathan finished as he looked back to the shack, his eyes focusing on a Nees who had come out looking for them, her eyes filled with tears as she was currently clearing each eye before smiling to them all. "I think you wanted to talk sir?" She said to Nathan with the highest amount of respect she could muster inside her heart. "Please call me Nathan. Let''s talk around the back and let your children rest." Nathan and the group moved with Nees around the building, surrounded by poles with so much laundry on as everyone took a seat on old wooden furniture that had seen better days. "I need to thank you, Nathan, from the bottom of my heart. My child has recently become sick. I thought it was over till a few days ago when she became like this, so sick she was unable to move at all." Nees felt her heart jumping in her chest as she held her hands close as her legs pressed together in worry, her mind trying to put together what had happened. "If I can help you in any way I can, please let me know. I will be glad to help you... If I could ask a question first? As something that has remained in my mind after what you have done needs an answer." Nathan looked at the woman with a slight bit of confusion as she did not outright ask the question but pleaded for permission. "You want to know who I am?" As he spoke these words, Nee''s mouth slowly dropped to the floor as she looked at the man with some fear but mostly awe in her eyes. It was clear that he had hit the nail cleanly on the head. "I''m a God. I sound instead stuck up for saying that honestly but It''s the most accurate. I''ve come to try and sort out so many of the problems in Senoa." The words making Nees almost cry out again, it was pure luck that this person had ran into her. Maybe not even that. Perhaps it was divine intervention that had saved both herself and her daughter. "Sorry for asking, let me answer your questions, my lord." Nees spoke in a soft, respectful manner as she lowered her head to the man. "Please call me Nathan." It took a few minutes, sweat starting to form on Nees face and neck as she heard the request. It felt like needles prickling her skin. "I cant. You are a God. I have to treat you with respect as one." Nathan let out a small groan as he rubbed his head, a small smile crossing his face as he knew exactly how to tease this woman. "As your God. I command you to call me Nathan. That includes you not adding in any titles." Both Bull and Azo, who both silently had watched this entire thing began to chuckle as the woman started to stream and malfunction as it took a few minutes to speak. "Yes... Nathan?" Nathan blinked as he stared at the woman for a moment, feeling a strange cuteness come over him as he watched the shy woman act. He just wanted to hold her and laugh at the same time. This feeling was rather odd. "Excellent. I need you to tell me about any recent changes. Anything to do with your daughter as well. Tell me about the medicine you got her and the illness she had." Nees nodded as she pressed her tongue against her cracked lips, it was clear she had suffered from lack of food and drink, Nathan pushing a skinned water pouch into her hand as he let her take it to drink from. Nees was blushing in response as she started speaking. "It started around two weeks ago, Mea was about in the streets with a few friends playing. I was doing my laundry as usual when she got bit by a rabid animal. From the descriptions, it looked almost like a dog but flesh hanging from its body and face with blazing white eyes." Azo blinked as he moved forward, taking a seat closer himself as he spoke. "That sounds like a Dire Undead Wolf. It''s a medium tier of undead that was somewhat common inside the dungeon. It requires a specific potion made with anti-poison magic to cure." Nees nodded her head to the statement as she held her face, recalling the moments as the tears started to shed again. "I tried to purchase the potion. It cost almost twenty-five thousand gold from every slum vendor. The price became so inflated after the adventurers guild closed due to the halls of the damned getting cleared out of the undead." Nees rubbed her eyes as she bit into her lip, looking up at them all with worry as she continued. "The only one who could cure her was the local priest of Dusk. He offered a bottle with divinity inside. Two thousand gold and my daughter became well again." Nathan watched as the woman''s face turned back to a smile as she remembered her own daughter growing well again, the smile turning back to sorrow as she continued. "Till she became bedridden again, this time unable to move or speak in a comatose. I spent all my gold, borrowed and stole anything I could to get all those potions from other dealers and even the church. Nothing worked till you came." Nathan felt his rage growing, staring at the woman as he stood up with his eyes looking to the city. "Nees, The Church Poisoned, your daughter." 89 C88 Leader of the Outcas Nees sat in silence, stunned by the words coming from Nathan. It was clear that shock and panic were filling her due to the choice of the words he spoke. "It can''t be true. Why would the church poison people with this stuff?" Nathan turned to them, holding his hand out as he showed the small crystal-like bit of flesh that stood on his palm. Divine like magic still pouring from such a tiny bit of body. "It''s a simple thing. A body of a divine contains the pure and raw power of the gods. This power is corruptive to anyone mortal. The typical path to take with corruption is death and decay. When this shard lodged itself in your daughter''s stomach at first, it released magical energy to power the potion that accompanied the medicine." Nathan put the fragment into his pocket as he sat back down, letting everyone else sit close around so that he could lower the volume of the conversation. "Once the potion effects wore off and the magical energy inside this fragment no longer supplied anything else it began to build in your daughter like a poison. Unable to activate itself and become useful it merely dwelled inside till today when she died of Mana poisoning. Nees face became a shade of white as she felt her face to fight back the tears, Azo looking at Nathan with confusion as he listened to him. His knowledge of magic making him one of the few people who understood the concept. "Can you answer me this Nathan. You said Magic is poison to the body, but mages use it just fine. Even in the Vortex, we are unable to use magic without Mana crystals. What is up with that?" Nathan looked at the man as he let out a small sigh, this was going to be a topic that caused some issues as he knew that many people could have come to different agreements on how Mana worked. "I do not wish to cause issues. I''ll say that when mortals use magic, they are not keeping inside themselves. They are but a conduit for the mana to shape it to a form they desire." Nathan looked to Nees as he knew that the woman possibly did not want to hear this right now. Still, he could not refuse a question in regards to something he designed himself. "The average mana concentration around is between one to twelve percent. The richer the mana in the area the stronger spells you can cast. In the Vortex, it''s roughly around zero point one four percent." Azo nodded his head in understanding as he knew something was missing from the explanation and even the part about why the vortex was, so mana dry was also not explained. "Now. Nees, I need to ask you a few things. Can you tell me if you know of any leaders of the community? Ones who have enough sway that people will listen to them." It took a few moments for Nees to think as she looked back to them all, quickly nodding as she responded. "Well, each area has a person in charge. I know of them really, but they are the ones who hold the sway inside the slums. Each section holds certain powers, but people will listen when they speak." Nathan nodded as he pulled out a map from his cloak, handing it over to Azo as his smile grew. He was sure Azo who is a smart man had understood his plan to some extent. "Excellent. When the time comes, you will all need to lead everyone to this location. Gather as many supplies as you can for the journey. I know you will do great." Azo and Bull both nodded as they understood. Azo nodding due to knowing the plan while Bull was nodding because it sounded like he was getting some action. The twins directly stared at them both as they just shrugged. As Nathan left, Azo sat in his seat as he looked at the many others around before unscrolling the map as he looked it over, seeing many green marks leading back to Baski. "What is this plan that he is speaking about with the leaders? What do we need actually to do?" Nees spoke as she looked slightly worried, she had just gotten her child back to full health, she would help due to the immense emotional debt she owed the man until her kids became endangered. "I guess that he is going to do something so damaging to the church that the slums out here will no longer survive. He has posted these places as restocking points for water and food so people can make it to the town of Baski which can then led to his town of Sanctuary." Nees looked at the man like he had spoken something crazy, almost gasping as she shook in fear. "Wait what are you talking about. That almost sounds insane. I''ve never heard of anything in regards to a town of Sanctuary!" Azo just let out a small laugh as he tried to calm the woman down, the loud voice could attract the wrong kind of attention as he merely continued to smile at her. "Calm down. The city is created and maintained with God-like power. It''s breathtaking as I''ve seen it myself. It has a flowing river of pure fresh water running through the town, green as far as the eye can see with trees so tall that you have to crane your neck to see the tops. It''s a magical place, and I think you should get your son and daughter out of this hell." Nees felt the shock running through her; this was almost to good to be right her mind becoming pained at this point. Who would believe about a magical area that was perfect to live in. She had spent nearly the entire ten years inside the vortex and she had forgotten about life outside the harsh walls. Azo smiled at her, taking a hand in hers as he spoke. "He saved your daughter. Do you think he could harm them after that." Nees let out a small sigh, those words defeating her as she nodded. "Fine, I''ll help." 90 C89 Entering Into West Senoa Nathan spent enough time wandering as he finally made it back to the centre trading area of the slum, heading east towards the actual capital of the Vortex. The wall surrounding Senoa made from sandstone stacked on top of each other as the wall had a coating of black ink that gave it a menacing glow to it in the fading light of dusk. The soft sound of footfall on the top of the battlements. A single massive gateway stood bastion to any who wished to enter into the city. The gateway split into three sections with one large entrance for carts and traders with two side areas for those without carts and who had less income than the wealthy traders. It showed the difference in status as the line for the common entrance reached out and nearly started in the slums, people in all walks of life waiting in line as a few guards checked them and mostly sent them away while laughing. Nathan stood in the line as he let out a small sigh, he had spent so many times in lines similar. In England, it was almost a favourite pastime to queue for anything. He thought for a few moments before looking at the line again, the slow movement making him even wonder if he should bother with such a thing. ''Maybe this is the best time to recheck the menus. See if I can get anything new that the month has changed." He moved his hand to open the menu, blinking as he noticed a new popup that seemed to appear. System: You have 125 Unread Messages. Nathan stared at that for a brief moment before clicking to allow them all to pop up. System: Godly act - 100 Faith System: Godly act - 200 Faith System: Daily Worship - 565 Faith System: Church Established - 1 Dominion Point Gained The text scrolled so fast that his vision barely kept up as he took the time to scroll through them all, his breath slowly falling from his mouth as the sigh was long and drawn out. He saw the notes about the church. He had to go back at some point to figure this all out. He had never wanted a church for himself as creating a bunch of fanatics felt rather wrong when it came to himself. In a story, it was fine which was why he created the gods in the first place. "I''m a bit of a hypocrite aren''t I." He spoke softly under his breath as he just let out a small chuckle as the line continued to move, his hand moving again to open his status window. ====================================== Name: Nathan Blackrose Age: 27 Race: Arch God Title: Creator God (E), Freefall Expert, The Fool, Exterminator, All-Father Dominion: 6/18 - 1 In Use (Auryn) 3 In Use (Water Temple Orb), 8 in Use(Sanctuary Valley) Faith: 14840 Words Of Power: (Five) Power Word Bow - (Rank Iron 96%) Power Word Fertility - (Rank Silver 98%) Power Word Aqua - (Rank Silver 97%) Power Word Journeying - (Rank Bronze 9%) Power Word Death - (Rank Bronze 15%) Minor Sub Skills: (Bow) - Bolt Of Unstoppable Might - (Rank Silver - 72%) This ability fires a single bolt that is unstoppable by non-divine beings, If non-divine being lives after the blast then they will be permanently terrified around the caster. Major Sub Skill: (Bow) Lord Of That Which Falls - (Rank Bronze - 8%) This ability allows the user to redirect any ranged weapon that is fired in your presence, non-divine beings cannot stop this process. (Fertility) Sever The Lines - (Rank Iron 10%) Target in sight. The target is rendered sterile. All their children immediately suffer and quickly perish. All grandchildren will then get targeted, then Great grandchildren all the way down to the fifth generation. The only cure is divine intervention or another divine power word to interrupt. Mortals have no method to resist. Current Relations: Auryn Zey - Eria Elf - Fertility Vassal Current Loyalty - 74% Status: Healthy Current Missions: - Primary - Increase Followers to 10,000 - Secondary - Increase Vassal''s to two. Create a Miracle Extra Abilities: Admin Menu: Locked ======================================== His eyes stuck to the new title as he let out a small chuckle. His daughter messing with him all this time made some sense. He still had some annoyance as he knew that many questions were still to be asked and answered. The amount of faith made him smile as he knew that he had some potential to buy a few good items now, his hand waving another time as he planned to purchase a few items. ======================================== - Welcome to Taking All The Faith Store! - Power Word Sale! (Monthly) Might (40% Discount): 5000 Faith Command (10% Discount): 10,000 Faith Artifice (Limit: Arch God Only) 50,000 Faith ----------------------------------------------- -Card Effects!- (Monthly) Loyal Vassal (2 Left): 2500 Faith each. Tempory Power Word (4 Left): 500 Faith each. Power Upgrade (3 Left): 250 Faith each. Avatar Form (1 Left) (Popular!): 1000 Faith Each. Map To The Shadow Path: 25,000 Faith. ----------------------------------------------- Vassal Power Upgrades Auryn Zey - Eria Elf - Fertility Vassal Conversion Completion Status - 26% Increase Speed - 1,000 Faith ----------------------------------------------- Legal Items 1. We are not responsible for damage, destruction or loss of property due to these effects 2. No refunds. 3. No discounts for creating the game. 4. We offer no technical assistance, deal with it yourself! ----------------------------------------------- Next Month on the first the shop will rotate the stock, please make sure to purchase all the items you want or need before the end of the month. ======================================== Nathan felt his breath catching as he saw the Artifice word. It was the main word he used to create the entire world around him. He had spent so long with the power of creation that he knew it''s skill and potential off by heart. "Next! Oi, you staring off into space. Hurry up!" The guard shouted as Nathan closed the window, his eyes looking at the man who called him over. It was clear that this man was going to try and rip him off in some way. "Great..." 91 C90 Making an Entrance Jack stood in the entrance: three others guard around him as he shouted for the next one to come up for inspection. Jack had spent most of his time working as a guard for the church in this area, scraping together any cash or product he managed to find to save up enough money to buy his freedom from the Vortex. So far today he had collected nearly five hundred in gold coins, half would become his bosses due to the nature of the business while he kept the rest. Since the guard position was not paid and merely a voluntary post to help one get into the army, it left many of the guards to find alternative ways to get a coin. This lack of funds meant that every guard had to take any cash they could find to pay for every expense from food, lodging and other items that were deemed necessary to survive. In retrospect two hundred and fifty gold coins were enough to escape hunger for a few days if the food stayed rationed out carefully. His family required him to get enough coin and also to save up to buy freedom; he cared little for anyone else as he knew that he needed to get the coins to purchase his freedom. It was better him and his family then the random scum that sat outside being lazy. "Oi! Stop blanking out into space and get up here!" He yelled as he noticed the next guy in line, his blank-like expression and somewhat slim body giving him a slightly distressed look, the clothing also a rather massive oddity as Jack did not understand which part of the world he came from. He stood face to face with the man, his expression blank as he said nothing, Jack feeling his anger flaring up again as he pulled up his parchment. His questions noted down as he let out a sigh as he knew this man was going to provide no gold. "I need to take a few details. I need a full name from you." Jack let out the question as he held the quill, staring at the man with a pained expression. "I''m Nathan Blackrose." The voice felt rather flat against his ears, emotionless and dead inside. This person already had the correct mindset for the dull slave-like work that was required to make coin. "Nathan, That is a similar name to mine. Are you from Cinma Islands?" Jack responded as he had initially come from the Cinma islands before moving to the empire lands, eventually getting tossed into the vortex as a foreigner without a visa when he found that his documents were pawned to the black market by thieves He looked back up after finishing to see a small smile creep onto the man''s face. Jack''s mouth was curling down with displeasure as he Nathan answered his question. "Those are some beautiful Islands. I assume you are from the islands then. Some incredible beaches right?" It took a few moments for Jack to write down Cinma Islands onto the form as he really could not be bothered to try and extract information from this man, he wanted the money, and nothing else and this process had gone on far too long. "Right..." Jack lightly responded as he checked a few more boxes, adding random details into the fields as he looked to the race part, almost naturally putting down ''human'' as he decided to ask the man before doing anything so rash. "What is your race?" It was best he asked as he could press a higher tariff if he were a mystical race due to magical restriction laws in the vortex. "I''m an Arch-God." Jack stopped as his quill stopped writing, eyes looking up at the man as he felt like choking him out over the weak joke. "I''m a Death God Incarnate." He said in a similarly poor joke as he wrote down human before sighing a few other parts. "We will need an admin fee of roughly six hundred gold. This is because you have a background from Cinma, due to many spy''s entering I will need to pay for background checks, visa applications and many other items." Of course, this was all a lie as he never intended to pay a single coin to investigate the waste of space in front of him. The shame also came from the fact the man had mental health issues to be claiming he was a god so shamelessly. Jack watched at the confusion as the man seemed to think for a few moments, checking his pockets as he brought out a small sack with a few coins clinking around inside. "Are you kidding me. You do not have the fee, and you come here to waste my time!" Jack was furious at this point; he had money to collect and debts to pay yet this waste of space kept slowing him down from doing his primary job of getting payments. "I''m not wasting your time. I want inside, and I''ve not lied to you once!" As Nathan responded, Jack felt like stabbing the man right here, if he was allowed to which was not the case since it drove others away and lessened the payments for everyone. "You claimed yourself to be a God right?" Jack responded as he gripped the parchment, almost wanting to tear it up as he felt the urge to ram it down the man''s throat. "If you are such a powerful force of nature, go along the side of the wall and punch a hole through it. Since you are an all mighty and powerful god." Jack tore the papers in half as he tossed them behind himself, shouting towards his boss. "We are done now Nathan. Boss!" He shouted for his boss as he looked over to him, needing some time off as he was going to have a pipe break. "Going on a pipe break!" Jack wandered out the front, along the wall a few meters as he pulled out his pipe, taking a smoke after lighting it with some disposable lighting paper. His eyes staring at the crazy God-man walked along the wall, almost like he was checking it out. Jack muttering under his breath. "What are you doing you crazy fucker." 92 C91 Never Test Fate Nathan sat through the entire process, finding it fun to tease the guard as he saw the massive vein forming in his face, his enjoyment aside he had only a few coins on him due to the fact he required nothing like food or water to survive in this world. His companions carried such things for him during his previous works. He moved along the wall, looking along it with disinterest as he was told by the guard to break through it with his power as he had claimed to be a guard. Still, he felt the same hate-filled gaze on the back of his neck as he walked up to the wall. "Maybe I should put on a show." He said with a soft smile as he looked to the guard, giving him a small wave as he still felt the anger pulling from him as it seemed to spike when his hand waved to the guard on break. "Well, I should start with a staple purchase. Might is a powerful item, but I feel like I will be ripping off older tv characters at this rate." Nathan let out a soft sigh as he raised his hand, accessing the system as he pulled up the shop menu to begin his purchase of the required items. ======================================== - Welcome to Taking All The Faith Store! - Power Word Sale! (Monthly) Might (40% Discount): 5000 Faith Command (10% Discount): 10,000 Faith Artifice (Limit: Arch God Only) 50,000 Faith ----------------------------------------------- -Card Effects!- (Monthly) Loyal Vassal (2 Left): 2500 Faith each. Tempory Power Word (4 Left): 500 Faith each. Power Upgrade (3 Left): 250 Faith each. Avatar Form (1 Left) (Popular!): 1000 Faith Each. Map To The Shadow Path: 25,000 Faith. ----------------------------------------------- Vassal Power Upgrades Auryn Zey - Eria Elf - Fertility Vassal Conversion Completion Status - 26% Increase Speed - 1,000 Faith ----------------------------------------------- Legal Items 1. We are not responsible for damage, destruction or loss of property due to these effects 2. No refunds. 3. No discounts for creating the game. 4. We offer no technical assistance, deal with it yourself! ----------------------------------------------- Next Month on the first the shop will rotate the stock: please make sure to purchase all the items you want or need before the end of the month. ======================================== He skimmed his finger to the Might section, clicking on it as he quickly placed his confirmation down to purchase this item. System: Purchasing Might. One second. Nathan knew the process well enough as his body seemed to jolt, the power flowing into him through the ground as he felt an otherworldly strength now at the press of his fingertips. His hand was moving again as he opened his menu to figure out the changes, eyes scanning the list as he smirked. ====================================== Name: Nathan Blackrose Age: 27 Race: Arch God Title: Creator God (E), Freefall Expert, The Fool, Exterminator, All-Father Dominion: 6/18 - 1 In Use (Auryn) 3 In Use (Water Temple Orb), 8 in Use(Sanctuary Valley) Faith: 9840 Words Of Power: (Six) Power Word Bow - (Rank Iron 96%) Power Word Fertility - (Rank Silver 98%) Power Word Aqua - (Rank Silver 97%) Power Word Journeying - (Rank Bronze 9%) Power Word Death - (Rank Bronze 15%) Power Word Might - (Rank Copper 0%) Minor Sub Skills: (Bow) - Bolt Of Unstoppable Might - (Rank Silver - 72%) This ability fires a single bolt that is unstoppable by non-divine beings, If non-divine being lives after the blast then they will be permanently terrified around the caster. Major Sub Skill: (Bow) Lord Of That Which Falls - (Rank Bronze - 8%) This ability allows the user to redirect any ranged weapon that is fired in your presence, non-divine beings cannot stop this process. (Fertility) Sever The Lines - (Rank Iron 10%) Target in sight. The target is rendered sterile. All their children immediately suffer and quickly perish. All grandchildren will then get targeted, then Great grandchildren all the way down to the fifth generation. The only cure is divine intervention or another divine power word to interrupt. Mortals have no method to resist. Current Relations: Auryn Zey - Eria Elf - Fertility Vassal Current Loyalty - 74% Status: Healthy Current Missions: - Primary - Increase Followers to 10,000 - Secondary - Increase Vassal''s to two. Create a Miracle Extra Abilities: Admin Menu: Locked ======================================== "Well excellent. Let''s have some fun now shall we." Jack had finished his pipe as the stress still build inside him, his eyes locked to the man making strange gestures with his hand, body turning a few times and even the man''s gaze shifting back to him. It was not until he began to walk away from the gatehouse that finally Jack had enough of this. "I''m going to beat the shit out of him." He said as he followed a distance behind, making sure to keep himself just outside an acceptable range. His anger was currently turning into anticipation as he felt the need to get some revenge against this man for wasting his time, blowing off some steam for the past few weeks of terrible luck he had. It was until he saw Nathan stop after ten minutes, away from all the guards other than himself that he felt something strange about the scene. His eyes were growing wide as he watched the man getting into a fighting stance. "What kind of insane idiot is he?" He felt his body going numb, eyes straining as he felt sweat covering his forehead. It was clear that the man was going to punch the wall with all his might, potentially shattering his fist in the process. His smile was growing as he was going to enjoy the show. That smile shortly died as he felt wind catching his face. The pure white blinding light was shining from the man''s fist as it pulled back, the sound of the air shattering as the same fist punch with such ferocity and speed that even the air dared not stop it from advancing. The sound of shattering as the earth rumbled below him, the strength almost causing him to fall onto his ass as a rush of sand and dirt blocked his view as a miniature sandstorm blew past him. "Holy fuck!" Jack cried out, coughing as he tried to clear his vision as the earth rumbled again as part of the wall fell next to him, almost crushing his hole. "He is a God!" 93 C92 The Kind Pries Standing behind the wall, Sivil pressed the bowel of water along a small row of crops that slowly grew from the earth below him. His smile was growing as he watched the plants slowly vibrate, almost like they were dancing with the water landing on every one of them. Sivil stood at a natural 5''11 with greying hair, a pair of spectacles that fit on the end of his nose. Thick red and orange robes that covered him and even seemed somewhat baggy to the fit. His natural aqua blue eyes were moving along the patch of land as he continued to water the plants. His long hair sticking to his sweat covered face as he continued his work, a smallish church behind him which connected to a larger two-story home with connecting outhouses. A bunch of children was screaming and playing off in the distance in the yard between the church and the secondary buildings. Sivil crouched next to the church itself in a private garden area that had stone walls cutting it off from every other area. He had managed to purchase a black-market fertility gem on the cheap side of things and had started to use it with the water he pulled from the spring, able to water all the plants and even to allow them to grow. He stood up from his work, cleaning off his hands and brushing down his robes as he entered back into the church. The few benches inside moulding over slightly due to the age and the windows very plane and few in the roof with the entire feeling of a run down church that needed desperate repairs. The altar itself in a terrible state after so many years of use and even a few break-ins that had caused some damage during it. Sivil taking his time to set up a few items in the storage area in one of the side rooms before coming back out and taking a seat on one of the less damaged benches. The sound of hooves in the background as a pair of hands slowly covering his eyes, a soft voice whispering into his ear as the hot breath brushed the back of his neck. "Hello, Darling! You look exhausted after all that work. Want me to make some tea for you?" Standing behind him was his darling wife Kechi, standing taller than him at 6''02 with the sizeable feminine figure of a warrior female, toned body all the way down to her waist which strangely seemed to transform into a horse anything below that. Her long golden hair that flowed down her back that curled up at the end that only seemed to bring forth even more youthful energy. Along with her soft blue eyes that complimented her somewhat plump appearance. "That would be fantastic." He held her hand softly for a moment as he stood, watching her with a soft smile as she moved away into one of the back rooms. Preparing the tea for him, the scent of the leaves in the pot only made him let out a soft sigh as minutes passed by before he took the drink, sipping it with pleasure. His body was standing as he walked out to the front of the church, his eyes looking around at the ruins of the slums around him. He was in the farthest part of the slums and currently in the destroyed section which caught fire a few months back. Sadly no one lived here at the moment except for a few settlers here and there. He had felt a shame washing over him as he only got this place cheap due to this fact and was able to help all the children because of it. His ties to the church allowing him a continued tribute for helping out but nothing more. Sivil carefully sipping his tea during the quiet evening, the gentle wind caressing him as he just let out a soft sigh. It was not until he heard the earth-shattering blast with the ground shaking below him that he could even consider this being a bad night. The dust scattering as he dropped his teacup, shattering it on the ground as he ran straight towards the hole that was nearly 40 meters away from him. The wind was scattering the dust as the priest ran towards the now gaping hole in the wall, large enough to ride several horses through at once. Maybe it was an invasion. Some new siege weapon. That he had never heard about an impending attack so what could it possibly be. "Wait, someone is in the smoke!" Sivil rushed forward into the smoke, his speed closer to someone in the twenties let alone his much older body, grabbing the arm of the man as he struggled slightly against his grip. "Come on, young man. Stop fighting I''m trying to help you out. This is not a safe place!" He felt the gentleman giving up his struggling as he quickly pulled him out from the smoke, leading him back to the church as he looked to his wife in need. Handing over his arm as he looked towards the man, seeing his thin body and tall frame making it all to worse to look at. "Are you ok, are you hurt anywhere?" He spoke as he quickly dusted his robe off, his own eyes wandering back to the smoke as Sevil noticed several guards showing up, starting to poke into the rubble as he knew it was best for him to leave. If he got caught up in the madness not only could he and his wife get caught up, they had a chance to lose everything with the corrupted nature of everything. "Come on in Young man. Its best we talk inside about what happened. Maybe I can get you some tea. We should stay away from the guards don''t you think?" He opened the door to allow his wife entry first, hurrying the group up as the young man followed. "I agree. It''s best we keep away from the guards." Nathan responded as he came inside, a smile coming onto his lips as he continued. "Some tea would be fantastic right now." 94 C93 Kindness Returned. As Nathan wandered through the church, drinking the tea with a small smile on his face. He still felt some surprise as he remembered the man pulling him into this building and had tried to save him from the crumbling ruins of the wall. If only he knew that he had punched the entire wall in, then maybe it would be different. Sivil came back in a few moments later as he held a box, inside filled with a few herbs, cloth and a small bottle of what appeared to be a sticky-like fluid with slight yellowing to it. "Come here young man and sit." Sivil took a seat on the bench as he unpacked a few things. Nathan was coming over and making a place next to him with a smile clear a day on his lips. It was a strange feeling, the priest acting almost fatherly towards him which made him laugh internally at the change in roles. He still looked like his typical twenty-seven-year-old self even though in this world he had lived before the dawn of this universe. "Strange, you are not even hurt at all. You are a lucky man to have gotten past without a single wound." Sivil placed his items back into his case, putting it all away and he set the box safely next to his knee, his hand taking a new teacup with hot tea inside as he took a sip himself before continuing. "You can praise whichever God or Goddess for that stroke of luck!" Both men were laughing together as they sipped the tea, enjoying the peace inside the church with the distant screaming of kids in the background and even the shouting of the guards from the wall. "I''m surprised you said Gods and Goddesses instead of Saleh. You are a church of Saleh I guess since this is the capital. I thought you would be similar to the rest. Tossing the other religions into the ravine below and not even mentioning them." The silence came next, Sivil not sure how to respond as his wife had escaped into the back to prepare more tea, clearly not helping him with this conversation as it was a somewhat difficult one. "I''m assuming you are not a religious man for the Goddess Saleh. I''m not like the other churches when it comes to forcing people into one religion. I can''t change a man''s heart faith if they truly believe in another." Nathan smiled his head and just nodded to the man, surprised to find someone who held true faith in his heart while keeping a keen mind as well. "I still wish to ask who you believe in and place your faith and trust in young sir?" Sevil asked as he sipped his tea, looking at the man as he saw only confusion and pain. Assuming he had some traumatic experiences when it came to religion. "Sorry Priest. I can''t say I hold any faith in the Demigods that reside no longer in this world." Nathan said as he placed his tea down, his mind going to his sons and daughters as he felt pain as he knew the reason for everything. It was not their fault: It was his. "Ahh. It seems you are more a believer in the Creator God. It''s rare to see anyone give him any attention considering he is more of an aloof god. His sons and daughters get the limelight while he works in the background. So do you place your faith in him?" The next set of words made Nathan blink, Faith in himself? He had faith that he could fix all these issues and maybe resolve everything back to a state that looked like before. It would take so much time and energy to finish the entire process. "I suppose, If I do not have faith in that then I can''t have hope for anything. Though sometimes I still question myself." Sevil stopped for a moment as he looked to him, misinterpreting the meaning of his words, assuming he was losing faith in the creator god. "The creator god is someone everyone should place faith in. Creating all the gods even Saleh. He is the only one who created this lovely world, every creature as well. He also gave us all a free-will. People forget this fact all the time, and we should worship him before anyone else." Sevil''s smile was infectious as he continued to drink his tea, looking at the man with a small grin. "You are an amazing Priest. Have you considered moving to a different town? I would pay for everything." Those words caused Sevil to spit out his tea into the cup he was holding. His wife was peeking her head in with a blush as she stared at how this conversation changed. "That is a tempting offer, but maybe we should talk more before you decide something so rash. Maybe you should tour the facility so you can see everything we do." Sevil stood as he placed his cup along with Nathan''s empty cup into the back, coming back as he held out his hand to the man. Making sure to give it a firm shake as he continued smiling to him. "My name is Sevil. May I ask your name?" "Nathan." Nathan replied as he shook the man''s hand, smiling gently as he felt a warm sensation for meeting someone such as this man who had such kindness inside his heart. It was rather easy to tell from the first glance. His soft nature and consideration when it came to inviting someone potentially in danger into his own home and offering a drink. Even talking about his problems without any judgment and hate as he tried to give the best advice. It had made such an impression that he still smiled at this moment from the previous conversation. "I still want to let you know that even after today. I insist that you come to my town and become our priest. Nathan put his hand out, offering to shake his. "Not just for one religion but everyone." 95 C94 The Orphanage It took Sevil a few moments of standing next to Nathan''s as he shook his hand to realise something. He was surprised by the strength of the grip the younger gentleman seemed to possess for someone looking so famished it was clear he appeared more than the initial impression. The generosity was causing a smile to grow across his face. It took him another second before he pulled his hand away and a laugh escaped his lips as he looked at his wife who seemed to smile at him. "Forgive me for asking Nathan, but you look almost like a walking skeleton. You are asking me to serve in a town with a leader who looks like you have not had an excellent meal for some time. Nathan continued to smile as he just let out a small chuckle himself, his hand slapping the great priest''s shoulder as he began shaking his head. "I have enough food to eat: I do not eat all too often anymore. It''s like my curse when you get to my position. Life sometimes becomes oh so dull." In return of his hand, Sevil moved to place his hand on Nathan''s shoulder. Smiling with such a calm nature that even Nathan felt relieved by speaking to the man. "Listen to Nathan; life is not always in our control. We have to take it as we receive it and make the best out of the situation." Nathan listened, his smile growing as he closed his eyes as he began to nod. The words striking a chord with him as he just chuckled again. "The more you speak, the more I want you in my town." "Nathan now, do not say something that will make my wife misunderstand. Plus before I move anywhere, I must think of the children. They come first in my eyes and heart." Sivil began to clean up the mess as he enjoyed the small conversation with the man, his wife taking the cups as she made her way into the side room to start washing the cups and set. "If you genuinely feel this way then you should meet the children before you make any decisions. I will have demands based on them, and If you fail to meet any of them, I would have to decline." Sivil stood near the kitchen area, his body turning to Nathan as he finished speaking. He took a moment to raise his hand to indicate Nathan should follow along as he began to walk towards the back of the church. Nathan following along as he exited back into the direct sunlight, the sounds of the distant guards shouting commands. The back area filled with the shouts of children as this large space nestled nicely between both buildings. One massive stone wall on the northside blocking the way to the hole in the wall so no guards could see inside. The east side had another stone wall to block off the streets making this area closed off from the outside world. The large two-story building near to the church is the location for the children to learn, sleep and even eat. The evening was coming fast as the children continued to enjoy the few remaining minutes of sunlight. Dusk is one of the few periods that any of them could enjoy the blazing hot days without getting hurt. The children ranged between the ages of 5 to 18, the older children helping out the caretakers while, the younger ones just continued to enjoy each moment as it passed. The races of each children being rather easy to see from a distance. The diversity less then one would expect in a fantasy style world. It was supposedly due to the geopolitical scape of the current times. Humans, Elves of many subtypes like Wood Elves, Half-Elves, City Elves and other more half-blooded types. The lesser groups included Dark Elves, Dwarfs and even a few Gnomes. His eyes were catching a young girl staring at him. The small human woman with eyes milky white with no pupils or iris. Clear as day that she saw nothing around her like an average person. She was looking directly at Nathan: her body turned in a way that made it easy to tell as well. "Sevil, may I inquire about the young woman staring at me?" Sevil turned as he let out a small chuckle, currently getting swarmed by a group of children. It took him a few moments before he noticed the girl, his smile fading as he nodded to Nathan. "Her name is Matea Kiye. She was found wandering in the northern lands of the empire. Claimed to be a witch the poor child then became another victim, tossed into the Vortex." It took Nathan a few moments, his eyes looking back to the poor girl who''s eyes seemed to be lost to the powers that one should never have. It was a clear reminder of the problems the world still possessed and the many issues he had to resolve. Matea stood at the small height of 4''11, human with black and white patchy hair giving her a strange appearance with parts of the hair sticking up in weird places. The eyes were cloudy and white with the hint of a purple hue below as to her natural eye colour. Her appearance was worse as she looked more Anemic then Nathan. Sadly, the little girl only had Nathans attention for a brief moment as his eyes turned to the woman walking up to the girl while holding some bedsheets. Standing tall at 6''2. Crimson hair that tumbled down her back in a wavey motion with her body type being close to thin and tall similar to an Elf. Human-like features and pale white skin as it was equal to Nathan. Silver white eyes that oozed power identical to Nathan when using his own power words. The most distinguished part being the pair of massive two meter long wings on either end that seemed to flutter behind her. Strangely almost like no one else could even see them as she moved. Her silver-white eyes were moving as she and Matea stared directly back at Nathan, the angel dropping the sheets to the floor as her mouth went wide as she took a step back in fear and surprised almost like seeing a ghost. "N... Nathan. It cant be!" 96 C95 Time Returned Second of Fortune (Month 5) of the Year 475 - Sevorian - Temple City District Five Hundred and Twenty-two years before the modern day. Bright crimson wings were flying through the skies. The fluffy white clouds getting in Annie''s way as the cool breeze brushed past with a light caress. The gentle waves of the air flying by as she flew, it was another beautiful day as her smile graced her lips. As she passed another set of clouds, her vision blocked on for a brief moment. She took her time floating back in the direction of her home. Sevorian. The floating sky home that became a reality with the creator god divine intervention. Every race in this era received home by one of the seven Demigods. The Crimson-Angels being one of the few races who directly followed Nathan which led to a more nomad life. It was the leader of the Crimson-Angels that made an offer to the god, requesting a permanent location but something that could help them retain the potential to wander as they used to. Thus Sevorian was born, the first and only sky island chain in existence in the world. It was so extraordinary that even the Demigods came to marvel at its life. Sevorian had several islands, each connected by bridges of mana which led to the central peninsula known as the Temple District. Each religion worshipped here as a few different races could visit on exceptional circumstances. Mainly nobility, royalty or high-level religious figures. The different sections were broken up into the following areas. Central Island, known as the Temple District. The only location that the world can contact directly to the Creator God himself. North Island, known as the Farming District. East Island, known as the Luxury and Relaxation District. South Island, known as the Military and Defense District. West Island, known as the Lodging and Rest District. These five islands all connected to one another as they provided all the essential needs for the race known as the Crimson angels. On the edges of the Temple District stood long stone platforms with statues and decoration. Many angels sitting around, reading and enjoying the lovely weather as a few others landed from taking flights similar to Annie who was on patrol today. Landing onto the platform as a few angels smiled directly to her, Annie looked over to her staff leader who seemed agitated as she came over in a fuss with people surrounding her. "Hey, Celi, what is up?" Annie softly spoke as she adjusted her clothing as the fit always seemed to move ever so slightly every time. Taking her time to look over Celi as she appeared to be agitated. "Hey Annie. We''ve been drafted to the security detail. It''s gonna be our squad heading this one up." Celi stood at a similar height to Annie with a few years younger worth of appearance, her crimson hair cut short into a more rebellious spikey look. It was clear that the other people around also held some interest as many people had stopped reading or speaking to look up at them. "Celi, you are calm and collected for most missions. If its another human ambassador like last Friday then you should be rather annoyed then worried." She said in a laugh, the people around her also smiling as it was somewhat tedious to them when dealing with the outside world. "It''s the Creator God." Celi''s words dropped like a bomb, the sounds of talking from the nearby angels stopping as everyone turned to look at Celi with an intense gaze. "So the entire army is mobilising today then. If he''s coming down, then it''s clear that we are going to exterminate something." Another angel responded nearby, the group nodding as no other logical idea to this. "Let''s be serious. The Creator God requires no ones help when it comes to extermination. Have you not heard about the rumours of him simply destroying entire regions just because they did not look quite right. Insanity and Brilliance are two sides of the same coin I suppose." Annie finished as she let out another sigh, several other angels giving her a hateful stare as Celi shook her head before continuing. "Annie, careful with your words. Some people may take that as you insulting our creator. If he is Insane then what are we since he created us." It only took a few moments before both women began laughing, the others around starting to laugh as well as the mood rose to an upswing. The infectious news spreading like a virus as the population of the entire city began to hurry. Curfew established to anyone who was not a native to the Island to lower the risks of an accident. Annie, Celi and the rest of the squad of almost thirty angels stood along the main road of the Temple District. Each one was protecting the street to allow space for the main attendee to pass by without incident. Just as the tense atmosphere began to climb, the main double doors of the central temple began to open, three elders walking out with bowed heads in respect as a woman with a timeless beauty wearing foreign clothing came out just behind them, writing on a strange box that seemed to click with each tap on it. It was easy to see the Creator God. While he looked similar to an average human, except for the strange clothing that no one else could ever have. It was the Aura that gave it away. While a Demigod had an aura that looked like a massive beast behind them. This man held an entire moon behind him, the powers dancing like two beautiful wings behind his back that shined his glory down to the world. The screams became almost deafening as the many angels treat this man like a living legend and one that was barely ever seen as his last visit was over one hundred years ago or more. The sounds only growing louder as Nathan raised his hand, everyone thinking he was giving them a wave to show his greeting. No one noticing a small slider getting lowered as the Creator God was lowering everyone''s volume. Annie also not noticing as she stared in awe. "This is a full fledged God..." 97 C96 The Journey The procession continued as the group moved onwards, elders leading the way to the primary platform of the island. The crimson angel guard group falling in front and behind as they led the way to the platform. The crowds cheering as the group continued down the main highway, other mortal races confined into the guest quarters only to look from the windows with curiosity. Annie stood directly in the centre of the collum, left of Nathan and his assistant. He had heard her name before which was Celorian she thought. Her eyes were looking up to the man as she saw nothing but focus and drive. "Celorian. Why are the people here? I''ve never programmed this type of event into the console matrix. Is this one of those dynamic ones that we fast encoded?" The woman nodded her head as she gave no easy to read the expression, burying her face into the strange mechanic box that seemed to glow. "Yes, Sir." The cold response that one would think resembled indifference. Annie could tell that the woman felt guilt and pain. It was just below the surface, but the man seemed not to notice or just ignored it. Annie felt sorry for the woman, eyes lingering onto Celorian for a brief moment before she sensed her eyes connect for the briefest of moments. This connection felt nothing like a standard glance between people. It almost felt like the woman was staring into her entire life, past present and future. It took a moment and a jolt from Celi behind her for the gaze to break, eyes moving forward as she heard the soft whispers into her ear from behind. "Are you crazy Annie, staring at the Creator God and his assistant." Annie just responded with a small chuckle as she tried to not grab any more attention, glad that the elders had not seen any of the previous actions. She could have faced severe action against herself and maybe become an exile is that was the case. The group continued to advance, eventually reaching the extended platform out of the island. The sound of the angels dulled at this distance as the twenty angels, elders and the two divinities stood at the end. "Bring us a sky dragon with the carriage." The order from the elder rang out as a few angels began to spread bring crimson wings to start flying for preparations for the transport. Few angels looking to the Creator God as he continued to walk towards the platform edge, intent clear in his eyes. "My lord. What are you?" Before the elder finished, His words died as he watched his god raise his hand, beams of light flooding through as the golden beams straightened out from the end of the platform and into the distance. The golden light bending as the bridge made of pure yellow spanned into the distance as Nathan turned back to the group looking with disinterest as he looked directly at his daughter. "Celorian. Let us head out. I want to finish this before I head out to get Ramen." Nathan stepped forward first as his body turned into a bright yellow ball of energy, flying down the road at a speed that destroyed any other conventional travel. Celorian stepping with him directly after as both had left as quickly as they had come. "What are you all doing. Hurry after him: if something happens we will bring shame to the previous angels and our sons and daughters!" Annie watched her brothers and sisters rushing onto the gate, the first few almost tiptoeing onto the strange golden bridge. Each person was turning into a bright yellow light as they flew down the golden path. Annie was stepping up as she felt a peculiar sense, toe pressing against the mysterious divine power as she perceived herself thrusting forward. Her screams were echoing as her body flew through the air. Nothing able to stop this ride as the land below her just went past at the speed of light. This lasted almost one whole minute before the experience came to a stop, two figures standing at the peak of the mountain as over a dozen angels stood around. Most coughing, groaning and almost puking due to the speed at which they travelled. Annie only just able to hold in her food as she stumbled forward, eventually coming next to Nathan and Celorian as she looked around the area for any particular threats to them both. It was clear this was one of the few parts of the world that still had yet to receive any interaction from the mortal races. The west and north being just sea while the south and east had mountains. The land between all sides being wholly barren and almost close to a wasteland. "This place is a wasteland." Her words came out rather quickly as she noticed no fresh water sources, no trees or any sort of greenery that could support a life of any description. This entire area was doomed to never see any life at all. "It was not always the case. This land used to be a tropical paradise with many trees and land. This is the remnants of this place now." Celorian finished as she continued typing away her eyes looking over the landscape as Nathan looked around for a few more minutes before deciding the best course of action. "Let''s begin. I want to get back within five minutes so I can get a few things done before I log out." Annie just stared at the man, using such strange terms. These Divine terms that even she would never understand. Living proof that a god was above them all. It took her a few minutes to even process that the man had said five minutes. Recovery of an entire large island that even she could not see the edges to would take less than five minutes at best due to the fact he needed to go back on the light road. "Let''s Begin." 98 C97 The Devours Witnessing the power of the Arch God could be classified as a once in a lifetime opportunity. The entity was only visiting every century or two since the birth of the world. Each Demigod vouching for this as he usually spent most of his time in the divine plane while working. No one honestly knew the reason and why would someone even ask the question to an omnipotent and omnipresent being that did what he wanted to an unknown standard that not even the elders could ascertain. The power from the man standing directly ahead engulfing the surrounding area as all the angels surrounded to watch the procession as Annie stood next to both figures, feeling her heart beating quickly. The elders were standing near as well with hate and venom as they saw the young angel overstepping her bounds. "You." Annie felt the chill falling down her spine as she turned to look at the Creator God, his eyes staring directly at her. It was a gaze that filled her with panic and fear as she knew that one wrong move meant the end of her existence. "Yes Creator God?" "Call me Nathan." "Y...Yes!" "Nathan." "Yes, Nathan!" Nathan watched the woman getting tongue-tied, rather impressed at the response from the system on animating this scene. Impressed by how the event system was handling this entire thing and making it fluid. This game would show them all its power compared to them. He would show them that his strength was far superior to the previous work. "I''m going to reinvigorate life here. Please carefully watch as we need to figure out why this area become like this in the first place." Annie nodded in response to the man''s words. It was clear that she had received an essential task in figuring out why this place had turned into a wasteland. Her pride was getting the better of herself as she failed to realise a simple fact that could cause her downfall. Standing behind her, three elders stood watching with annoyance. Calling their god by his given name was a divine heresy as he was supposed to be the most respected entity in the entire world. One of his creations dared even to defile that relationship. Nathan rose his hands into the air, small white strings of divine energy floating between, around and near his fingers almost like playing a musical instrument. His eyes were glowing with radiance as his body shifted back towards the dead land below. Pure white energy flooding across the land, almost like a blanket covering the world as it seemed to rest like a solid object over everything. All the small bumps of the world seen indented into the fabric of this divine energy. Nathan was moving his fingers as each tip struck another cord of divine energy floating nearby, each touch changed something below the cloak on the wasteland, shifting and moving as his will took shape to different things. It was almost like a musical instrument as each string made a small light hum as the world changed due to its effects, rapid changes as the distant sound of water coming crashing down, dense forests appearing below as the outlines could easily get recognised at this distance. Several minutes passed, everyone, staring in disbelief as eventually the vale of pure white energy began to fade and disappear, showing everyone below the massive change in the world in but a matter of seconds. Forests and groves of trees, planes of wild long yellow grass that stretched all the way from the woods to the beaches. The wildlife grazing away as the strange massive six-legged beasts grazed, wolves running through the forest as a few Mana Elks drank from the new and rather impressive waterfall that provided a new river to the entire zone. The entire experience took the angels breaths away as this kind of power became a reality in but a matter of minutes, nothing stopped the entity from doing this within a heartbeat. It was an art form as he had played soft music to change the world with his own will. Only one word could describe this action. Breathtaking. Annie watched in disbelief as her eyes wandered the scene, this place getting transformed into a paradise within a few minutes caught her and the other angels off guard as they blinked in confusion. Annie''s eyes moved along, finally moving to the coastline as she felt a sharp pain entering into her own heart, several dark shadows moving below the waves as something was coming out of the water and onto the beach after such an event. "I think we know what did it before Nathan." Annie said as she pointed to the shoreline, several gigantic fat crab-like beasts pulling themselves out of the water and onto the land. Every one of the monsters the size of a rhino with the weight several times more. Thousands of them were coming onto the land as they began to tear up the landscape, devouring the grass and organic matter whole as they started to terraform the landscape, excreting a toxin that seemed to destroy anything remaining after digging up the earth. The next creature to crawl from the ocean was much smaller, almost like a little rabbit as they rapidly crawled through the mud, dirt and destroyed landscape by the bigger creatures. Devouring all that remained as they turned it back into a wasteland at a speed that shocked all that surrounded the God. "These creatures are devouring the land provided by the Creator God!" The elder spoke in rage as he looked to his fellows, the angels around them all pulling out swords, bows and other weapons as the fury rose like a tidal wave, clear as day that they would purge this land of the existence that destroyed the work of the Creator himself. "Oh my, these creatures are interesting. I''m guessing the event planner spawned them in. To close to a starting town though, I will remove them all." Nathan spoke as he started to open a sizeable blue window, pressing a few keys as Annie turned to him. "What are you doing Nathan." Nathan looked down at her, eyes empty of emotion as he spoke without care. "Extermination." 99 C98 Extinction and Exile Nathan watched with amazement as these creatures broke down the work he had just finished with efficiency for a mortal based race. They were perfect and almost unique in the fact that they devoured and kept expanding territory to consume everything. It was clear this was supposed to be an endgame event for those in-game to fight. "Very nice, I should stop it now though as it can ruin the balance." The angels were looking to him with confusion. It was clear that the All-Father was proud of these strange creatures, repeating unfamiliar words while talking about the balance. Maybe he was talking about the balance of the world being in danger from these creatures. "All-Father. What are you to command? I can have an entire battalion of angels here and ready to kill everything." The elder spoke again, his pride evident in his ability as he could bring thousands of angels to the battlefield with ease. Each one standing stronger than a hundred average soldiers. The army of the heavens could mass to kill giant sea creatures. "Elder I think you need to calm down. Each of these creatures is more numerous, and each one is capable of casting up to tier four magic. The larger ones being able to do even up to tier six." Opening the map, Nathan looked around the entire area as he looked into the depths of the ocean as well as the nearby islands and regions. His smile was growing at the depths of the crisis these creatures posed. "These creatures have infested several tens of kilometres under the ocean. They rival a few million at this point." Nathan felt the system here was rather ruthless, giving such an endgame event with almost nothing to stop it. These island chains mostly abandoned, the nearest empire being weeks away by the fastest of transport. The angels took the news differently. The power level of these creatures making each angel look to each other as they felt worried. The weakest angel could easily cast sixth tier magic with ease; the difficulty was the mass of numbers. Millions of these creatures and all of them able to throw such levels of magic became the problem. They could kill a few thousand, maybe even a few tens of thousands. Once it started getting past that point, the existence became much likely with each passing minute. How could one also deal with such dangerous beasts? "My lord. We are ready to fight. Even to our death, we will stop this plague." The elder spoke as he bowed his head, sweat flowing down his brow but his devotion and dedication ready to send himself and his people into the meat grinder. Annie looking to the Elder with worry as she wondered if this was going to be her own end. "Are you stupid?" Nathan responded with disappointment and boredom as he continued to type away on the display screen that was still open in front of him, his mouth slowly moving as he thought about the next few moves he could do. "Stupid? My lord." The Elder felt the shock and pain from these words after giving up his own life and those who served him to help the situation. Such words cut deep into him as he wondered what had caused his God to forsake them like this. "He is saying that wasting lives is not a good idea Elder. He can take care of this himself with just a few moments." The woman next to Nathan. Both beautiful and wise responded in place of her master. Her words were sharp and full of her confidence as she looked over to them. "No point in being bravado when he can handle the situation without much issue." The angels stood, watching the woman before eyes turned back to the god who continued moving his hand across the screen, shapes and images shifting as no one could understand anything on the massive screen. "Finished." Nathan spoke as he snapped his fingers as the world began to shake as a white pulse flooded from Nathan into a ring around him, shaking and vibrating before the second snap from his fingers caused it to explode and expand outwards. The ring passing through each angel with no effect, sliding down the mountain before eventually reaching the creatures, each creature touched turning into ash, no sound or cries of pain. They just ceased to exist almost as they had never been born. Any bit of land touched by them restored to a perfect state. "Excellent. We''re finished here." Nathan spoke with confidence as he turned back, looking at the golden bridge of light that still shined behind them. "My Lord. What happened?" Another Elder asked as the sweat covered his face, his panic still only just fading now at this point as he did not know what to do after this strange wave destroyed all the strange creatures in an anti-climatic way. "I reversed time, causing each of the creatures to fade from existence till only the original creatures remained. I then dispatched the small group of them. it''s like they never happened." Nathan spoke as he left back onto the road, Celorian following before the angels followed. Each one looking slightly sick at those words. Being able to just erase people from the world would scare the most devout person. "Annie, stay here for a moment." The elder spoke as the rest of the angels began the journey back. Annie was halting as she watched the rest leave. Till she was the only one left with the three other angels. "You have brought us shame. Speaking to the Great One using his common name. We are his children and his devout worshippers. Speaking his name like you are equals. You are not a god!" Those words hit her hard as she lowered her head, biting down onto her lips. "We have no choice Annie, we must give strict punishment to stop others in the future from following the same path." The other elders nodding to these words as Annie''s face began to tear up, the reality sinking in fast. "We sentence you to Exile." 100 C99 Talking to the Pas Fifteenth of Growth (Month 2) of the Year 997 - Senoa - Slums Annie felt the panic running down her spine, this man causing her emotions to stir as it was clear as day that this man was the same one to wipe out an entire species with the snap of his fingers. The cold emotions that seemed to think everyone as just another item to be used. Matea looked up at Annie with confusion as she tilted her head, to her the man looked similar to her friend except for the size difference. Matea''s condition made many doctors and magicians think she was blind and unable to see the world. They could not be more wrong. She saw not the average sight of a mortal but closer to the aura''s and power of every individual person. The world painted in greys, with colours only representing magical power. The average person is wielding a small spark inside the heart that almost seemed natural to extinguish with a thumb and finger. The angel standing next to her was different. While most people only saw a human figure with lovely red hair, she saw the full image, eyes able to see the outline of the wings flowing with lines of pure mana as they circulated. It was clear that an angel''s powers directly corresponded to the wings. She had spoken to Annie privately and the truth quickly became apparent as to her race and the reason she hid it. The wings of an angel being one of the most valued black market items for magic casters due to the nature of them. Many angels getting enslaved, captured and even killed just for this one precious commodity to empower mages to own magical properties. Then her eyes came to Nathan: this man looked human from the outset of things to the eyes of everyone around her except in her eyes she knew the truth. While Annie looked pretty with the energy flowing through her wings and body, it became dwarfed by the blinding and rather searing light coming from Nathan. Every step he took the grey world became stained with white as she saw the trail behind him as he left more of a mark on the world then the world did on him. Her eyes were unable to even look at the man for too long. His brightness was similar to an entire star shining down on the world. "Listen to me, Matea. Do not speak to that man without me near ok. He is not a safe man." The young girl was nodding her head as she looked back at Nathan with interest still in her eyes. She always found some interest in people she knew nothing about almost like cat curiosity. Nathan''s gaze turned from the woman, he had a strange feeling that he remembered her in some capacity, but still had little reason to speak with the woman as he stood next to Sevil. "These are the children. They are out for playtime till the last classroom of the evening which is history." Sevil spoke as the children near him groaned out in disappointment. Everyone close to him seems to have the same emotions about more school and the work associated with it. Nathan was chuckling as he looked to the man with some interest in the topic. Having such a considerable gap regarding knowledge for the last three hundred or so years, meaning it was best for him to learn something about the hole. "May I know which period you are discussing today?" Sevil turned to the man, smiling at him with a gentle gaze as he was happy to see the man interested in the topic. "We are discussing the earlier period. It''s around two hundred A.E in regards to a gentleman known as Auther Mandori." Those words caught Nathan''s ears, his body freezing as the great werebeast of a man grabbed his memory. One of the few events the system had thrown at him. He felt his heart shake as he wanted to listen in now. "Oh, may I listen in then. I know it not a usual thing to ask. I just want to hear more. I know a significant portion of history before the war, so I''m always interested as well as history after that period." Sevil just nodded his head in acceptance. Happy for the man to join them in today''s lesson as he called in the kids to the classroom. The inside of the large building next to the church had two floors, the bottom floor being the social, classroom and dining area. The classroom was spacious for a standard room, but it also served for every child in the orphanage. Each table, seat and item inside clearly recycled and taken from other sources as many of the furniture seemed in a stage of disrepair or close to breaking. Children still in a playful mood as they ran around the classroom, talking to one another as Sevil and Nathan entered the room. "Now, now. Everyone sit down and let me introduce a new friend here." The children were quickly sitting at the introduction of a new man coming into the classroom. "Everyone, please give a warm welcome to Nathan, he will be sitting in and listing to our history lesson today." The sound of the classroom groaning as the word history came up into the conversation. "Now Now. Nathan how about you introduce yourself." Standing at the front of the classroom with a small smile on his lips as he looked out onto the children. Nathans'' eyes were wandering across each hopeful, and innocent face as his vision stopped onto the girl with the white eyes, her gaze piercing into him as his smile grew before he continued. "Greetings everyone. My name is Nathan, and I''m rather fond of history myself." After his short introduction, a young girl at the front row stuck up her hand. Sputtering her words as she spoke without getting asked. "Nathan. What do you do?" "I''m a traveller I guess. I also help with some things in a small town in the vortex." Lying to children made him feel some guilt, it was still more natural to say that instead of that he was a divine being able to call upon the words of the world. The young girl also slightly seeming confused as she blurted out her next line. "Oh, so you are a travelling homeless bum!" 101 C100 Auther Mandori The children all stared at the young girl who spoke those words, everyone tense as it seemed everyone but her understood how rude those words were. Even Sevil looked tense as he listened to Meli who had blurted those insensitive words out. Laughter filled the room next as Nathan just let out a heart filled cackle. Everyone in the room still pausing as they felt this reaction was rather strange to someone getting called a homeless bum. Even Sevil was taken back as his smile came back to his face. "I guess I am a homeless bum. No money or home, so that is correct." Sevil clapped his hands together to bring back some order, his eyes looking to all his students to indicate that was going to be the only question. "Ok, everyone. Let''s get into groups of four or five and share the textbooks. Go to page seventeen, and we are looking at the year one hundred and seventy A.E." Nathan crept to the back of the classroom, taking a seat in one of the chairs as he let out a small sigh at being called a homeless bum. Could he even call being a God a job? It was closer to a way of life than anything else. His eyes were moving back to the children with a smile coating his lips as he remembered back to the hot springs. He had come to a conclusion that he had lost his emotions which seemed incorrect when he thought about it now. He still felt many emotions, but his sexual appetite had vanished after a few weeks of arriving in the vortex. Almost like his soul was already a god but his body still wanted to retain those earthly desires for as long as possible. In reality, it made some sense that he did not need that function as he could create entirely new beings with his powers when he still had his full strength back in the day. "I just hope I do not get seen as a cold, heartless man." Nathan thought. Sevil took this time to open his textbook as he looked around to everyone. His smile was growing as he noticed everyone grouping up correctly as he turned to the page. "So today we will be learning about a gentleman named Auther Mandori, he was a beastkin with the capacity and talent as one of the greatest mages of all time. He remains rated as one of the most talented casters, ritual makers and even diplomats of the time. It''s important for us to learn about historical figures." Sevil looked around, making sure everyone was still paying attention as he continued the lesson. "Mr Mandori came to this world in the year 155 A.E; he lived in the kingdom of Yztrix. To give some historical context for this period as we live in a much different world now. All of the average mortal races had become rather stagnant and even depressed as the Goddess did everything and provided to them nearly all the crops." He turned the page as he made eye contact with all his pupils, even to Nathan as he wanted to include him in the lesson. "It stemmed down to the fact that why should a farmer bother to plough his fields when a Goddess can snap her fingers and grow crops. What is the point of a man fishing when a God snaps his fingers, and the fish comes to them? Many people started to feel almost useless as a God did everything much faster and more efficient without cost." "This lead to the Goddess of Fertility Yztrix''s speech in 170 A.E" He flipped the page again as he cleared his throat as to begin reading the direct quote. "I care not if you produce one crop or one thousand. We gods are an existence that breaks the rules, and we expect no one else able to. Please do not forget that while we can do amazing feats. We can never match up to the combined ability of everyone working together." "You all make our existence truly special and worthwhile." Flipping back to the other page, he saw a few students looking in awestruck. It was clear that they enjoyed the stories and quoted more than the actual history. His eyes were looking to Nathan as he surprisingly saw nothing but pain. "In the year 188, Mr Mandori started a magical arcane group of the top magical casters, rune-makers and ritual-makers to undertake a project even the Demigods had struggled to do. By 191 he had convinced the dragon-kind to help him with this project due to the massive amounts of Mana a dragon can store in its body." Matea listened with interest as she eventually put up her hand, waiting for Sevil to point to her before asking her question. "May I ask why he was doing this? What was the point?" Matea''s mature nature and question making the other children puzzled as Sevil smiled and continued with the lesson. "Mr Mandori was supposedly a very ambitious man. If he was told he could not do something, he proved people wrong. Yztrix told everyone that they could not break the rules. He wanted to prove them wrong." "The end of our story comes in the year 248. The actual date unknown but the accounts still held accurate as the entire world suffered an earthquake the size of which no one had felt before. The Demigods curious to the source as it was clear that this was not a natural earthquake quickly moved to the location." Turning to the last page, Sevil hoped this story would inspire some of his student''s futures into making themselves better. "They found an island flying in the sky with Auther Mandori standing on top. He was getting on in years being ninety-three years of age which is ancient for a beastkin. His final known words to the Demigods still inspire mages to this day. "Impossible creatures who change the world with but a thought. I''ve broken the rules that only the creator god can match. The ability for any mortal man to fly above the clouds and without the need of mages no longer. This island will fly forever without the need for you relics." "You no longer need a god to create a miracle." 102 C101 Unstable Emotion Nathan sat at the back, listening intently as the story started to wrap up, the work getting assigned as Nathan felt pain hitting him in waves as he remembered the man, in particular, his mind flashing back to the day that it all happened. In the year 248, standing over his body as he looked up at him with a smirk that showed his pride in the lifetime of work he had put into creating the floating island that would never fail or fall from the sky. Nathan had spent many minutes trying to figure out what the point was. It was clear that this near hundred year and many resources used to make it work was almost wasted compared to the ten minutes of work he could do to produce the same effect if not better. "You wasted your life. What did you plan to gain from this?" Nathan asked such a question back in the day, his mind now racing as he felt the guild crawling down his back as he knew something different now. "Wasted? One day a mortal will climb higher than me. We will reach the throne of the gods and take it for ourselves. Just wait for it, Creator God." Standing up from the classroom, Nathan moved out into the halls before heading outside to get some fresh air. His words back then filled with such malicious and hate as he had done and said some cruel things. He thought everything was just a game; he could control everything and change anything he wanted. Merely tearing out parts he disliked or wiping out races he did not wish to live. He tried to throw up at this point but nothing came, he no longer could throw up at this point. When had the world stopped being a video game and became an actual living world of people who thought, lived and loved? How many lives had he ruined by existing and how many lives had he ruined by setting up the downfall of the gods. He could never answer those questions at this point, everything had already happened, and nothing would ever change that fact at this point. His vision for vengeance was clouding everything as he was so blind he forgot to look at those closest to him. "Is this the reason you brought me here. To show me the errors of my way. To show how much of a terrible person I am." He stood next to the wall, pressing his head against the cold stonework as he wanted to scream his frustrations out at the top of his lungs. These memories of the past were causing so much confliction as he never thought about the history before in this way. System: I did it not to show you the past but to save your future. Letting out a small laugh as his eyes closed, turning around to press his back against the stonewall before sliding down as his backside touched the sandy floor before he looked out into the courtyard. "Why do I feel like I should thank you even though you caused me so much pain." System: Because I''m amazing and you should always thank your local system! "Maybe another time. I still have not forgotten the teasing, titles and the other stuff just yet. I will need to talk to you at a future point about the whole reason and why you restained my powers." System: Please purchase the Exclusive Knowledge package. Limited time offer 20,000 faith! Nathan let out a small chuckle as he shook his head, feeling slightly better at the woman teasing him on the other end. "Hell no. Shove that up your backside!" Finishing his lesson, having seen Nathan leave halfway through as he was finishing up his main topic for the history lesson. Sevil moved out into the courtyard as he moved up to the man leaning against the wall, the pain still clear onto his face but it seemed to be somewhat restrained and resolved. "You ok Nathan?" A few kind words placed helped more than any long-winded conversation in most instances as Nathan smiled ever so brightly before standing up. "I''m fine Sevil. That was a fantastic history lesson. You are an excellent teacher and a rather amazing person. I still stand by what I said before about going to our town. Though the workload may increase!" Nathan began to laugh again as he pushed all the previous thoughts to the back of his mind as he just looked to the man with a gentle glee in his eyes. It was clear to Sevil that this man looked the best when laughing. "Well, it''s getting rather late. Maybe I can interest you in some dinnertime stew. Our chef has managed to find a reasonable and cheap selection of meat, and we are cooking up some vegetable stew to mix with it." Nathan felt warm, this feeling close to what he enjoyed as this man had a heart of gold. How could he refuse such a person? "Such an invitation. How can I refuse though I must insist on paying you back someday since generosity can only be repaid in kind." Sevil was coming up to the young man with his hand touching his shoulder as his smile grew. "Let''s head in then. The children are already starting the meal. If you want any of the meat we best hurry!" As both men started to walk back towards the dorms, smiling as the mood was light and cheerful. The hooves of a panicking centaur came out, tears and fear streaming down her face. "Sevil! Oh please come quick!" Her voice shrill as she looked pale and in desperate need. It seemed like she had seen a ghost with the paleness of her skin. "Dear what is wrong?" Sevil rushed forward as he grabbed his wifes hand, his concern growing as he looked her in the eyes. "What has happened?" Her eyes were leaking as she held onto the man she loved, her voice choking as she could no longer get the words out. "They are dead..." 103 C102 Innocence Defiled The scene could fill even the bravest man with nightmares, the sunlight no longer daring to peer through the windows as the lower ground hall as the smell of death filled the air. The darkness filling the room as the smog of death hung on the walls, ceiling and floor like a thick mist. The long hall filled with several tables, each one jammed with children as each one had a bowl filled with the food in front. The stew mixed with meat and vegetables. The meat looking fresh and cooked correctly while the greens looked withered, decaying and dying. The water inside the bowls having a layer of mould floating over the top that expanded rapidly as dark clouds of black mist rolled from the containers. Each child gave a grim picture as each and everyone had died quickly, each one having rotting and decaying skin and carried the scent of death, some staring off into space in surprise while some looked in pain. Half of them on the floor as they tried to escape from the grizzly fate. The entire room something straight from a nightmare. Wretching his previous meal up and onto the floor. Sevil turned his back onto the scene as tears flowed from his eyes, his wife holding him tightly as they both cried together in pain and pure grief. The entire several years they spent with these children, helping them as much as they could. Annie was coming in behind them as she covered her mouth, forcing herself not to throw up at the scene, seeing Nathan standing further ahead than the two crying partners. The images of the previous beasts slain by the man flashing in her eyes. The past was bringing back emotions as she ground her teeth. "You killed them!" The words echoed out into the air as the two stopped crying, eyes looking over to Nathan who seemed to be looking at each of the bowls. No tears or sadness as he appeared to be investigating the incident quietly. "I know you, Nathan. I know what you are capable. Why did you kill them." Her voice shrill as she saw no other potential in how the children died to such toxic power as this, no mage was capable of doing such damage on a scale this large. "I did not kill them; I have no reason to kill them as they are all innocent in this world. I want Sevil to come with me and doing this destroys my chance." Nathan felt the rage boiling at the tipping point as he wanted to kill those responsible. This sight was monstrous in all views as he moved past rows of the children, eventually looking to the pot as he started to empty the contents onto the floor after grabbing hold of the metal frame. The meat, vegetables and water dumped onto the floor as the final contents became removed, several small rattling noises could be heard inside as Nathan plucked out several tiny shards, now empty but previously containing death energy from the previous body of Goddess of Death. It seemed that for this purpose the meat came from the same vendor as the previous food. Except the shards of death had emptied the entire reserve of death energy into the food instead of holding in as much as possible. The pure celestial power was corrupting every child so quickly it caused near-instant death as the body went into shock similar to one''s body getting torn apart from the inside due to the amount of power. "May I ask to the location you bought the meat from." Nathan spoke softly, the friendliness gone as each person in the room felt a shiver going down one''s spine. The tone filled with bloodlust and murder as it was clear the man was close to breaking and rampaging. "My wife got it from the grey market. They sell everything under the table. It''s normally less savoury animals or scraps the higher-ups get rid of. Its why we normally get it for a good price." Sevil watched as he did not believe Nathan was capable of hurting the children, it made no sense that this murder would happen with him around. Assassination attempts were best made without showing ones face while Nathan had come out into the open. To Sevil, it did not add up that the man would murder the children. "Those people who sold you that meat. I need a name, location and description." "Nathan, do not think about it. They are powerful underworld guilds. We can''t fight them, and you will end up dead." Nathan turned around to the man, his power leaking from him as pure white energy blazed from his eyes, the indication of his right sense flowing from him as Sevil became speechless. The white energy flowing with greater potency as it began to fill the room as the darkness touched by the power turned into white light, cascading till the room became brighter than life. The wooden floor cracking as grass began to sprout through the ground no longer was humanmade but natural. Vines were flowing from the field like snakes as they surrounded the children one by one. Each one beginning to rapidly mend as the skin turned from decaying and grey to a more pure form that looked even healthier than when they were alive. Nathan''s eyes were turning down as pure white tears streamed from his eyes, moving down his face till they dropped to the floor. As each tear cascaded down onto the floor, a breath of a child became audible as everytime the tears hit the soft, smooth grass another life restored back. Eventually, all children awakening, looking tired and weak as the entire orphanage revived. Nathan''s energy slowly flickering as his eyes locked by to Sevil who seemed almost shocked, apparently knowing the indication of the power he had seen. System: Sub-Mission Completed. Created a miracle. Nathan was ignoring the words from the box, eyes locked onto Sevil as he made his way over. Sevil was taking steps back in response as he felt both fear and awe at this man. "Sevil. Tell me where they are at so that I can stop them as they are hurting too many people." Sevil bit his bottom lip as he looked to his wife before turning to Nathan. "What are you planning to do?" Speaking to Nathan as he watched the God walk past him. "It''s time to extract a pound of flesh." 104 C103 Finest Cuts Of Mea Deep below the streets of West Senoa, the old sewage system that connected the many different areas of the city still in use by a diverse group. While most of the west side had never received maintenance to maintain the areas another group had taken the mantle correctly. While the sewer near the central road still worked all the other outer regions ceased to work after a particular black market group started to work out of the system. Getting into the Blackmarket was an ordeal in itself. Usually, only trusted vendors accessed the area and sold out in the streets. While the prices in the Blackmarket were more different depending on the item, the most popular items recently tended to be slaves who sold directly to East Senoa. Mana stones which continued to sell to mages who could not afford the outlandish prices of the priests and finally a new venture set up between a few brothers which were cheap meat. Sitting in the backroom, one of the brothers pulled the cleaver down as he sliced up another bit of the red meat, around the room hung many portions of meat, the flesh he was working with already had mould, decay and was falling apart to the touch. The meat looked like beef with its texture and vision in the light as the man carved up the product. The scent of burning flesh in the background as skin in a separate room continued to become charred and destroyed. The process repeated many times as they took the skin away before destroying it and then cutting the fine looking cuts. While most of the cuts they got either had rotted or became impossible to consume. It was thanks to the contact in the church they were able to make many easy to eat cuts of meat. Pulling out of the bag a small shard, the power shining inside as the shard moved with care with thick leather gloves. This item was dangerous, but for this small amount, they still made a right amount of money. Each cut of flesh selling roughly half the regular price and since beef was a rare commodity in this area the price was still enough to line the pockets of the brothers. Pressing the shard into the meat, the dark energy flowing into the meat as the damage done over time slowly reversed. The rotten, damaged or even decayed parts became normal. The cut was looking like a perfectly tasty cut that would sell to the highest clients. Sadly under the agreement with the church, they were not allowed to sell this to the east side and had to solely stick to the west side. This situation was exceptional for the brothers as they still made gold hand over fist. The door was opening as another similar man came inside holding a wrapped cadaver, clearly human as the body was placed out on a bloody table nearby. The man was letting out a small laugh as he unbound the body to show a young woman, decay set in now as she had died several days prior. The material had perished due to blunt force trauma after being thrown from the bridge. "Hey, Peet. How is the latest batch going?" The man who had carried in the corpse asked with little interest as the knife started to carve along the skin, cutting off the outer layer. The skill of the blade slightly concerning to how many human bodies he had sculpted in the background. "We are doing excellent. It''s already all paid for thanks to the popularity. We need to ship it, and we can continue to make money over and over again. We should maybe raise the price to compensate." He said pressing a few more small shards into the selection of meat, his eyes looking over the bag as they were almost out again of the shards. "Seer we are almost out of shards again. Thousand gold per bag is costly and with restrictions. Can we get any reductions?" Peet responded as the tearing of skin echoed out in the back, the sick sensation of skin getting pulled from the meat at each moment would turn an ordinary man''s stomach. "I doubt it. They are sticking on the price, rather lucky they don''t increase it. Let''s be honest we make enough money anyway and trying to stitch up the church is not a good plan." Both brothers were chuckling, both looking to each other as the sound of water rushed into the room next door as a scream in the distant put both men on alert. Inside the black market, a few souls tried to do stupid or terrible things which generally led to death or slavery. Both men had a keen sense even in a safe environment like this as they were both proud founding members of the market. "Hey Seer check that out. If a person is dead, then we can get a fresh corpse, and we won''t need to use these fragments to keep the corpse fresh." Seer let out a small laugh at his brother''s greed, pulling off his gloves as he walked over to the metal gate, sliding the door backwards as he opened it up. His face turning ashen white as he stepped to the side to let his brother see. "Holy fucking father. Who did this!" The entire black market area from floor to ceiling filled with water, call the people inside floating in the water almost frozen in time with faces of horror as it was clear they died almost instantly due to the water filling the body. The water fit the frame of the door correctly and seemed closer to jelly than actual water as it did not rush into the smaller side room. Looking though the water, a single man walked through the water without any issue, his eyes leaking pure white energy as his head slowly turned to the brothers, the smile coming to his face as his words echoed into the chamber. "I''ve finally found you." 105 C104 Demonic God Nathan turned as the white energy flowed from him. The water was splitting apart between himself and the two men who watched from a separate private room. The ease with finding the gentlemen surprised him as people gave up the information willingly when he punched down a few walls. His power was flowing as he was going to enjoy getting revenge. His steps echoing down the hall as the bodies of other criminals floated around in the water, each one dead in the liquid. The man looked closer to a Demon Lord than anything else. The two men let out a howl as Seer grabbed the door, slamming it shut as his hands worked furiously to bolt, block and cover the door. Even pressing up a few corpses to try anything to hold down the beast at bay. "Who the hell did you piss off Seer. Which woman did you fuck to get this monster after us!" His brother was turning to him, Peet annoyed as he did not know this man, being stuck inside this place for days on end stripping off meat for sale after the previous deal. His body was shivering at the sight of such a beast coming after them. "Are you stupid. If I knew a man this powerful was around, I would have tried to avoid a situation like this. I swear this is not me!" The words were sounding somewhat genuine as the man seemed as confused as Peet in regards to this strange being killing the entire black market. The gentle sounds of dripping water coming from behind them both, ignoring it as they continued to talk. It was a time to decide a backup plan for this situation as they knew the one exit blocked by a crazy demonic monster. "Look, I have an escape hatch below the bodies we burn. We need to put out the fire and then escape. Grab the black bag behind the shelf, and we can escape." Both men were staring at the door as it was strangely quiet after everything that had happened. Almost like the demonic creature had decided to leave them alone. This statement was false as they knew the man was looking for them because of the brief time they had spoken. The gentle footsteps were coming from behind them as the deep dropping of a bag against the stonework as both brothers looked to each other, clear that it was neither of them. Taking a slow turn as both men stared at the man who had killed everyone in the room now behind them. "This is the bag you are looking for?" Nathan spoke as he looked to both men, his eyes dulled and filled with silent rage as both brothers began to back up, unable to flee now due to the door being bolted and blockaded. Seer was taking the lead as he pulled a small dagger from his waist before charging at the man. Seer pressed his dagger forward; the tip aimed directly for the man''s heart as he felt the blade slamming into the body of the male. "Got you fool!" Nathan stared at the man for a moment as he grabbed the wrist of the male, pulling the hand away to show the extent of the damage he had done. The hole in his shirt being the only victim as his skin remained in good standing. "How. This cant be possible. Who are you!" Struggling against the man who seemed in worse shape then himself, unable to break free of his grip. Letting out pants and groans as he failed even to get a small amount of freedom as the man held him like a vice. "How is he this strong. Fucking shit! Brother, please help me." Letting out a sigh as Nathan grabbed the dagger from the man, pulling it away with ease as his strength eclipsed the men. Moving the blade to the man''s wrist as he smiled in a sadistic tone. "I see you carved up these poor bodies to serve to people. It''s a shame you fed position to a bunch of children. Neither of you will escape this place alive, but if you give me the information I want, then I swear you will die an easy death." Nathan began his work without further pausing, skinning the man''s arm back as the flayed the man alive. Seer screaming his lungs off as he claws at the man with his free hand, doing nothing but pulling his nails off as the blood dripped from his broken fingernails. His flayed arm not even bleeding as Nathan poured in Death magic to slow the death of the man. He would also prevent him from dying if needed. While Seer screamed, Peet had begun his escape plan. While he was unable to run via the secret hatch, his hands pulled away all the loose objects before removing the bolt free on the door as he tugged open the door as he noticed the corridor of air still present in the room filled with air as he bolted. In the end, he cared little for his brother as long as he could live. While he heard his brother screaming in the distance, Peet moved his body taking him further before he stopped at one of the dead ends, unable to go without getting into the water. "Shit. What can I do now!" He looked around as he noticed the pathway behind him had filled with water, leaving him alone in a sphere of air inside the ocean of water around him. His body shaking in fear as the bodies in the liquid began to twitch. "Oh no. Please no..." His words caught in his throat as he saw the man bodies of the fellow black marketeers turn in the water, necks snapping as the heads began to look directly at him as the arms and legs kicked towards the man as the body''s floated closer. They were all undead now. Peet slowly falling to his knees as the bodies of his deceased friends fell to the floor around him, moving towards him as the man made his final unanswered prayer. The sound of flesh tearing as his scream died rapidly as the many undead ate into him. Seer hearing this as his arm continued to get cut as he had already given up, the pain causing him to cry buckets of tears. "I''ll give you what you want. Stop!" "Who supplied you with those crystals." "The church did. The guy was an assistant to the Arch Bishop who went east to chase some exiles! I heard he fucked up hard and this is why he is selling them. I don''t know any more please!" Nathan felt a chill going down his spine. He had made a mistake allowing that army to flee when he should have cut the snakes head off directly. "Time to pay the church a visit personally." "Does that mean I can go?" Seer spoke with hope as he looked at the man, his arm half-flayed away. Nathan was smiling as he pulled the knife back against the skin. "What are you talking about as we are only just beginning." 106 C105 Spark Of Fury The sun had begun to rise in the morning, several hours passing by as Nathan cleared up the last remaining issues in the black market district. The entire process filling him with hate and misery at the conditions the church allowed the people to live in all this time to gain a few more coins. Every person in this horrid place had to survive and live with being in such a dangerous and deadly situation already. The church made things much work by squeezing people of the money they had to earn to earn freedom that never came for all the poor fools who handed over the money. Having come from the underground district. Nathan had spent the entire night doing this work as he headed back to the market district in the centre of town. His clothing had the faint smell of the sewer on them as he turned the last alley and made his way to the main street. As he came to the end of the tunnel, he found himself face to face with one of the guards of Senoa, the tall fellow blocking his path as he shook his head. "Another slum rat trying to get out into the sunlight. Shoo back into the darkness and make sure you stay." The guard let out a laugh as he looked at the man with disdain. It was clear that he enjoyed pushing around those weaker than himself while getting paid to do such a thing. "Get out of my way, or I will kill you." Nathan''s voice was calm yet filled with irritation as his eyes stared at the guard. It was clear that his words were correct and that he would kill the guard if given a chance. Such words caused the guard to tense up. "You little shit. I will beat those words out of your mouth!" The guard was pulling out a small flat mace as he was planning to do some severe damage, who even cared if a few rats got bludgeoned to death. He could also enjoy this show of power as this one certainly would put up a fight. Stepping forward into the alleyway as the darkness engulfed both himself and the guard, the laughter of the same guard as the mace swung downwards. "I''m sorry for your foolishness." The mace slamming down onto Nathan''s face as the blunt recoil flooded down the shaft and into the man''s wrist, causing him to cry out in pain as he had to drop the weapon. It was like he had smashed the blunt object into hard steel. His curses were growing as he looked up at the man, eyes going wide as he started to back up in fear. The man was holding a long black scythe that seemed to bask in the aura of death. A dark black cloak was flowing over the man''s back as he looked almost like an incarnation of death itself. "You monster!" The screams rang out loud as the man turned to flee, his feet taking him only a few steps before a dark mystical projectile flew from the scythe as it came down, slicing through the man''s body before fading. Taking a few more steps, the man let out one last gasp of breath as his body tumbled like a doll without someone holding it. No one saw any wounds on the body to indicate an attack it was almost like the man died to fear alone. The many guards, merchants, adventurers and weak in the back alley watched as Nathan walked into the street, standing in the centre as his eyes blazed pure white power, his front like a beacon of hope while the cloak around his shoulders down to his back was the warning for those who wanted to cross him. Activating his power of Journey to allow his words to travel to the many others around him, making sure to speak to everyone in the entire city, slum and areas outside as he wanted to make himself clear. "I''m Nathan. I''ve come here to put injustice away. Those who are innocent make your way out of the city and to the groups. Azo and Bull will look after you all. They will take you to a valley with my blessings, and you will all be safe." The adventurers and the poor looked almost relieved. The poor happy due to the chance to finally get something out of this horrible life. The adventurers happy due to the fact a familiar name was spoken. Bull and Azo having a high reputation and prowess in the city. The streets moved quickly as those two groups moved out as fast as they could. Almost thirty guards were pulling weapons as they blocked the way to the bridge. Each on staring at him with hate as they knew he had come to harm the church. "Halt Nathan. You may be a Demigod, but you are attacking the Goddess of Dusk. She will hunt you down if you continue this action." Nathan shook his head as he let his power expand. The death power flooding over the ground as the similar pure white energy cascaded down his body to his hands as Senshi formed into his hand, the wood creaking as it moved down and turned into the bow form. The scythe still in his other hand as he quickly sliced down to the ground, everyone touching the dark death power that had flooded onto the earth turning into puppets with the string cut, flopping to the floor almost instantly dead. The guards were standing at a distance watching in fear as they saw almost thirty guards die without a single breath taken. A few archers were firing rapid arrows as the bolts just stopped a few metres from the man, floating in the air before turning around and slamming straight back into the one who fired them. No one could get to close without dying. No one could fire a ranged weapon without dying. How could one fight this monster? "For each flesh of my daughter, you carved off. I will take one life in payment. In this one bag alone I found seven hundred fragments." Nathan began to walk towards the Senoa bridge, hate in his heart as he finished. "It''s time to cull the church." 107 C106 Bridge To Death The fear in the guards became increased as they began to back off from the bridge. Clear that the man they were dealing with was not a regular crazy mage. This person had powers that passed the regular mark for a mortal. "Retreat. Pull back to the bridge and abandon West Senoa!" The captain shouted to his men, the guards pulling back quickly as the merchants watched in horror. Each one was hiding below the stalls as Nathan passed without issue. Many of the people trapped in the slums inside the city running out into the outer city due to the message that broadcasted earlier. "Out of the way scum!" The captain screamed as he pulled his longsword to begin cutting down the people trying to flee out the city as the other guards started to cut down dozens of the people trying to flee. Dozens of bodies were hitting the ground as both men and women had fallen with only the children getting spared. Nathan is passing the bodies as he looked at two children screaming in pain as they held a body bleeding out as their father sat against the wall losing his life after protecting his children from the fleeing guards. His eyes were connecting with Nathan''s as he was filled with fear as well trying to shield his children by pulling them closer. "Please, can you take pity on a stupid father." Nathan looked around to a similar effect with many other families around holding loved ones that perished due to his actions of causing panic on a broad scale like this. He felt guilty for this action, but this was the best plan to keep all the punishment based on him. "I''m sorry, you can''t die here. They will need a father." Forcing both weapons to fade as he reached out for the man, the children holding onto him as Nathan grasped the man''s face as the death energy flooded into his body, stopping the bleeding and locking the man to make sure he was unable to lose anymore life-force. Fertility acting as it began to speed up his healing by altering genes to rapidly close the wounds. In a few moments, the man stood in shock as he felt better than new. Turning around as Nathan began to repeat this process to all the people injured as the guards stood in a formation on the bridge, watching in shock as this being of death started to heal people from all the injury''s The father who healed stood next to Nathan, holding a small sword that seemed to be more of a defensive item than an actual weapon for battle. "I''ll fight for you. Down with the church!" The others who got healed as well as the others who sat in the shadows began to come out, numbers reaching a few hundred pulling weapons as the balance had finally shifted. The twenty or so guards on the edge of the bridge watching in horror as they had to hold the line till reinforcements came from the east. "Leave this to me. Take your families, friends and loved ones out of this city. I''ve got a few people waiting to take you all to a better land. The church is mine to fight for now." Nathan''s voice clear, calm and collected as he continued to move forward with conviction. The guards were taking steps back as the man struck fear into the heart of man and mortal. "Stop me, and I will cut you down. Innocent or not." Those words breaking the average man as the guards dropped weapons and began to flee, most fleeing off the bridge and into the back alleys as Nathan walked passed them without a care in the world. His eyes focusing on the next big threat as his eyes met with the army crossing the bridge. The same army that he fought outside of Senoa almost a month ago at this point as the soldiers still held the same exhaustion from that battle. It was clear they had gotten sent out to this battle without any knowledge of the enemy. Though it was clear that the front line had seen him as the fear began to spread as the men tried to stop moving, only to get pushed forward. Nathan pulled back his scythe made from death energy as he let out a loud laugh as his voice echoed again. "Those who indulged with evil and horrid minds will be culled from this world!" Nathan''s death energy was flowing from his back as it covered the entire width of the bridge, his scythe spinning as he thrust it forward as the death energy advanced across the bridge rapidly. The soldiers were trying to break rank and free, unable to pull back due to the hoard of men behind them with the sides of the bridges dropping sheerly into the pits below. As the black pathway touched the guards, a strange cold sensation pressed against everyone''s throat. The soldiers were stopping in an instant as each one looked to the soldiers next to them as they saw small black scythes pressed to their throats. One of the first guards touched felt panic spreading as he was forced to open his mouth as his evil sin escaped his lips. "I smashed in a child''s head for fun then destroyed the body with fire!" The moment his confession escaped into the air the scythe pulled back, his head falling to the floor as the body was confused by the death energy as it withered into nothing but a skeleton. The other soldiers were feeling a similar compulsion as they all started to spout out the guilty crimes they had committed, one by one getting culled as the bodies fell to the ground. One of the men at the front beginning to panic as he felt the sharp edge cutting into his throat. He felt guilty for everything he had done and knew that he deserved no relief or redemption. As his mind filled with regret, the scythe faded as he fell forward onto the ground. His voice horse as he was so confused. "I survived. How?" 108 C107 Innocence Or Death The sound''s of heads falling the ground caused many to panic. It made no difference if people remain calm or tried to free themselves as the scythes pressed firmed against them forced people to stay still until the process finished. Every person was going through many memories of the past life till either they were found guilty, remorseful or innocent. The sounds of the guilty screaming out the crime before the disgusting sound of flesh getting cut and the heads falling to the floor. Those who showed remorse or innocence became free as the scythes pulled from the necks before vanishing, each person falling to the floor as they looked up in fear. The man who caused this whole issue walking towards them without a doubt in the world. How could they fight this monster? They had already lost once but were expected to charge across the bridge to face him. This second attempt had already failed in the most basic of way. How could a mortal man face against a god? They had no means to fight or even defend. The church did not also hire any mages to fight against such a beast. After a few moments the entire event had finished, nearly two-thirds of the soldiers had perished with some crime, the rest looking worried as they had watched thousands getting cut down like wheat as Nathan continued as he walked past the guards who put up no resistance. It was clear they were not going to stop him at this point. "Any soldier who is not satisfied with the church. I recommend you leave and head to the slums to meet up with my people to lead you to my land. I promise you a future without regret or despair with freedom instead of servitude." Nathan spoke those words as he passed many corpses as well as men who looked afraid and shocked. Those words were causing some of the men to stand with new found purpose. Most joining the military to escape the spectre of the same army. Almost like an infection as the remaining soldiers threw down arms before fleeing from the bridge into West Senoa to gain the freedom they truly wanted. The few soldiers that declined that opportunity ran back to the east as they reformed up with the priests to try and discuss the next plan. Many fearing for the outcome as the only escape route was across the bridge that the man continued to cross with a speed similar to a casual stroll. Two priests were heading forwards with a purpose as they held staffs. Eyes full of pride and will as they commanded on the power of the goddess to stop this man. "Stop vile heretic. You will stop this futile attempt at usurping the power of the Goddess!" Both supported by the soldiers who stood behind them after they had fled once before, Nathan stopping before both men as he looked at them with slight disgust and anger. "I think you should stop. Cutting up a Goddess and feeding the toxic power to the people just because you are lining your own pockets!" The words cut through the soldiers who slowly lowered the words, even the merchants and free people in the east looked towards the church who seemed to go slightly pale at the accusation from the man. "Listen not to this man. He knows nothing and is trying to pull us apart. Silence you lying man. You know noth..." The priest let out a gasp as he felt the scythe against his throat as the dark power crawled across the ground as it touched his body, the others feeling a similar scythe as the soldiers remained free in confusion. "Call me a lier one more time. I''ve seen the evidence with my own eyes. You are a corrupt faith which worships money more than anything else." Nathan is moving forward as he stood taller than any man across from him. His aura was causing those close to him to shudder in fear as his eyes clearly showing his intent. "In the end, you say you worship Saleh the Goddess of Dusk. You worship gold more and collect it like you worship the Goddess Oana, the Mistress of wealth!" It spread across the people again, the words infectious as the merchants and others looked back to the priests who had begun to sweat buckets. The worths were ringing true as the soldiers no longer had any will to defend the priests. The one who spoke with Nathan sweating as he felt his voice compelled to talk. "I want money more than life. I will kill anyone who stands in my way. Screw you all you walking piles of cash!" His final word was ending his life as the scythe cleaved it from his body, the corpse falling limply to the ground as the hate erupted from the merchants and soldiers as the priests began to flee from the new mob that became riled up in anger. Nathan pulling his power again as the night-like dark energy flooded the surroundings, spreading rapidly as everyone in the entire Eastern Senoa became touched by this power. Its reach flooding into every building, location and even in the most secret of places. The sounds of people screaming as the flurry of confessions began. No one was able to escape Nathan''s wraith if genuinely guilty. The Vortex changed due to the massive change in the power structure. The church getting dismantled in but a matter of minutes as the figures, leaders and corrupted members became culled by the power of the All-Father. Those remaining began to bend over and to prostrate themselves before the man, trying to appease him as they wished to get into any good graces with him. Most of them having suffered themselves at the hands of the church before choosing to join out of fear of getting a similar treatment like the poor folk in the west side. "If you truly are sorry for your actions. Take what rations and items you own and meet outside with your families. This place is a den of corruption and death. It''s best it be buried by the sand then to continue existing." The few remaining people were nodding as they began to help the others grab items to leave. Nathan was turning as he walked back across the bridge, his eyes looking to the centre as he knew he had one last thing to do. "I''m coming to you, Aelina. I will save you." 109 C108 Working with the Slum Lords A few hours prior. Outside of Senoa. It had taken him time to think about the solution to finish this mission. Azo''s mind going to a few of his contacts as he knew the slums better than most people. He had gotten some items that would interest many people, and he could get a decent size of the population to come with him depending on the outcome. "We will have to convince people to come with us, Nees you said you had a few people you can speak to so that we can convince people with ease to come with us." His eyes were looking at the woman as she nodded her head. It was clear that she was still struggling with the whole meeting with Nathan and was slightly unsure about his identity. "Worry not Nees. Nathan can be trusted, and from the town, he has created it''s much better than this hell here." Those words are helping to settle the woman as the group came together as Azo had put together a plan which he needed the help from Nees. "So, I will go to my contact to start putting the word around to the different areas so that people will come with us. We will still need influential leaders of the various groups also to help and come along with support." Standing up with the rest of the group as Azo, Nees, Bull and the twins left her home before turning to face her. "So which person do you think we should talk to first. We need to gather support before we can start." It took a moment before Nees answered as she had difficulty thinking. "There are three choices. Each one with enough support to bring along a significant portion of people." Nees about to continue as the ground shook below them, the air shattering around them as a wave of air blasted them all as some of the shacks and buildings around them began to shake as the screams of people began to echo out. "What the hell was that?" The words forced out as Nees looked around at her house, making sure that nothing had gotten destroyed. Her eyes were turning back to Senoa as she noticed a massive gaping hole in one of the walls, sand and dust flowing into surrounding area with the amount of pressure as guards began to run towards this strange location. "Oh, that was Nathan. I''ll bet that he had trouble getting in without money and decided to make his way in via an alternative route." It seemed the other three agreed on this point as Nees felt her jaw starting to go limp. The man had no tact as he merely decided to break something in his way. It was only slightly better than just punching the guards out of the way. "So Azo, what power does that add now. You said Nathan was using nature, water and a bow type of power but now that includes strength as well since it''s clear from the hole that it was a close impact!" Bull had his arms crossed as he looked impressed, Nees looking somewhat dumbfounded as she peered at the wall again before looking back to Azo with a fear settling back into her heart. "Demigods from what I know only have one or two powers. You are saying that Nathan has four?" Azo turned to the question given by Nees with a slight sigh. The slow rubbing of his forehead as he did not know how to answer it. "He''s not a Demigod. He''s more than that and is powerful enough. I''m not a professor of Demigods and powers. So I don''t know, and I don''t care. Nathan is helping us all out a well as continuing his interests. Let''s keep on his good side right?" Nees shut her mouth as she nodded her head as she had to collect her thoughts for a moment before continuing the previous conversation. "We have three choices. It''s not going to be easy." Nees began to move towards the southern outskirts of the town as the knew that this was going to take some time to get this resolved. "The first choice is Bellingham. He''s an exiled wizard from Takata in the north of the Vortex. Due to the powerful magic. He can cast many important spells and as such has rallied many around him though he''s a bit on the crazy side." Azo felt a long drawn out sigh escaping his lips; he knew that another wizard could be a problem and the crazy types did not help the situation. "The second choice is Zie. He is a rather interesting illusion gnome who has helped people into and out of Senoa. He''s a smuggler by trade but normally only people." Azo again let out another sigh, he never honestly liked Gnomes as they tended to speak far to often and now to fast for his liking. This one used illusions and had a hidden side which only made it worse. He just hoped the last one could improve his mood. "Lastly is a demonic woman by the name of Zika Distra. She is rather strange, and I''ve not met her honestly. I''ve heard not too much, but apparently, she is a collector of exotic things... You ok Azo?" Azo felt his blood draining as he had to appeal to the crazy, slack-jawed and the demonic. Why was this world working against him today? "Let''s get this out of the way. I don''t want to deal with this all so I think we should get this resolved as quickly as possible." He started to walk by himself as he moved towards the location of the contact. His eyes were looking around as the group seemed to stop to watch him. "Which one should I get then?" Nees said as she watched the man walk away to do his own thing. Her panic was growing again as she watched the scaled red man turn back. "Everyone, of course." 110 C109 Slums Blackmarke The light was fading from the world. It was clear that the residents of the slums had begun to tuck themselves into the beds for the rest of the evening. Few still up giving prayers to the Goddess of the Dusk as this was her prime time of worship. Azo moved through the slums as he knew one of the two black markets existed in this area. One constructed using earth magic to dig tunnels under the slums with the other one being in the central city as it was contractured in the old sewer system. Heading past the main street Azo turned into the back alleys. It was clear the location of the black market as no one tried to stop them when this area was already so lawless. If they complied and did not kick up a fuss, then the black market had no reason to cause a problem for the residence. Coming up to the main door in the back ally, the guard turned to look at the man approaching. The mixed-race ogre similar to Bull except for distinctly less intelligence as he let out a grunt. "Azo? Hmph. Another visit to the seer?" The bouncer was standing just to the side of the door as his massive fist reached back to slam against the metal a few times. The sound of many bolts, chains and other items being moved before the door slowly creaked open. "Let''s just say I''m always hungry for more knowledge." Finishing his line, Azo let out a small laugh as he passed through the door frame, making sure to keep a distance with the bouncer as he knew the man could strangle something in a heartbeat. "You sound just like a typical wizard!" Continuing down the poorly lit corridor as the door behind him slammed shut behind him as the bolts became locked magically behind. Azo was proceeding down the steps as it was his magic that had provided those spells. He had spent to much time in these places. The corridor soon became a staircase heading down into the depths. The few lights were providing illumination down the path as the scaled red man continued to proceed down into the depths. The walls cut clean with magic as the rock showed the many different substances locked within its surface. After ten minutes of descending the floor became level as the stairs finished. The corridor was leading onwards till it came to another large door with two silent guards watching. Both guards wore black robes with hoods that seemed to have pure darkness inside which did not any light escape. Both seemed to look slightly towards Azo as he walked down the pathway but quickly looked back down with disinterest as the door opened. Passing through the door quickly as it sealed behind him. The amount of light was increasing by vast amounts as he felt his vision turn white for a brief second. Eventually fading as he looked around the room as he blinked to try and help. The underground room had enough volume to store several full-size dragons with ease, and the underground held many people who chatted, bartered and laughed as this place seemed more popular than the actual streets above. The second floor above holding even more items as this entire place was packed full to the brim with things that attracted almost all customers. "Oh welcome! Please let me help you out!" Coming forward to Azo was one of the few introduction guides for the area. The Half Elf male was seeming to be very pleased about the new guest. It was clear he was new to this job as well. "Let me give you a brief tour." The man held out his hand as he gestured to the many beautiful things on sale. Happy to see this man people enjoying the situation. "The first floor has the cheapest items with the third floor having the most exotic and expensive items. If you know an items price, then you can sort yourself out." Walking forward as Azo let out a brief sigh, unable to interrupt the man who continued to speak on and on. "The first floor holds the usual items. Weapons and armour with magical properties that are without the regular licence or papers. We also have food items that have no stamps of authority or are banned by the church. This floor also holds artwork and other nice trinkets." Taking a look around, Azo saw many people standing around the food stand as a man had trouble keeping up as he sold the meat from such an area. Azo felt a twinge of guilt hit him as he knew this was possibly the source. He just had to hope Nathan could figure it out. "The second floor holds more interesting items. Slaves mostly as they do take up much space. They also hold the Mana Stones you do enjoy. While Death is certainly the cheapest right now due to the high amount, All the stones have gone up in price due to the dungeon filled with undead closed down. I heard the church said the undead has stopped reanimating." Taking a few moments to process that information. It was after they left that this process happened. Azo felt relief but also a sense of guilt to his fellow adventurers who were out of pocket now. "Lastly the third floor holds the most interesting items and services. Most people go to look at the golden ticket item. Fifty thousand gold for the pass to the outside world." Not many people trusted the church to do good on the end of the deal, which was one of the reasons why this item was purchasable. A few people even did smuggling runs with the pass to get people in and out of the vortex but the price was still steep. "I''m looking for the Seer." His words caused the man to stop as he turned to him with a grin coming to his face. "Good luck then." 111 C110 Caged Insanity The hall grew silent as the nearby people stopped to look towards the man who requested the meeting with the Seer. The people were listening to the man with concern and interest as few people could afford to and fewer wanted to visit. "Well. Today is an exciting day. You are my first customer to visit the Seer since the last gentleman who came." Looking at the man as he continued speaking. Azo finally let out a sigh to cut him off. "I''m the last gentleman I guess. Azo is my name." The audience around them seemed to pick up in popularity as more eyes became drawn to the name. It appeared that Azo had quite the following in the underground section. Few people who looked at him with devious intention stopped quickly before turning back to previous topics of conversation. "My apologies sir. I will lead you right away. I ask for forgiveness." Leading him past all the eyes as they began to ascend up to the second floor, another set of guards flanking the stairs as the second floor several magnitudes more extensive than the first floor. Standing row by row, section by section as the cages of many different creatures resided. Every type of animal locked up in the cages as simple hunting beasts all the way too sentient humans, elves and dwarfs lined the cages. "Buy a hunting bird. Excellent price and reliable." One man shouted trying to get the people''s attention. "Two desert trolls for the price of one. Guaranteed to cause carnage. No refunds!" Another person bellowed even louder as the trolls behind him tried to reach forward, attempting to grab anything that got to close. It was clear the slaver had starved them on purpose for this reason alone. Moving forward past the cages as the many different people continued trying to push the slaves onto him. This reason alone was why he disliked this floor. To get anywhere in the black market one had to pass through all the other stalls which forced products down peoples throats. It was about to get worse as he passed the Intelligent Slaves section. All the races with any intelligence could easily get bought here in this section. Everyone in this section a slave who had gotten sold from slavers, debt or something worse. "Ahh! Azo it''s so good for you to come back to us. It was a shame when I heard the church had exiled you. Those bastards am I right?" The shiver descended his spine as Azo turned to look at a small chubby human with dark red hair and three chins under each other as they fought for space with each other. His eyes were full of the sparkle that was similar to the glint of a golden coin. "Hello, Mathiu. How can I help you today?" The man approaching Azo began to rub his sweat encrusted hands together as his tongue pressed his upper lips. "Well, I know you are not a fan of slaves even though I have a few magical capable slaves." The man quickly turned the conversation around to the point as he watched Azo''s mood darken to a bitter end. "I''ve got one today that inevitably you will be interested in due to the bloodline." Stopping for the briefest of seconds as Azo turned to the man. His eyes were looking at him as he bit into his lip. "What Bloodline?" With just those words Mathiu knew he had stuck gold, turning as he began to march down his own section to the private area, knowing the magical man was following behind. After arriving at the back, the small round man opened a door with some difficulty as the keys slipped through his fingers before eventually entering the room with Azo coming in and leaving the guide outside. "This is my best find yet. She is so rare that I bet even you won''t say no!" The small man was moving over to the only cage in the centre as his hands grabbed the cloth covering the cage as he began to pull away from the mass, his eager eyes filled with greed showing that this was indeed the best thing he had ever caught. The cloth tumbling to the floor as a single being sat inside the cage with the light slowly filtering in to show the room what the man had found. Azo''s eyes were going wide in fear and shock as the man laughed in victory. "The rarest creature is known to humankind as the V''Quota!" Inside the cage sitting with chains attached to each body part. Magical runes active to stop any magic casting at all with many reinforced bars and parts to make sure security was maintaned. The woman sitting inside seemed to calm as two deep blue eyes stared back at him. She stood roughly at 5''11 with no hair at all. The creature''s body made entirely out of purple, blue and green crystals. While it looked similar to a human, it was clear this was nothing close to flesh and blood. The being itself seemed to shift slightly as the crystal structure moved again, both eyes staring directly at Azo as they were the only part that looked human. A voice was echoing out into the room, and thier minds as fear spread through him. "I can sense you the child of dragon." Taking a few steps back as the dealer seemed confused at the creature talking for once. Not expecting such a reaction from such a docile creature before as it merely willed itself to be captured. "You are insane!" Azo turned his head to the dealer as his words became filled with venom. Knowing the truth insanity with the race locked inside the cage. "If you wish not to purchase you may leave. I do not want to entertain such rude remarks. I''ll sell it to another buyer." Turning around quickly and exiting, Azo rushed out of the area as he needed to speak to the Seer and get his information soon before continuing. A voice was creeping into the back of his mind as the woman talked to him one last time. "They are coming for me. Then they will come for you. Dragon Child." 112 C111 Meeting the Seer After leaving the room, fear still holding his heart. Azo walked with the guide who seemed slightly confused about the whole encounter. His eyes were staring into the side of Azo as he finally decided to put out the question. "May I ask what was wrong with the slave this gentleman was offering. I''ve heard he uses the highest quality mind control spells, drugs and other devices to keep them obedient." These words caused Azo to bite his lower lip, talking about people as items or toys made him feel sick to his stomach as this was the most offensive part of this area. "It does not work for the creature he obtained. He''s playing with matches around an entire warehouse full of lamp oil." Heading up the last few rows before the two of them began to walk towards the stairs to the next floor, both men continuing the conversation as the Half-Elf continued. "What sort of creature did he grab. I dragon I assume if its something that powerful?" Shaking his head, Azo decided to end this topic of conversation. These creatures called V''Quota were much more dangerous. They showed up when you least expected and had the power to make even himself worry. It was suicide to harm them, and many old and rare documents warned against it saying it was as offensive to attack a Demigod as it was to harm these creatures. "Let''s just head up to the Seer as I need to speak to them... though can you bring me to the mana stones first?" This final detour before reaching the Seer as they arrived at a small corner of the entire market. Four stalls were selling the Mana stones as well as tomes and other items for mages including incantation and ritual items along with one cast scrolls. Sitting behind one of the stalls selling mainly just Mana Stones was an Elven woman with long silky blonde hair that seemed to caress her sides in perfection. The soft golden eyes and lovely features that caused any man to swear away from an average woman. The only unfortunate feature being the scowl that seemed to be a standard feature for all elves. "My, what has the cat dragged in today, Azo dear. Here to undercut me in stone prices again?" The woman seemed to hiss out a sharp sentence as she still had a dislike for the man who appeared to pull out so many Mana Stones filled with death energy. She sadly could not keep up and had to concede many sales to him which had begun this rivalry. "Sha''Li, you still look lovely. How is the firm rod lodged up your ass, any luck in removing it?" The glares between both surly could cause a heart attack with such venom between them both. The other merchants letting out a laugh as this was almost like a show to see who could create the most grief between each other. "What do you want you stupid lizard. I do not have all day." Her eyes were slowly moving over the man as she watched him pull something out of his pocket and into his hand, eventually pull it open to show a bright white crystal shining with radiance. "I guess you don''t care for this then." Sha''Li''s eyes almost bulged from her face like a fish as she had never seen such a pure crystal. Mana usually became turned into a certain way once the energy passed through it. This one seemed to be entirely pure in its contents. "That is a large pure mana stone. How did you get this." A few small laughs escaped Azo''s lips as he just clutched the stone, other merchants staring at it with lust and greed as it was evident not only Sha''Li was interested in such an item. "Let''s say my new client has a few. I''m looking to trade this for items. Mainly these items." Pulling out a parchment, passing it over to the woman as she snatched it away from the man, eyes scanning the paper as she felt her breath catching in her lungs. "This is enough food, water and supplies for ten''s of thousands for a good few weeks. It''s going to be expensive to get these. I know a few people, and we could supply this with permission. I don''t know if the trade will be fully worth it." Sha''Li had already calculated, even with all these supplies she still would earn more than two thousand gold from this trade. Her eyes were looking back at the man as she saw him pulling out a second and third item, opening his palm to show three white stones. "Holy Creator God. How is this possible." "It matters not Sha''Li. Give me a note of supply and bring them to the surface to the back area. I''ve put down a few red rocks and flags to indicate the area." After passing all the information over. Azo continued onto his final place as he entered into one of the side rooms right at the back of the black market. Heading into the darkness as the corridor continued before a woman dressed fully in white opened the door at the end of the corridor. Bowing before him before letitng the man into the area. "Entering Azo for the Lady Seer." The voice of the woman in white echoed before shutting the door behind him. Azo feeling his nerves getting the better of him as he moved into the massive room. The darkness was causing him only to see a few feet around as the room was at least 100 meters wide and double in length. The rumbling of the ground as the Seer approached. "Well, Time''s passed since I last saw you." Coming out of the Darkness, A humanoid female face with dark skin coming from the depths. Large and impressive as a sizeable lioness-like paw landing next to Azo as it was large enough to crush him with ease. Two large white wings fluttering behind the body. The Spyhnx was looking down at him with a grin that suggested cunning or playfulness. The sweat was coating Azo''s back as he knew it was time for him to ask some difficult questions about not only the mission he had but also about one topic he knew which would cause trouble. The Creator God Himself. 113 C112 Sphinxs Riddle Looking up at the Sphinx with no panic or surprise as this was the third time he had seen this ancient mythical creature. He remembered the first time he had ever met this woman as his surprise made the beast laugh. It seemed to be the favourite pass time watching mortals freaking out over the fact that this monster-like woman sat right under the slums taking requests for information. "So Azo, how can I help you?" The voice filled with wisdom and joy as it reverberated around the room. The paws placed onto the stone floor as the Sphinx lay down facing the man, evident that she trusted the male enough to be less wary around him. Moving forward, the man let out a small sigh as he pulled out a few parchments. Having everything written down as he looked up at the strange monster woman. "I have a few things I want to know. How much do you know about the gods Xyia?" The Sphinx moved slightly to get comfortable as she looked him over. Her mortal given name being Xyia as she let out a small sigh at the question. "What is the point in asking such a question about the Gods?" "It''s crucial Xyia. I need this information as the person I potentially could be working for has ties with it all." "Fine, fine. Azo you need to calm down. What do you wish to know? Of course, this price is something very few people can afford." Taking down his pack, Azo pushed the contents all over the floor as hundreds of medium-sized pure white mana stones clattered across the floor to indicate the price paid. Xyia was raising an eyebrow at this: her wings fluttered in worry. It was clear that this move surprised the woman. "You are paying me in such a large amount. This information must be dangerous and will potentially get you killed for this?" "I care not. I''m always one to find out what I am dealing with." "Fine, you can ask those questions." Finally giving up to the man waiting for him to start asking his questions. Xyia looked at him interest as to the actual issues he was going to ask in detail. "What is the Creator Gods real name?" The first question getting asked as the Spynx let out a small yawn, looking at the man with disinterest now as it was nothing to difficult to answer. "Well, looking in all the historical tomes. It seems while the Demigods usually call him father or All-father. It appears that they used his name rarely when in trouble." Taking a few moments to pause to build up suspense. The Sphinx slowly letting out a chuckle as she liked to tease the poor scaled man. "It''s Nathan Blackrose from the few instances the Demigods spoke about it." Feeling his heart freeze, it was true that this man was then the creator god. His feelings getting realised as he felt his breathing growing shallow. "Any more questions or are you done?" "Has Nathan... The Creator God ever come down to the world before. I''ve never heard about such a thing." "Well of course he has. He comes down on a few times, but each time he comes, it causes a massive shift in the world. I heard a few times he''s come down he has wiped out an entire species with the snap of his fingers." The questions continued as Azo continued asking nearly everything under the sun. It was the typical story as Azo liked to collect as much information as he could before finishing. During the questions, the Sphinx became more and more distracted as her head started to turn towards the north. "Azo, you have asked me so many questions about the Gods and the areas around here. May I ask one in return?" Finishing writing everything down as he turned his head back up to the woman with confusion. "Yes, you can. What is it?" "Is Nathan in the city above us. Is he destroying the other black market. I can sense a huge spike in magical powers inside and under the city." Both parties looking to the north, one in confusion and the other with interest. "I honestly do not know. I know he''s here and this is the reason for asking the questions. Wait did you say destroying the black market in the city?!" He felt his panic rising as he looked at the Sphinx who still had the cheeky grin on her lips as she looked back to him. "Oh yes. He seems to have used his power earlier to break through a wall. I almost did not sense it due to how subtle it was." Almost feeling like pulling off his jaw as he heard this from the Sphinx. This idea of being subtle by only destroying part of the wall made him almost question his sanity. "How is that subtle?" He asked in a groaning moan as he knew that he was not going to like the answer to it. "Well, normally he wipes everything out. Men, women and children. Leaving nothing behind and making sure to be as efficient as possible. Last time he did not like a city''s location he just removed everything and dropped the people off in the wilderness to build the new city. Lucky for him the Demigod resolved the issues." "Oh, another time he decided to remove all the ore inside the mountain as a test to a clan of dwarfs, seeing what would happen if they found nothing. Apparently, from the Demigods, they lasted only three months before turning cannibal and eating each other." "Did I even mention the time that he moved an entire beach because he liked the sunrise better in a specific location. Each one of the events pressed to Azo made him feel his heart sink slightly more. Sounding like an imperfect God. Azo pressing his face into his own hands as he groaned. Following an old classic from his friend Bull. "Fuck me." "You are not my type." "Ugh..." 114 C113 Back to the Group Eventually after the long, exhaustive question time. Most questions were dealing with Nathan and his past, powers and personality. He had found out something interesting. This Nathan seemed different. More human or compassionate compared to his old self when he attended the world. Something must have changed to make a person change personality like that. "It seems Nathan has destroyed the entire city black market. Though the slaves and others have gotten released from the area which is rather odd that he spared some people." Azo had to agree with the Sphinx as he knew that this was abnormal behaviour from the creator god who seemed to care little about the lives of others. "He is planning on destroying the church from the plans. He is gathering everyone to move to his territory. I doubt he will want the black market in its entirety to come either so I can''t offer that." The Sphinx was looking at him with a smile creeping onto her face as she let out a soft giggle. "I care not I will be coming without everyone else. It seems a naughty little bird has caught one of the seekers. I bet the judgments are already coming to free her. I doubt few will survive here so its best we both leave sooner rather than later." Continuing to laugh, Azo feeling a shiver going down his spine a second time at the level of information this woman seemed to obtain without speaking to anyone else. "Why did you not stop him?" "Well, why would I want to. It''s easier to get out of something when people think everyone died. Plus I want to come along." Watching the Sphinx, Azo felt some confusion as to why the woman wanted to tag along with him. The paw struggling to pull all the stones to herself as she fumbled with her paws to put them back into a pile for a more comfortable collection. "It''s simple. Nathan is the Creator God. If I align myself with him, then I can get great power. I care not for the extermination or attitude he had as if I become useful to him then I will get more power in return." "I guess that makes sense. We need to get going. I''ve managed to get an agreement from the black market, so I assume that the items have already started getting delivered in full. I hope they are fast enough before Judgment day arrives." After leaving the Sphinx. Azo made his back out as he noticed the full swing of items already getting released as many people had begun to deliver them as a group of men started to pack and carry food and barrels of water. He moved past many people as he made his way back outside after passing through the similar corridors and out into the darkening sky. He could already hear people around him hustling about as many items had begun to accumulate outside the city. Pulling out his staff as he fit one of the crystals to the end. The soft white glow was coming from it making him smile as he had found all these Mana Stones just outside of Sanctuary. It was a massive pile just embedded into one of the cliffs. Clear signs that a fight had gone on only a few weeks prior as well. He must have gotten lucky that none of the soldiers had found the location. "Well more for me then." Holding his staff to the air as the magic began to form. Azo chanting the spell phrase he always knew by heart at this point. Finishing with the final custom tag for the end of the spell with an extra flurry as his staff glowed with power. "Findus Bullo!" The spell finished as a silver thread floating in the sky started to unfold as it led him through the streets and areas before eventually reaching a tavern on the main road. Entering inside he moved to one of the back rooms before knocking on the door. After a few moments, the door opened with Bull standing on the other side looking slightly confused. "How do you know exactly where to find me each time you forget to ask for locations or directions." Moving past the large man as he noticed the twins and Nees sitting around a large table. Bull still frowning as the man had a knack for knowing his location. He had to speak to him about this as it was getting out of hand. "How do you keep finding me Azo!" Bull said watching the man taking a seat as he put everything down. His eyes were looking up to him as he spoke with calm resolve. "I know you Bull. I bet you suggested to come to this tavern. I also bet you have tried to order something strong but the twins have stopped you just in time, and you only ordered a light drink." Each word was hitting Bull like an iron hammer as he let out a groan of defeat. Sitting down opposite as he raised his mug before gulping the entire contents down. "I''m not a simple guy. I could have done other things." Bull said in pure spite as he folded his arms. "Yes. I do have the Bull List of Locations." Azo responded by pulling out a parchment. "1: Tavern getting pissed, 2: Brothel getting pissed on worse items but enjoying the company of a lady with brown hair and green eyes as a preference. If unable to find that sort you try to find a..." Bull had shot across the table as his hand covered Azo''s mouth. His eyes were staring at him with hate as he knew the man was too good. "I understand. Shut it, or I will beat you with this table." Slowly pulling his hands away as he sighed with relief before raising the mug to find it empty. "Woman who likes to cuddle and call you a big strong man." Azo finished as he smirked, Bull, grabbing the table as the tavern heard him scream. "AZO!" 115 C114 Eccentric Mage Duo While The twins stared at them both, laughing at the shenanigans. Bull swearing at Azo as the man avoided the big hands of his fellow adventurer. This was reminding them closer to the simpler times with just having to go into a dungeon and fight mindless monsters. The laughing, crying and friendship that kept this group stable and together. As they continued with the group discussing a strange almost hissing noise could be heard coming from near the door. Sizzling before a peculiar blue portal opened up. An old gentleman was stepping through with a laugh. "Haha! Finally, I''ve completed that spell. These crystals you gave me for payment are the highest quality. Almost like you stole them from a god!" The man steeping through the portal laughed, his back hunched as he used his staff not only as a magical item but also a walking cane. The crystal slotted into the top being pure white with energy flowing from it with ease, apparently being one of the mana stones Azo had given out to people. The man having a long white beard that hit the floor, large glasses that covered his face more than his actual eyes and finally white robes that had food stains on them. "Bellingham. Thank you for coming and did you manage to get the others?" Azo stepped forward as he bowed his head with respect, this old man being as proficient with magic then himself. Having to show the proper respect for someone they needed help from even if they had similar power levels. "Of course. Convincing people with money is easy. Each one of these stones is enough to feed a family for a lifetime, well maybe not in the vortex. I may ask where did you get these crystals from. I''ve seen the black market trends and never come across a pure crystal like this?" Bellingham continued to speak only to get interrupted as the portal behind him shimmered as a small gnome popped out, grumbling and cursing before looking up to the old wizard. "Oi, you bastard that thing almost killed me. I got teleported out into the middle of the desert before the portal reopened again!" The gnome acknowledged as Zie standing behind him before looking to all the others in the room, his annoyance only growing as he saw the audience who heard him speak about what had happened. The gnome puffing himself up as he stood at a mere 4''0, blue hair that remained maintained with magic and dyes his face clean and perfectly shaven and secured with an appearance that also showed his cleanliness and order. Neat freak was the correct word for this man. The portal shimmering one last time as the sound of heels came directly behind both men. "Why argue now. I think the hosts are getting annoyed by two stubborn men bickering like young children." The woman was signifying the last of the three known as Zika. Her body covered in silks and rich clothing as her black hair tumbled down her body without abandon. The differences started with the eyes that looked almost as exotic as Azo''s with the red hue and slits that stared into one''s heart and desires. The purple skin that gave a view of perfection with a slight amount of lustful corruption and with a height that seemed perfect being just under 5''10 Though it was unclear if the heels helped with this or not due to one''s attention-getting brought elsewhere due to specific other features the woman possessed. "Thank you all for attending. Please take a seat, and we can begin." The group all sitting down in the seats as the three most influential people in the slums stood against the most potent adventurers in the city. "I want to thank you all for coming. The reason for my summons is a simple one. We want everyone to move out of Senoa and into a town called Sanctuary." Azo finished as he watched the three look to each other before looking back to him. Each one was looking unconvinced as he knew this was going to be a pain to convince them. "Let''s say we agree. Can you even provide for over ten thousand people? What rewards do we get for even complying with this? We do not want to go from one slum to another." Starting off the assault of questions as Zika fired the first barrage of questions, her eyes full of mistrust and annoyance as well as this was a stupid thing to ask the group. Before he could even answer another question hit him like a barrage, giving him almost no time to think. "It''s also the case of knowing who runs the show. I doubt it will be you guys and I know from the crystals you gave that it will be someone powerful. These are stones of such power that the Gods must be involved. I''d hate to wind up being a pawn for Saleh being she is the only god around." The old man Bellingham finishing as he crossed his arms and sat back in his chair with annoyance. Zie was completing the three off as it seemed to grow even worse. "Lastly how could we even defend ourselves. The church would charge at us and try to kill us all. They do not care for us more then they do the money we give them. If we try and flee then we are nothing but dead weight to be cut down." All three of them continued to speak to each other about the stupidity of this plan, ignoring the hosts over the other side. Anger flaming in Azo as he felt the drive inside him to rend, tear and kill surface at the ignorance of the people. His hand covered in flame smashing down onto the table as the wooden frame buckled and collasped to the floor, the smashing frame making everyone look back to him in panic. "Shut up. Or I will make you." 116 C115 Raw Emotion The level of tension had risen by a hefty sum. Each one of the influential people staring at him while keeping quiet as they noticed the primal anger in the man''s eyes. The look more of a wild beast than an actual intelligent animal. "Woah!" Bull had already moved behind his friend, placing a hand onto his shoulder as the man had calmed down with such a simple move. The frenzy and rage dying down in his eyes before a sigh escaped his lips. "Please forgive my actions. It''s a stressful week for me, and I tend to lose myself when I have no chance to respond to barrages of questions." Azo stood up from the group as he moved to the corner of the room as he pressed his ring to summon the large door with almost no effort, no one paying much attention except for Bellingham who stared at the door with a slack jaw. Within a few moments, the red-scaled man had pulled out a few crates and a barrel. Pulling open the lids as he showed off the contents to everyone as the three people. Inside the crates were a bounty of food items. Corn, wheat, rice, potatoes and much much more. Everyone staring as Azo continued to start answering some questions. "These items were made in Sanctuary. The town itself, blessed by our God who provides the area with endless sustenance and growth. Looking at the situation currently, we have enough growing food but not enough farmers, workers, builders and more to utilise it." Pushing the crates over. Azo allowing them all to take them to taste and eat as he moved over to pull open the barrel. Inside crystal clear water that looked pure and perfect for consumption. All three of the members pulling out items as they began to eat, the gnome being the most impressed as he dug into a second and then the third piece of corn. "This is amazing. I could sell these well if you are willing to trade food and water with me. Food is in short supply always and with this high-quality food I''m sure we can do well." As Zie continued to eat his eyes were drawn by another item placed near the barrel. It was a plank of wood which caught his eye. Quickly moving along as he took up the plank as his eyes burned brightly. "I''ve never seen such a strong softwood timber!" His hands moved across it like he was caressing a woman''s body with a smooth and tender approach. "The rich reddish brown colour with such a straight grain. This plank looks almost too good to be true. Is it easy to work with and how does it fair with construction?" Each word with desire laced in as it looked like the gnome considered this object more like a woman with lust deep within his eyes as he wanted to know more. "It''s from a forest in our area. The trees are massive and even stick out of the basin we live in which gives it such an amazing look. I''ve never seen any trees like it around the world." With a moment Zie sat back down in his chair, wood in one hand with the corn in the other. His eyes golden as he knew good deals when he saw them. While he was mainly a smuggler, he was previously a trader and had the same keen business sense when it came to this. "Our God is named Nathan. His powers as far as I can see are Aqua, Fertility, Bow and some others. He has more capabilities than the typical Demigod it seems." He decided to leave out some more important information. It was easier to keep out the fact that he was the All-Father because it seemed somewhat difficult to assume since the actual Creator God could fix everything with a flick of the wrist. He needed to speak to Nathan about that during a future point. "Three powers. The All-Father may have heard out plight and sent another God to help fix our issues. It''s smart to get everyone involved at this point since he may have to leave at some point." Bellingham had finished one of the food items, impressed as he decided not to mention that each piece filled with magical energy. While the body usually never stored any magical energy it was different for food items and other such entities. Since the food became stored in his body, he had access to a quick bout of magical power if he needed. "That is all fine and well Azo but what about our last question. How will you protect the people coming? One powerful man can''t protect everyone as some guards will surely come after the people running away." The demonic woman Zika said as the food sitting in front of her was left untouched, eyes staring at Azo as she asked her question to get some ground. Just as the conversations began to heat up, the other two looking to Zika before turning back to Azo to see if the man could manage this question as well. A banging on the door as the owner of the bar came inside without permission. "Listen. Sorry to interrupt but big news." As he left leaving the door open as he was in a panic. Other patrons were rushing around as they grabbed stuff to go as the tension was high. The group inside the room came out with confusion as Bull grabbed someone before asking. "What is happening." The poor woman he grabbed trying to get away in fear as she answered quickly. "A God has appeared in the main district. Using some strange power has killed off the entire army and anyone who went against him. Giant scythes were killing anyone guilty as they screamed out confessions. He is walking along the road like a reaper of death!" Each one was looking at each other as the final question became answered. The army would not pursue them if the God came in person and destroyed everyone in his way. No stupid fool would try to stand in the space of a pissed off God during a rampage of this scale. Azo was looking to the three people, giving out a blunt question of his own as he knew time was short now. "Any more stupid questions?" 117 C116 Crowded Future It had taken only a short time after that to come up with a plan, each one of the leaders agreeing to help after the fact due to the entire command structure of the vortex getting obliterated by a pissed of and a somewhat vengeful god. Heading outside Azo, Bull and the Twins watched as the chaos ensued as people carried personal belongings, wealth and family to the designated spot. "Well hey, Azo!" A strange halfling with a ginger beard came towards him, a group of adventurers behind him who all looked worried about the situation. The ginger beard of the halfling still as impressive and long as the last time he had met the group. "Benard. I''m guessing you are also trying to get out of the city?" Azo Responded as his eyes looked over to his previous competition. No longer seeing them as such after losing the ability to be one when giving his mission. "Well after what has happened. It''s best we leave. The pissed off man in the centre of town was putting up quite the show. All the corrupted guards lost their heads, Literally." A few of the adventures giving a small chuckle while the rest just grimaced. The few laughing trying to take this in stride but everyone had the same feeling of being overpowered by this one man. "Well, I need some help since I need to guide all these people to Baski with a particular route. I can lead, but I need those who will help everyone follow." Folding his arms as he looked to Benard as it seemed the greed of this small halfling was growing with a smile. "It will cost you." Benard''s hands were coming together as he spoke, rubbing them as he wanted to get a good deal whenever he could. "Take it out of the gold you owe me for completing my mission. The whole reason this is happening because of the private mission that we pretty much got forced on." Each word at the end getting pushed to show the fault being placed squarely on the shoulders of the Halfling who just continued to laugh at such comments. "Oh Azo, you are the talker alright. Sure I will take it out of the reward money. It will be costly paying everyone here, and I may need to get more people in to help." Each dirty word was hitting Azo as he felt disgusted at this man''s greed at such a time. In Crisis who spent time discussing price when lives were at stake. "Fine do what you must but remember the church is not in power in this new land. You will have to answer directly to new forces." Even as Azo finished, it seemed like Benard had already waved this away as he turned to the adventurers who began to split up to try and act as hired guards to get people to the location without to much worry. "I hope you have enough supplies as this will be a problem." Benard commented as he stroked his beard. Watching as more adventurers moved to help. "You deal with security, let me deal with the supplies." Cutting him off without too much consideration as he turned to start heading to the location. Telling Benard before he left to help with the supplies area because looting would not help in the future. "I thought you told me you would deal with the supplies." Even with a witty comment from Benard, he continued onwards with several of the adventurers in town to defend against such an action. Supplies were essential to the group. After fixing these issues and having sent the three slum lords away to set up their plans. Azo began to shift his attention as he saw so many people from the city. This included men, woman and children. Many of the previous guards who had survived had removed all indications of the church and started helping the adventurers trying to keep the peace as they had mostly taken the job to protect themselves and the family. Pulling out his staff as he knew this crowd could stop them from reaching the next destination as he started to chant his seventh level spell. Unlike a certain someone who had just cast teleportation magic which was past the mortal tiers he still had to play by the rules. "Flight!" With that the group lifted off the ground, flying above the thousands of people pushing out and into the area described as word of mouth passed quickly. Just outside the slums at the south was an area set up by them with a few tents and a stage. Already hundreds of people sat near the stage waiting as a few people looked at the significant number of crates getting put down by people from the black market. Luckily no one had touched anything as the adventurers came to patrol the cargo and began working to divide the items up by food, water and other survival aspects. Landing on the stage as his fellows stood by his side, the people arriving and those already sitting down turning to him with hope. It was the only emotion many of these people held after getting forced down by the church. "Everyone here today. We have a tough two weeks ahead of us. We will need to head east to a Town called Baski. Then we will head down to a new town called Sanctuary." The people around the stage looking worried at the amount of time, the supplies pressed to the side only enough for such a large amount of people for maybe a few days at best. It only got worse as each of the areas began to grow crowded. More and more people talking to each other as fears grew. It was not till after thirty minutes when the Slum lords appeared on stage as a few people began to calm down. "Oi!" The shout came from one of the members of the crowd. Clearly unhappy with the lack of news after such a short time. "What is happening. There is going to be so many of us yet you expect us to believe this is possible." The man stood onto the stage. "Show us now!" 118 C117 Sevils Rescue The yelling caused Azo to feel his temper catching him again, his eyes glaring at the man as other people stood up asking for proof as well. Each and everyone causing him to growl out almost wanting to choke those individuals. "Fine, you come here!" He said pointing to the man who had gotten onto the stage. His hand was moving to the ring as he moved it to the side, activating its ability as a door appearing out of thin air as the people around gasped as Azo pulled open the door. "Go in." He stated as he watched the gentleman stare in wonder, rooted to the ground in fear as he had not seen magic before. Looking between both him and the door as he started to shake his head. "For fuck sake..." With but a moment''s notice, Azo moved forward, grabbing on the gentleman''s white cotton shirt as he tugged him into the doorframe. Taking a moment to push him inside as he entered behind him. "Please don''t kill me!" The man screamed as the door shut behind them. Bull and the Twins shaking their heads as the people near the stage looked even more worried about the rough treatment the man had received to get him inside the door. Now with it closed no one knew what was going on inside. Inside the man stared at Azo with pure fear as he shook in his boots, eyes looking around at the room which appeared to be more prominent on the inside since the outside was only a door. "Time to learn. Come here." The man started to back away as the scaled red man started approaching him. A look in his eyes that showed him he was dangerous as the screams from the poor man couldn''t get recognised by the people outside. Several awkward minutes outside passed by before something changed. Eventually, the door getting opened as Azo came out first dragging a man behind him. The screams were echoing out as the man stuffed his face with fruit, vegetables with a cup in one hand and a plate in another. "That was amazing. You had so much food!" Each word was hitting the people close as he continued to talk while stuffing his face. The man was making sure to shove another apple into his mouth with a crunch as he continued. "So much choice it''s amazing, and it''s all fresh. Row upon row of food do you have any more?" The question was a pure and innocent request as the man had little food for him and his own family, but now his plate was filled to the brim. "We have enough food till the first checkpoint. We will head south-east to the first area with a stash of food provided by the same god that is inside the city." Those words caused many whispering from the people. Some still scarred by the events that they saw. It was not long until another person stood up with a look of panic. "You mean the monster that has slaughtered so many people! Cutting them down like wheat, you expect us to go with you to help when we may be next to get killed?" His words carried as others started to turn and look worried again, everyone gossiping as the mortal mind was too focused on silly issues. Azo felt his anger rising as he wanted to tell people to shut up. It was not till another man came up to the stage, the robes and appearance giving people a moment of surprise to see a priest of the church here. Many of the people living in the slums though recognising the man known as Sevil. "People I have spoken to the man you all fear and worry about, as I can vouch for his good will." His hands came up as his smile tried to calm people down. Many of those inside the walls knew the man personally with his goodwill and charity. The only issue was that outside had never spoken to him due to the limits of entry and exit due to the so-called taxes. "Why should we trust him. He has killed so many people with blood on his hands so why should we trust this whole thing?" The few people who were saved by the person only arriving at the back due to getting out last in the city. Those here not in the know about Nathan saving so many people as well. "It''s simple really. The man has saved all the children in my home." His hand moving as Sevil pointed to the groups of children with the guardians at his side. His eyes were noticing a few workers and his wife while he thought to where Annie had gone as she was not with the group. "These children were poisoned by the meat we purchased. Many of you may have also become sick when eating it similarly. All of my children perished due to the troublesome nature of the unhealthy food. Nathan visited me during this time and spoke with me. During this time he saved them all without me asking. His anger real as he went out to solve our issue." Holding his hands together, Sevil prayed that the man did not make any of the people suffer and hoped that each of them had a fair trial in the afterlife. "He is a kind man with a gentle soul. He is a God I am willing to follow. Saleh may be a Demigod, but her reach here is gone. This man came to me and offered me a place close to him. How could I say no to such a kind God who will punish those who have evil inside!" Sevil placed his hands together as he looked over everyone with eyes filled with determination as he began to shed tears of joy for meeting such a wonderful man. "I will follow the God who provides us with food and water, who will shelter us and who will save us when we are in danger. Will you all stay here with the church at your back or take a risk with me and jump to a brighter future." His words echoed as the crowd remained silent. A few moments were passing by before the gentle clapping of a single pair of hands from the children next to him. Turning into more as the entire group clapped with rapture before the people who had seen Nathan began to clap as well. The infection was growing as the crowd started to cheer as the celebration began. "Nathan! Nathan! Nathan!" 119 C118 Angelic Hate Moving back to the city, the chaos still surrounding the people as everyone rushed to leave. Anyone in power dead inside the city after Nathan had finished his might. Most of the East side now a graveyard as merchants, guards and a few priests fled across the bridge and past Nathan to get away. It took thirty minutes before everyone left and Nathan could begin. He had heard that he had two options from Azo. Either to enter via the top and use the portals to get into the dungeon. This option was far to slow for his own needs. The second option was more accessible as it got him straight into the dungeon as he could enter via the tunnels at the base of the structure. The only difficulty was going to find it. "Let''s go with option three." Nathan stepped from the bridge as he jumped from the side. His decent rapid as he almost smashed into the ground a second time since coming to this world. Unlike last time though he was in full control as his body stopped on a dime before hitting the ground. After stepping back onto the solid ground, it only took Nathan a few moments before coming up to the pillar. "Third pillar from the east side. Never said exactly where on the pillar." His eyes were scanning the surrounding as he saw the many corpses surrounding. Most just bone as he knew what had happened to the fleshy new ones. Having enough of looking, his hand pushing out as the black oak bow Senshi grew from his hand. The string is uncurling from the bow as it attached in the middle. "I like this bow." His eyes drawn to the weapon before pulling the string back, aiming it directly at the pillar as the energy started to gather in the bow as the power forced itself out. The overpowering echo as the bolt of energy broke the sound barrier. The flash of light colliding with the pillar of the bridge as smoke, stone and fragments flew into the air. The light flying in one side and out the other as nothing stopped it from just flying through the entire structure and digging itself several meters into the ground on the other side. After the dust settled, Nathan could see that the structure remained mostly intact as the walls of the pillar crumbled but staying strong enough for the structure above to continue standing. "Excellent. Just need to find the staircase and head down then take a left constantly. Find the dead end and blow a hole through it because secret passageways are stupid." Moving towards the pillar as his bow stood by his side in his grip. Nathan began his journey underground. Up above the entire process. Annie walked across the bridge as she passed a few stragglers as the sound of destruction below was evident as the bridge shook with violence. Her eyes were looking around at the many corpses that littered the ground. "Mass murdering again. Some things never change do they, Nathan." Spreading her wings as she took flight, body soaring into the air as a few peoples stared up at the woman in disbelief as they still only saw a human woman. The sight not causing all too much attention after a God of Death came and destroyed the entire church in the east section of Senoa. Flying straight down as her eyes locked to the man as she watched the dust settle. The man was blowing a hole straight into the side of the bridge. Maybe he was planning to destroy the entire area to stop people getting to the East side. Landing behind the man she pulled out her weapon as her sword glowed bright red with her power. "Nathan!" Her anger was boiling after all these years in exile. Her rage was wanting to tip her over as she needed to release all this anger as she felt like tearing the man apart. Her entire life ruined by saying a few words to this murder. She watched as the man turned around looking somewhat surprised as his eyes clouded before some recognition as he looked her over. "You were the Crimson Angel with Sevil. Can I help you?" These words caught Annie as she felt the rage coming over her. It was clear to her that this man did not know her. His memory was so sick that he had forgotten her after such a time. "You do not remember me at all?" Her voice was quivering as she held her sword in one hand, body wanting to move forward and attack this person even if it costed her life. "Yeah. You work with Sevil Like I said." Each word was drilling into her as she felt tears streaming down her cheeks. Several hundred years of exile and this man did not remember her at all. "You are a horrible person. Killing all those people around you because you can. Do you enjoy culling everyone like they are toys to be enjoyed!" She said screaming as she felt her grip tightening on the blade. Her body was trying to force itself forward as her need for revenge almost taking over. Her eyes shot as she continued. "You ruined my life. You got me to cast out of paradise and my life. I never got to say goodbye. You did this to me after you exterminated an entire race of creatures without a second thought." Her body was shaking as she moved forward a few steps as her wings beat with hate as her words poured fouth. "Annie! My name is Annie. I spoke with you over seven hundred years ago maybe longer at this point. Now you are here with Sevil. Leave him alone you monster. Do not put those children into whatever sick plot you have." Annie felt the tears streaming as she shook her head. Eyes shot as she knew the only way she could finish this was to destroy the source of evil. "What is the point of speaking. You are a Paracite Creator God who does not deserve the title anymore." Her sword raising as her wings fluttered as she prepared for combat. "I''ll kill you myself." 120 C119 Angel Vs God Each word was hitting Nathan as he felt the hatred coming at him, his mind trying to scramble to why this woman hated him so. He barely put together that he knew this woman awhile ago. Her face and voice were similar as he spoke to her during the initial stages of making the game. Though it was clear at this point that the game was closer to reality, then he realised. The wings of Annie expanding as the mana from the surrounding air pulled itself into the magical layers the wings had layered inside due to being an angel. The sword brightly glowing with fury as Annie let out a scream of anger as her swings fired out crimson lances that launched rapidly towards Nathan. His speed is still slow as he felt the first lance hitting his shoulder before he was able to pull away and roll to the side. Each lance was causing the earth to rupture and explode as he noticed a hole in his shoulder. Pure white energy flooding from it as his form had become damaged due to her attack. It was mainly due to the divine nature of her being that she could even do any damage to him. "I think you should stop so we can talk about this." Nathan stated as he did not want to fight this woman. He had a feeling something had happened between him leaving and this moment. He felt the rage and anger, and he felt something similar to his old self. The need for revenge. The deep hate that could only get resolved by rooting out the man she hated. "Shut up. I need nothing from you. Can you resolve hundreds of years that you have exiled me!" Seven more crimson rays firing as this time Nathan used his Journey word to catapult him a considerable distance. Unlike other power words, Journey was meant to be used for long distances and did not have the same accuracy as certain other power words. His did not have the time to think as he saw twenty more bolts of crimson launching towards him. His hand reached up as he released his power from his Bow power word. "Lord Of That Which Falls!" Nathan''s words quickly hitting the twenty bolts as they froze in the air. His face growing concerned as he fought for control with the woman as his strength waned as his shoulder still leaked his energy. "Die! Let this world rest without you!" Her words echoing as the bolts jolted forwards with each passing second. Nathan was staring at the woman as he gritted his teeth. He had so much to do still, and he had to punish his daughter for sticking him here without permission. "Oh shut up!" He screamed back as he began pushing back. His eyes were glowing with intense power as the pure white energy poured forth from his eyes as a cape of death shrouded his shoulders. The hole was fixing up quickly as he looked to the woman with his hand still up. With a swift crushing motion with his hand, all twenty bolts exploded into fragments as he glared at the woman. "Annie. I did nothing to you. If someone did something like Exile that was out of my control!" Each word was hitting Annie back as she gritted her teeth. How could the man not know about her exile? He was not only a god. He was the Arch God. How could she believe such lies? "Shut up yourself. You are the Arch God. How could you not know? I prayed to you so much each day that I wandered the land." Annie poured her heart out as Nathan felt the guilt hitting him. He had never looked at those event messages. In the day he had thought them similar to spam messages from the system and had deleted them due to the role he had at the time. It was always a thing he planned to check out, but on his alternate accounts, he had never gotten them. "I''m sorry Annie. I did not get them. I had power but not omnipresence." The tears were only flowing out more as her rage continued to climb. "You are a god! Stop lying to me!" Her wings were glowing bright crimson as she began to expand her power. Hundreds of bolts launching as Nathan let out a curse as the thousands of energy bolts flew towards him. Who knew that Annie had such a capable power it was an utter surprise. Nathan was letting out a sigh as he held his hand up. Keeping the bolts back as each one slowly got closer to him with a curse under his breath as he finally caught the last one in place. The final few getting within a hundred metres of himself. Just as he finished catching these, his eyes looked to the left as he felt a stabbing pain in his side. The sword of Annie was sticking out from him as he bit down hard onto his lips as the woman stared at him with hatred. "Stop making excuses. You treat people like objects, and it''s best if you do not interfere with the mortal world anymore." She pressed the sword deeper into him as she saw the divine energy flowing out. The strength of it was causing her to pull away slightly as she knew the power could cause her harm. "Annie. You are right. I''m used to be a terrible person. I never considered the world a reality and the people inside to have free will. I spent most of my waking moments looking for revenge." His words were catching his throat as it was the first time he felt the real pain coming into this world. His eyes were looking at the woman as he smiled despite the pain. "When I came here though after my daughter forced me. I realised I was wrong. I doubt you will understand right now, but I won''t allow you to stop me." His eyes were flashing with power again as his hand grabbed reached out and grabbed the angel, his might like a vice grip as the angel struggled. "I''m Sorry Annie." 121 C120 Angels Remorse His grip like a vice as he held against the woman. His eyes were full of sorrow as he knew the similar kind of anger and rage she was going through during his required revenge. While he thought himself innocent of the crimes he committed he knew ignorance was no excuse. The sword still deep inside his stomach as he felt the pain spreading rapidly as his power continued to leak from him at a rapid rate. His might was holding onto the angel as she struggled. Trying to use her power to slice her way free. Gripping tightly on her shoulder as he knew he would regret this. His pressure was increasing by a considerable margin as he crushed her shoulder. The bones cracking as the sound of shattering bones echoed in the valley, followed by the screams of the woman. "Sorry, Annie. I do not have time for this. I have a life to save." The woman was already screaming her lungs out as she lost grip on the sword. Her arm going limp after her shoulder had gotten destroyed. She felt her rage peaking as she tried to use her other hand to reach out and grab the blade to do even more damage. It was a shame since Nathan had already grabbed her other should and repeated the process as the sounds of bone-shattering echoed through the valley as no one around saw the horrific scene. "You bastard. Scum. I will destroy you!" Her words were spitting venom as she struggled in pain. Unable to do much now that her arms had gotten destroyed. Her powers mostly ranged and unable to fire at such proximity. Tears were rolling down her eyes as she had gotten defeated so quickly. While she stopped struggling as she stared at him with hate. "Finish me. Why are you waiting?" Her voice still full of hate as she stared at the man. Wondering why he had not finished the job. It would be so easy to end her life compared to waiting as he did now. "I''m not like I used to be. You may not believe me, but I''ve changed in some way. I''m still not a great person, but I think I''m better after the last few weeks. So I can''t kill you, and I won''t kill you." Nathan continued as the white power leaking from his eyes expanded in scope. The wounds on his body healing up as the sword removed itself without any help from Nathan as the power inside automatically removed the foreign object. His energy surrounding the area as the dirt rumbled before patches of green sprung free. Trees, bushes and life itself springing around them both. Eventually, the vines crawling over the angel as they wrapped around the woman before the power slowly poured into the woman''s wounds while also trying her down so she could not fly away. "I''ve made it so these vines will slowly heal the wounds you have. You will be fine in about thirty minutes." Pulling away as he felt his body aching in pain. His power had decreased by such a massive amount by playing it risky to not just kill this woman. He felt his head shaking in disbelief as he walked past the woman and towards the hole in the pillar. "Nathan!" The shout stopping him as he turned to the cocooned woman. Her eyes were blazing with fire as she struggled in pain. Annoyed by this as her wings were unable to cast magic due to the restraints. "If you hurt those children. I will either kill you or die trying!" Stopping for a moment, turning to face the woman as he felt guilt hitting him again. Looking at her with shame as he smiled. "I won''t harm them. I saved the kids with my effort. I have no plans other than to let them grow up safe. Sevil impressed me with such kindness that made me want to help him back. I understand why you are with him now. Please stand by his side, Annie." Turning as he used his powers to heal her wounds with no time limit as he removed the vines as he was taking a leap of faith. He gave her a small bow. "I can''t say sorry enough for the treatment you received. I will have a place by me always for you in Sanctuary. I will also have a place for Sevil no matter what." Annie looked towards the sword having the opportunity to fight again as her arms felt better than new. Her eyes were watching the man as she bit down onto her bottom lip as she was unsure of continuing. "Annie, If I die then the entire town of Sanctuary dies. So if you kill me, then everyone also goes down as the powers will lose control before eventually fading." Closing his eyes as he opened his arm before he looked back to her with his arms wide open. His intention clear as he shouted. "Annie, I won''t kill you. I will not put pain through those kids who you look after. If you want to kill me go ahead as I will not stop you." The time slowed down as Annie felt divided into both points, eyes looking down at the sword as her hand moved slowly to pick up the blade as no blood remained on the blood to show the lack of humanity in the man who she stabbed. Even if she killed him would it even matter? He was the Creator God and made this entire world. Did it even matter that an immortal angel like herself tried to defy the heavens? She had to resolve herself to either of the choices. Her mind struggling until it finally hit her. She did not need to kill the man or accept his new form. She could do both together. She could do one of the ancient rituals. "Nathan. Form a contract with me." 122 C121 Contract Submission The request stunned Nathan as he looked to the woman with interest. The contract system was one of the few racial perks that the Crimson angels possessed. It allowed one to form a bond with certain conditions and will enable one to see all the emotions and thoughts of the other. It was an intimate bond that generally reserved for those who wanted to get close. "You will see me. I will see you. Is this the only way you can see this working out?" He watched as Annie''s face went scarlet. It was clear she understood the ritual enough to know that this was also an intimate thing to do but something must have compelled her to do so. "I need to know if you have changed. If you have nothing to hide from me right?" Shaking his head as he listened to the woman as he held his hand out to her as his eyes looked at her with kindness. With the hands joining it was clear that Nathan led the ritual as his power passed through her body like a cold wave. Touching every fibre of her being as she shuddered under pressure on her body. The cold wave washing over her soul as she felt the pressure building with each moment as the force of the ritual started to press against her soul as it took more of her focus to concentrate on the whole process. "Release." With a single word, she felt her entire being fade as her soul escaped her body. She felt nausea, sickness and a sense of dizziness that became worse as she closed her eyes and tried to cut it out. "Relax and open up to the world." The words echoing in her mind as she felt the sickness hitting her worse now as she tried to close off more by instinct to defend herself against this pain, panic and problem. "OPEN ANNIE!" The shock of the words caused her body to jolt as her eyes opened. The instance she did the world became so bright as the sickness vanished and a mild calming sensation crossed her body. Her eyes scanning the surrounding as the beauty of this place took the breath away from her very soul as she saw beautiful purples, blues and greens all around her. The black background only helped make the other colours stand out as the bright blazing stars of many colours seemed to twinkle in the skyscape around them. The purple streaks of a nebula in the sky as many other colours still surrounded them. Beauty reigned not only in the sky but the ground as well. Below her feet was a vast pool of water that seemed almost endless with many lily pads that floated across the surface lazily. Each one a pure white colour as they drifted endlessly on the currents of the water. The only building standing in this place was a single stone gazebo made out of marble pillars, roof with matching white wood railings and furniture with a similar style. The only strange difference was an onyx pedestal with a matching dark bowl sitting on top. Sitting inside the bowl contained liquid clear as the purest river water as she noticed a world spinning slowly in the bowl. Her mind racing as she saw similar landmarks in the world to her place. "This is our world. Our existence is inside this fragile bowl makes one think." She said as she looked at the bowl and the surrounding area. It had a peaceful and quiet look to it all. The only one thing that set her at unease was the fact that this place had a lonely feeling to it. No one should have to be here alone no matter the circumstances. The only one thing she could not see was Nathan. Where was the man in regards to this place? She had gotten pulled into this world by his power yet the man himself was not around himself. "I''m here Annie." The voice echoed again in her mind as the water rippled around her in response. Nathan''s words shaping the world as it seemed to vibrate in response to his presence. Her eyes turning to look around at the water as she noticed no man standing in the area around the gazebo. "You say here, but I do not see anyone?" She responded as she looked around and then up into the beautiful colour sky. She felt her soul ache with need as she wished she could stay here forever. Just as she felt her heart yearning the world around her began to shake as the water started to flow in two directions and the lazy lilypads began to float away and colliding with each other. A large black object was pushing itself out of the water. Her breath was catching again as her eyes looked up to the object that pushed itself from the water. It was not an object, but a person as the black object was the hair of the person as the being pulled itself out and into freedom. The massive size was dwarfing Annie in scope and scale as she looked up to him with a surprised look on her face at the presence of this person that seemed to pierce into the sky. Her eyes were looking over the being as she felt her heart beating fast the world continued to rumble and shift. The lilypads were slowly floating back towards the man with the colour scape above him swirling around the man. His presence along causing the world to notice and obey him with full authority. The calm atmosphere turning into one filled with energy, action and life as the world seemed to go from the gentle nature to this. "I''m here Annie." His words rumbled across the world as the man spoke. The world itself moving in response to it all. Annie taking steps forward to the waters edge as she looked up further. "Nathan?" 123 C122 Sculpted Gods The first few moments felt like a dream to Annie. Her mind still trying to process the information that stood directly ahead of her. The man was so tall and broad that she was merely an ant to the man. She potentially could get crushed by his toe with one wrong step. Looking up at Nathan, The first thing that came to mind started at his head. Those long lovely strands of dark ebony hair that fell down his back. Long, silky and wild as it seemed to stick to his toned face. Unlike previous, this man was no longer malnourished or in need of any essentials. His face was full of life with a chiselled jaw, perfect unmarked skin with a youthful expression. On his face, no one feature made him handsome, though his eyes came dangerously close. Deep and perfect that seemed to pull anyone''s attention as the sky fell within each eye becoming trapped as the beauty and perfection seemed to capture not only the woman''s gaze. The stubble was lining his lower jaw just making the rugged look even more tasteful. Moving down the body, she noticed the muscles strapped to the man as his sculpted body became a beacon of perfection as the chiselled abs, chest, and arms looked strong enough to crush someone or wrap around her. Feeling her cheeks growing warm as she looked to the man''s stomach as the perfection continued. Biting her bottom lip as she looked further to see any more of the man''s achievement. "Tsk..." Cursing her poor luck as the lower half of the man was submerged in the water with the lilypads perfectly surround him like a coat. Her eyes were scanning back over as she let out another soft sigh like a girl in love. "Are you ok Annie?" Each word cold like ice as she felt the water flowing across her skin as the words caressed her ears. Even Nathan''s voice was smooth and delicious. "Y... Yes! Please, can we talk?" Her words were reaching up to the man as she watched him starting to bend down to speak to her at such a range. The action was making her blush again as she shook her hands. "Shrink down and speak to me. Wear clothes as well!" Within moments, Nathan had shrunk down to his regular size as he approached the woman wearing a basic white shirt and baggy modern pants. The clothes were entirely foreign to the woman in a fantasy setting. Sitting done in the only building as he sat across from Annie. His eyes were looking to Annie''s as he noticed her looking at anything other than himself. "Is something wrong?" The question striking Annie as she turned back to him with the blush still on her face as she pointed to him. Her anger evident again as she blushed harder before turning away. "You are different. What are you trying to do with the pretty boy tricks?" Those words caught Nathan off guard as he looked down at himself for a moment before letting out a small laugh. His head was shaking as he leaned back in his chair. The outfit he wore hugging his body almost perfectly as he began to milk it now. "This is the soul realm. My body is the one you saw before while in this realm only the soul is required. This is what it looks like in its natural form." His words smooth again as he looked to the woman with a grin that showed the teasing nature of his language. "Shut up!" She yelled as she was growing frustrated by the whole thing. Shaking her head as she stared at him with no other emotion then pride as she nodded. "We are to make a contract. Why pull us to a soul realm when we need to bond via blood." Annie had become serious as she knew that the blood ritual required well blood! Doing this made it clear that the man did not want her blood for the ceremony. So what was he doing? "Hello, Annie. You cut me, and no blood came out. I can''t do a regular blood ritual. My blood is pure celestial energy!" His words piercing her own as she felt shame as she remembered stabbing him several times. Her anger still at the surface but now her motives remained clouded. She had no chance of killing him, and if he had changed, then she would help him as well as helping those children. "How do you suggest we do a ritual. I still want one to know if you have genuinely changed or if you are an emotionless killing psychopath." Just nodding, Nathan standing as he moved to the bowl in the middle. His body froze as he heard the emotionless part. He had some issues with his emotions in the past few weeks which had led to some misunderstanding with him. He had no time to think as he placed his hand over the bowl. "It''s simple. If you join my hand, then we will become united in a soul union. Since my Soul is stronger, then I will become the Soul Leader while you will be the Soul follower which will allow us to join together in mind, soul and body." His words were catching her as he waited for her in all seriousness. His hand was waiting as he felt her warm hand connect with his own before he started the ritual. Dipping both sides into the water below of the world. Holding his hand, Annie felt her breath growing rapid as she felt her power growing stronger as the divine energy passed through her body at a fast pace. Almost close to overpowering her as she felt like screaming at her blood boiled. In the next moment, her vision completely faded as she screamed silently into the darkness. "Goodnight Annie. Sweet dreams and again I''m sorry. When you wake up let''s restart our relationship." 124 C123 Onwards to Death Back in the mortal world. Standing at the bottom of the ravine with the wind whirling around as the whole process had finished. Nathan was looking down at the woman with angelic wings. Her body laying flat on the ground as strange white like tattoo lines started to grow along with her skin like a virus. Two small gems were appearing in her temples as the contract change was beginning. The soul contract morphing the woman''s body as any trip into the soul realm caused massive changes. Even if the body remained in the world and had not gone the lingering effects on the soul caused changes to the body that it was attached to which caused the body to become like the soul. During the time he thought this was a game he had never had an issue regards this as his body and soul remained the same. His soul attached to the world which caused no changes everytime he entered and exited the realm. Looking around at the area after the damage caused by both of them fighting made his smile grow. This area used to be a death pit for those tossed from the bridge while now it was also a scene or a grizzly battle. "Well. Look''s like you will be different when you wake up. I think we are all different after going there." Standing from the woman as he checked to make sure she was still alright. His movement defined as he walked towards the breach in the wall. His power having faded after such extensive use of his abilities. Taking time before he even reached the entrance due to the slower pace he took. After arriving inside it only took him ten minutes before he reached the staircase. Following the left side as he descended as he continued to follow the path left. The light was growing darker the further he fell further along the route. The old stonework damp and weathered due to the age of the structure. Eventually reaching a dead end as Nathan pressed his fingers against the stonework as he tried to push it open. Each press was doing nothing to the stonework. "Oh fuck this." With his annoyance, he pressed the power into his fingers as he touched them against the stonework with all the strength his fingers could muster. The creaking of the stonework around him before a thunderous crack echoed through the underground dungeon. The wall in front of him splintering into pieces as they flew down the corridor ahead as Nathan stepped past the ruined ''Secret'' door. Heading down the passage past the rubble, ruins and other destroyed objects thanks to his display of light power. Entering into the larger chamber after passing the many areas damaged by his power. His eyes adjusted to the lower light as he noticed several members of staff staring at him in surprise as they held a light source in otherwise pitch darkness. Every one clearly a member of the church as they felt the fear running through them as the intruder had entered without them knowing about it in advance. Being so deep inside the structure they had no chance to try and escape from the man who had now appeared after making so much noise. "Who are you?" The woman muttered as she stared at him with a blush creeping onto her cheeks as she stepped back with fear and awe. The man holding the lantern started to shake as the last member who was an old man seemed to be shivering. Nathan had seen that each of these members wielded sizeable strange skinning knives with the scent of death rising from them. His eyes were looking around at the old man as he noticed a chunk of flesh from his hand. "You DARED!" His voice holding the power of might as the structure cracked around them all. The woman getting pushed back in surprise as she let out a scream. The man''s lantern was cracking and breaking as the light went out and the old man sadly passing out due to the pure shock. Nathan''s eyes leaking pure energy as he stepped forward as death energy covered him before spreading out and covering the lantern man, the death power entering into his body before his body decayed rapidly before only a skeleton remained. The woman continued to scream as she noticed her friend died. The old man having fainted and maybe even dead after hitting the hard stone floor with such power. Her eyes were going back to the man as she pulled back. "I''m sorry! Please do not!" She crawled back into the main chamber as she dragged herself over the broken glass and past her dead friend. Blood was spilling to the floor as she wept. Nathan was stepping forward as his hand grabbed the woman''s skull, tears falling between his fingers as his eyes held nothing but anger as he looked at the woman. "Did she scream for you not to do so as you tore her flesh off." His words like the reaper as his grip grew tighter, the woman crying out again as she became lifted from the floor in such a state. Her eyes are staring at the man as she could say nothing. "We feel pain still. You used such items to do this damage to her while skinning her alive. But fear not as I shall spare you her fate." The woman was seeming to feel relaxed as he said he was going to spare her such a fate. Her smile was coming on as her tears continue to flow. "I shall instead give you a quick death." The words were ice on her as she started to struggle and scream, unable to escape as the power of might itself flooded his fingers and crushed her skull with just a small twitch of his fingers. Blood and brain matter was flowing all over the floor and around him. Nathan cleaned his hand on her robe before moving on as he spoke. "Be glad for my mercy." 125 C124 Assistants Agony Stepping into the larger chamber the darkness profound in such a place without the lamp was not something a normal human could do. While Nathan had some night vision due to his race it still made the entire room darker then what was comfortable. Expanding more of his power as the energy leaked from his eyes. The walls rumbling as larger, thicker and stranger looking blue vines fell from the walls and hung from the ceiling and sides. After a few minutes, large blue pods started to grow from the thickness before blooming into a dazzling display of light as the colourful blue light cascaded down the walls and floor. Each second passing as the light filled the room to display such a grizzly sight. The corpse of Nathan''s daughter pulled across the middle of the room with half her body still stuck in the pit at the end. Chunk''s of flesh ripped from her body like someone harvesting from an animal as the face remained still intact with a smile stuck on. It seemed her last moments filled with gratitude or satisfaction on whatever she had done. Each second passing as the rumbling above him continued as he heard off in the distance voices coming closer from the southern doorway. While had come from the eastern wing from the secret entrance these people knew the actual location to enter this place. Sinking into the shadows as he used his powers to dull the plants before allowing them to entirely turn off the light as they obeyed the creator fully. The darkness was flooding back in as Nathan watched from the dark recesses. Assistant to the Pope Archi had first lost his honour during the chase of the exiles. The princess had found an ally with a god that wiped out almost his entire troop. After the long and painful trek home, he had to explain to his brother that his sibling had perished due to a Demigod. If it were not for the other generals and assistants backing him up, he would be dead on a spike. The Pope of the Vortex had taken the news terribly as he began to indulge in many things. Slaves, Drugs, Alcohol and much more. The Pope''s body even rounder than his late brother who had perished. Instead of ordering the soldiers to prepare for war instead he chose the cheap option of cheaper maintenance and only paying half cost for the units under the churches command. Sadly this allowed more indulgence and with the money not going to the adventurers after the undead stopped spawning meant the church was overflowing with a short-term cash influx. The Eastside became filled with cash that merchants ended closing the stores as the entire district enjoyed life for the few weeks that this had happened. When Archi awoke this morning, he felt nothing different. The first sign of difference was the wall that had gotten destroyed in the most mysterious circumstances. He had eventually assumed that this wall had collapsed due to poor craft or smugglers digging under it. Even when he had heard the ravagings of the mad guard saying that he saw a man smashing it with his bare fist most people just laughed due to the strangeness. No one else had seen it, but this one man had happened to stumble across and see this event. Most people were calling Jack crazy as he eventually was forced out into the slum district due to the craziness of his words along with his family. Of course, his money taken due to the trouble he had caused. All money was acquired as the fine demanded. If only Archi had listened as he heard rumours of the black market district going quietly almost as they had vanished in an instance. His informants either dead, vanished or so pale with mouths tightly sealed as if they had seen a ghost. The real kick in the teeth came when he sat in the sunshine on one of the balconies enjoying tea from the traders when he saw the man walking across the bridge like a reaper. His scythe was cutting down people one head at a time. His self-instinct kicked in as he fled to the teleportation room before heading deep underground. Waiting under the safe area for some time with his guards he felt panic setting in when no one arrived which caused his fear to grow. He decided to press onwards hoping that everyone was still okay but knew that a pissed off god could do enough damage to kill to destroy them all. He needed to head back to Saleh and report this. Arriving into the room as he looked around to see all the tools, equipment and the flesh still around. His smile was growing as he nodded to all six of his guards. "Ok, Split up and grab the tools, equipment and flesh, As much as you can but make sure to grab the divine daggers as they are irreplaceable. It''s the only item that can cut the flesh of a God. Hurry up before that Demigod arrives here and kills us all!" The group began to split up as Archi approached the dead body of the Goddess of Death. His frown was growing as he still felt some guilt to the treatment of this woman. Annoyance as he wished the church had never done this sort of task. His eyes were turning as he noticed several dark shapes on the ground as he moved up with his lantern. Seeing what appeared to be a substantial effect. The old man was dead without much expressing the reason while the one skeleton was laying on the floor without any clear identification. The last one a young woman with her head completely caved in with the brain, muscle and blood scattered all over the floor. Each death different from the previous. "Who the hell...?" His vision scanned around before he lifted his lantern as he looked up. So many vines and strange plants growing from the ceiling as he felt his stomach dropping. His eyes looked around as he noticed none of his guards. The sounds of working now gone as nothing remained. "Hello?" His words echoed as his eyes caught two pure white eyes staring at him from the darkness. The man was coming from the night as his words echoed back. Nathan''s words were echoing out to the man who froze in pure fear. "We meet again." 126 C125 Cowardice Assistance Watching him moving from the darkness. Archi felt his blood freezing as he looked over the man in great detail. His clothes were foreign as they stuck to his body correctly and tightly. His muscles were rippling across them as it was clear to see the perfect state of his body. The ideal face, wild hair and stubble making him look closer to a god of perfection then last time he had heard the description from his men after the fight. "Holy fuck." His words echoing as he held the lantern in his grasp, the light shining over all of his guards, each of them died within a split second as they all appeared to be dead without a single mark on them. Almost like they died instantly without a moments notice. Each one without a single change in mood. Archi looked back to Nathan as he looked over the perfect human man. His vision was watering as he felt like crying as he stepped back towards the edge as the man advanced on him. It only took a wrong step as he fell backwards and landed on the floor, hands getting scratched up as he raised them to his face. "Oh please don''t kill me. Oh fuck, I''m sorry!" He began to cry like a child as a small pool of urine began to appear below him on the stonework. The smell giving it away as Nathan stopped a few meters away from him like the smell would kill him. The whimpering and crying continuing as Nathan looked down at the man who seemed to be more like a child. His eyes were growing worried as the man''s power grew from his eyes. "I will help you! I won''t speak to anyone and I will not breath a word to the Goddess!" His words were getting a response from the man as the power seemed to die down. It was clear that he was considering as he pulled back for a moment. "Excellent then you will of some use to me." Those words struck more fear into him due to the nature of this entire situation and the man giving it. He felt the panic rushing him as he nodded his head trying to be useful for the God standing ahead of him. "W... What can I do for you?" His words were stuttering out as the God stared at him with disgust and hate as he looked around at the surroundings. "I need you to exit the vortex and find Saleh. Give her a message from me." Archi did not hesitate as he stood from the ground, his eyes round and full as he nodded quickly to the man as his hands came together before bowing. "Of course my lord. I will be happy to help you out. Anything I can do to help!" His mind quickly thinking of many ways to escape the torture and evade both gods. He could merely become a hermit inside a forest for the rest of his life. "So that you don''t do something stupid." Nathan responded as he pulled his power again, a small black orb filling his grab as he forced it into the man''s chest. Passing his flesh and resting in his heart. Archi trying to run but his feet stuck to the ground as he felt the small pulsing power inside his chest. "If you do not complete the task or take to much time. You will suffer and die a most painful death. Once you deliver the message, then you will be free. You have a month." His words were echoing into Archi''s mind as he felt the sweat dripping down his forehead, staring at the man with a mix of hate and regret. "That is impossible. It takes a month alone to travel to the border alone and the inspection to get out of the vortex another week or so. I have a pass, but I''m just a simple assistant. It''s not going to happen. The capital city is right outside, but still, that is more than a month." His words trying to buy extra time as he watched the man''s hand reach out to the side, fingers tearing open the air like it was simple paper as the tear in space seemed to glow bright purple with sparks shooting out. "I''ve torn a space in reality. You can journey through this to the capital city outside the vortex in your memory to the closest location. The month is your time to get to speak to the Dawn Mistress." His hand was moving to him as he wanted to do this quickly. "Tell her Nathan Blackrose is waiting for her arrival." Each word threating to destroy his hope as he looked at the hole, his body wanting to flee as he felt Nathan''s grip on his shirt, pulling him over and thrust into the portal. Screaming as he fell through to the other side. The sounds becoming louder as Archi still held his eyes tightly shut. His whimpering growing softer as he felt two hands pulling him to his feet as he heard the growl. "Who are you! How dare you trespass inside the Goddesses holy castle!" His eyes coming open as he saw the blackguard uniforms of the capital''s soldiers uniform. His head moving around as he had travelled so far on but a whim as he felt like wetting himself again. "Wait, Archi the Assistant to the Pope of the Vortex? What are you doing here unannounced? Another secret mission for the big man in the scum area?" The guards beginning to treat him better once his identity was discovered. Each one standing to attention to the man as he held a high rank by association. While Archi wanted to flee and just hide he felt the small power inside his chest waiting to explode if he made a wrong move. "I need to speak to Saleh. Something terrible has happened." His words quaking as the guards looked at each other. Eyes turning back to the man as they both sighed. "You know that is impossible. The Goddess is by invite only Archi. Pope''s are the only ones who can without an invite." "I''m sure she will want to know what I have to say." Archies eyes growing more confident as he had to act the part to survive. "When I tell her that the Vortex is under the control of another God." His breath catching as he spoke the name of the powerful man. "Nathan Blackrose." 127 C126 Garden Of Darkness Sitting on one of the garden benches. Archi held his head after the long ordeal he had just gone through in the Vortex. His eyes hollowed out as he was defeated both in spirit and mind while sitting inside such a lovely and brilliant garden. The dark sunflowers seeming to dance lightly in the shadows as the entire area gave a faint aura of beauty to the place. The entire place gave off an aura of darkness and majestic beauty. Archi only having gotten to see if briefly a few times when travelling here with the pope and his brother: when both were chosen to guide the poor misfortunate souls in the vortex. Back then both were a lot cleaner and thinner than the deceased versions now. The castle and surrounding lands covered by a thick dark cover that let only a few strands of light get inside as the entire city was almost in the perpetual dusk like state due to the power of the Goddess who lived inside. "Assistant to the Arch Pope?" The guard came back holding his pike in one hand looking nervous as he had come back from the main entrance. His eyes glossy as he nodded to the man as he gulped down the spit in the back of his throat. "Do I need to explain it to the High Pope or the Supreme General?" He had hoped he could pass the job onto someone else, his burden becoming much more relaxed as he could explain his actions to someone of high rank but mortal. If he was pushed straight into meeting with the Queen who was supposed to be Ruthless, then his mind was about to get broken. "No, you have to meet with our devout leader directly." Hearing this, he felt his heart skip a beat: He never wanted to speak to the queen directly. This was going to be the end for him if he had to talk to the Queen. Standing up as he followed the guard compliantly as he wobbled on his feet. "So the Queen wishes to see me?" The guard continued leading him past the garden as they came up to the main pathway. Carved out of large stones as the floor was intricate and almost strangely mesmerising as the carved stone inter-played with each other to create such an unusual pattern. The guard almost had to drag him along as he stared at the floor. As they eventually reached the stairway as the double dark doors began to open as several men and woman dressed as maids and butlers came out to greet him. "No. The Goddess is going to see you directly." With this, the guard pushed the man inside as the doors closed behind him. It was clear that the man had waited to give this last bit of information to stop the man from fleeing. "Fuck..." The only word that escaped his lips as he turned to look at the maids and butlers around him. The first indication of something being wrong was the dress attire as he noticed each of them naked in various states with only a few items to even identify themselves as butlers or maids. All the men very masculine with rippling muscles along with very handsome features as well. On the other hand, the ladies had the femininity enhanced as each one seemed to have a sweet, kind and caring nature about them. It was almost like these people around him who were all human had been enhanced to be the perfection of the species. It made him feel slightly sick as he was almost the opposite of both by being a small and weak human with no cute or kind redeeming features. "This way Assistant. I must inform you that we can''t have any enjoyment till after we play." Each word was lasting far too long as the woman who said it had a look that was beyond kindness, friendship and love. It was a look that made a shiver go down his spine as he looked at the woman in panic as he saw pure lust and wanton. Emotions not so pure. This was not the teachings Archi had given out during his time learning about the Goddess of Dusk. The one that protects against the night and allows people to sleep safely. His eyes were looking around at the corridor as it continued. All the artwork was twisted and devilish as it showed so much lustful deception and horrible acts of shamefulness. He felt his cheeks growing warm and his soiled pants growing tight as he just wanted to scream and run away in horror at the Goddess he had worshipped. This small group was also not the only one as they ascended to the second floor via the main hallway. Off in the many corners, areas and rooms, he could hear the sounds of pleasure, chains and many other devices that made him sick to his core. Arriving at the end of the corridor as two large dark figures in cloaks approached him. Both wielding massive leather whips with studded metal balls on end. This weapon confused him to the nature of the device. Pleasure or pain or maybe it was made to do both. "We have arrived. She is inside, and I recommend you stay away from the bed if you wish to remain safe." The words caused the man to fear for his life. What was inside this side room that made an unusual maid to tell him to stay away from the bed. His interests had always remained purely vanilla. He may have done a few things with some of the service girls brought in, but it was still strictly on the safer side. His eyes were staring at the door as he made no movements as he felt his heart beating in his chest rapidly. The only thing keeping him here was the small nugget of power inside his heart that pulsed just enough to remind him of its presence. Two dark arms wrapped themselves around his neck as the shadows crawled across his skin. The body of a divine woman pressing against his back and moulded to him perfectly as he felt total fear instead of pleasure filling him as he knew that this was only one person. The voice like a sweet whisper in his ear as he felt like screaming his lungs out for a different reason. "Tell me what message he has brought me." The voice filled with a sweetness that wanted to devour him. The venom coated sweetness that drove him insane. Her final words causing confusion and panic just the same. "What does Father want?" 128 C127 Darkness Incarnate The cold sweat dripping over his body caused him to shiver as he looked at both the arms around him. The pressure from the woman holding him enough to make him almost sob as the first man appeared less like a god and just a perfect human. This person seemed like a Goddess. The darkness whisping from her arms like small snakes floating into the air around him. His fear was growing as he noticed the darkness beginning to stroke his cheek like a satisfied lover. "Oh my. Did I break you already?" Those words like a viper as he pulled forward a few steps as he broke from the woman''s grip. His eyes were turning around to see the woman who had grabbed him from behind. Looking over the woman made him feel fear pushing through him as he saw the human woman standing at roughly 5''11 with long straight black hair that seemed to curl at the end. Her figure was divine as her perfect chocolate skin seemed to draw attention as the shadows and darkness moved over the edges of her form. Her naked form covered in the critical places with shadows who seemed to tease the man by swirling just shy of showing anything important. "Goddess!" Snapping out of the trance Archi made sure to land himself into the lowest form possible. His body was sticking to the floor as he wanted to simply submit himself to the woman as he wished little repercussions or reasons for her to kill him. Sadly it would only get worse for Archi as he heard the door opening behind him. His head was raised from the ground as he turned to look at the woman exiting as he felt his jaw hitting the floor as he stared at the naked body. "Saleh, when are you coming back?" The passive but suggestive voice commanding attention as Archi could not keep his eyes away. His mouth was wanting just to hit the floor as he felt the need to scream in pain at the problems mounting up one by one. "My Queen!" He said bowing his head again as the woman looked down at him with disgust and hate. It was clear he was interrupting something. The other woman stood at roughly 5''10 with long with blonde hair that seemed to be sun-kissed, freckles across her face, and lovely blue eyes that looked like deep pools of crystal water. Her body unlike a daughter of hers was slightly chubby with many redeeming features in a partner then in an actual warrior. It was clear that this Queen was a mother to a certain exiled princess. "Are you going to give us what we need to know or crouch down like a man with a lack of brains!" Her voice echoing throughout the castle as the maids and butlers just bowed as even the Goddess seemed to smile at the woman shouting out at the poor man. "I was asked to give a message to the Goddess." He continued pressing himself against the floor. It was not until he felt a bare foot against his face did he make a surprised cry as he became pressed against the carpet. The Queen''s foot pressing against his face as he was pushed further. "Speak you, useless idiot. I''ve gotten interrupted by you, and unless you explain the reason then I will grind your face into the ground!" The people around watching Archi getting ground into the floor like the pathetic worm he was. He felt hate rising inside him as this was not the state of things several years ago. How did things change this drastically? "I was told by Nathan that he wishes to speak to Saleh. He is awaiting her arrival in the Vortex!" Archi began to cry out more as he felt the pressure increase from the foot against his face. His eyes were unable to focus as he thought his life was going to be ending soon. Lucky for him it seemed the foot became removed as the atmosphere dropped. All eyes were moving from the Queen to the Goddess who was radiating dark energy that swallowed anything it touched. Half the floor, railing and chandelier above became engulfed in darkness. In a brief moment, the Goddess regained her composure as the darkness retreated to the woman. The floor, railing and chandelier that were engulfed now gone. Almost like someone had taken a bite out of each of them as the darkness destroyed everything it touched. The power causing many people to flinch but strangely Archi remained calm. He just watched another god wipe out hundreds of people with giant scythes cutting them down like wheat. This small power was child''s play compared to that. After getting ushered inside the room with the Queen and the Goddess. A few other men and women were listening as he recounted the whole tale. The fact that he had met Nathan after getting down into the chamber keeping the Goddess of Death. He kept the fact that they carved up the Goddess, Sold it and also that she had died under wraps. He needed little agro from that. He was also sure that the Capital did not know the full extent of the corruption and detail which he would keep under wraps. "Well. Father wishes to meet me. I guess I shall go. Assemble my armies first. I will meet him with a show off force." Everyone nodding as Archi stood up and looked around as he felt the power in his chest fading away as the man had promised. "Am I free to go?" His words sounded hopeful as everyone in the room began to laugh, The Goddess and Queen both smiling as the other men and women started to crack and change. Everyone''s faces except the two essential ladies turning into massive walking fish like monsters. Thin razor-like teeth that showed row after row with two bulbous eyes on the side as they let out a growl with green or blueish scales. Strange disc like blades inside the mouths to slice meat as they began to approach Archi. Sadly no one would see the man ever again. His end due to his own side than that of the man he had hurt. 129 C128 Under Senoa Sixteenth of Growth (Month 2) of the Year 997 - Senoa - Under Senoa In Captured Area The sounds of a body getting dragged before tossed out into the southern corridor. Nathan made sure to get rid of all the mutilated corpses from the room as he had some work to do. Stepping back into the main room he looked over his dead daughter again with a grimace as he felt shame from filling him. How much time had he wasted when making this game not to notice the children he had created. Each one grew up with a parent that ignored them or treat them so coldly. "I need to make things right." He had made this vow as his hands continued to work on the room before pulling the final table to the centre of the place. His time spent collecting all the pieces of his daughter before looking over to the corpse. "Monsters tearing up a body of a woman to sell. I will fix this and find Saleh to rectify this issue within her church." He said finishing his collection as he looked at the mounds of flesh on the table. His hand was moving over as he began his process. White energy flaring from his eyes as small dark particles started to escape from the flesh. Each particle collecting in his hand as a small orb of darkness started to form. Eventually, the flesh began to fade as the sphere continued to grow in power and strength. Each second passing slowly as the process took his power to withdraw his daughters. After an hour the entire table of flesh was gone with three dark death orbs sitting on the table. His eyes were moving over onto the large woman who was dead on the floor near him. As he turned and approached the girl his mind went back to another time when he still was ignorant of the time. During the time he created all the other people. Unknown (Month) of the Year 6000 - B.E - Celestial Home "Hey, Dad. Is she done yet!" The young woman was standing next to him having the same beauty and timeless look that would remain even after thousands of years. The porcelain-like face of Celorian still similar after this much time. "If you don''t shush I will mute you again with the console." Nathan said as he continued to type details into the console. Several lights are flooding into an area in front of him as the room was a strange and bland area. The room was entirely white with two consoles and a door at the north side of the room with a single strange medical bed in the middle of the room. Sitting above them all and stuck on the ceiling was four crystals at each side of the room. Power getting pushed from each gem into the centre where a large dark mass-like blob was slowly shifting and changing forms. Continuing to type onto the console as the screen continued to flash with many different kinds of warnings before getting closed out by Nathan as he made sure to note things down before proceeding. Eventually, the final task completed as he exercised his Artifice powers as the form turned into that of a small child. Roughly around the age of eight as she looked around confused. Celorian had watched the process before, so she was already up on the newly created girl. Her hand was grabbing the new girls as she shook it quickly with a smile on her lips. "I''m Celorian! I''m the Time person!" The young woman was tilting her head as she was confused at the whole process as she had just gotten born but had enough information to speak, listen and even understand everything going around her. She knew the man to the left was her father. The cold attitude as he worked on the screen making her feel somewhat lonely. "Do not mind Father. He''s a workaholic!" Celorian responded as she tugged on her hand as she pulled her from the chair. Both wearing a plain white dress as they moved towards one of the doors. "Aelina. That is your name." Aelina was stopping as she looked to the woman confused, shaking her head as she knew that was right but still baffled at why her mind was filled with so much when she had just gotten created. "Oh, thank you Celorian. It''s good that you are here as I am rather scared." Her eyes were looking back to her father, knowing he heard her but saying nothing as both the girls had left. Nathan was not caring as he considered the woman just a program and this issue resolved itself after time. Sixteenth of Growth (Month 2) of the Year 997 - Senoa - Under Senoa In Captured Area "Why was I such a heartless bastard with you. Why was I such an asshole with you all? He said moving up to his daughter as he placed his hand onto her face, stroking her gently as he felt so much regret and sorrow for missing out so many things. If he had known the woman was alive and real, then he would have spent time with them all. Birthdays, parties and more. He felt his heart regretting it all. The process began as he started to pull the Death energy from the woman, the only way to revive her with the heart-stone was to use the power from her body that had accumulated over the many years. He knew he was in for a long night as the time had just passed midnight. The process for collecting power took time with such a high density. He had to make sure to collect enough to reform the woman. "I will revive you my dear." His words kind and soft as he continued to work on taking the power back. Unaware that in the shadows a pair of eyes stared at him, watching his everymove. Waiting for him. 130 C129 Negotiation And Trade Sixteenth of Growth (Month 2) of the Year 997 - Sengi Council Side Chambers During the initial agreement. Auryn had made sure to put in a few requests of her own as she now sat in her room in one of the top class inns. This room getting provided to them by the council who was footing the bill for this luxury room. The room itself was rather large on the top floor. Two large double king sized bed''s sat in the main room with several dressers and mirrors. The decor similar to old European with wood finishes to the walls and ceiling. While the room was not as impressive compared to the vampires hot spring, it was still a lovely room with fresh sheets, multiple windows and fresh food and water in an ice bath at the side. In one of the side rooms connecting to the main bedroom was a great bathroom. Each tile on the floor made out of a type of marble slate and a decently sized bath filled with water from an outside container. This service was costing nearly four hundred to five hundred gold per night at the least due to the use of water and food alone. Auryn watched as both Kaye and Kai came from the bathroom. Kaye please at the bath while it seemed Kai was ever neutral about the whole process. Both girls were sitting on one of the beds as Auryn stared out the window again as she noticed the people going about the daily business. "This town is so amazing compared to the other areas of the Vortex. It''s a free area compared to the people of the church, and it has so many nice things!" Auryn looked over to Kaye with a soft smile. It seemed the woman was not all to bright when it came to things worked around here. She knew first hand as she had tried to enter this city around a month ago herself. "This city is very restrictive. If you are not a Dwarf or a Dark Elf, then you will be denied residence in the city. Even if you have enough money to purchase a room like this, you will still not get access to live here." Those words alone caused Kaye to stop as she turned to look at the woman in confusion. Apparently in a state of wonder at why would a town send away people that did not conform to a particular race standard. "What do you mean?" Her question was innocent enough as Auryn turned to the woman with another smile. Similar to Nathan''s as it was filled with kindness as she stood up and moved to the ice bucket, picking out an apple from it before taking a bite. "This apple here costs roughly twenty Sengi Silvers. That is roughly three to four gold. The only place I know that has more expensive food is Senoa. The reason for this huge price is because the entire town produces no food. They import most of the food themselves. Mostly from Baski and some from the outside world." Tossing the apple to Kaye who took it with a small frown as she bit down into the other end of the apple, chewing it slowly as she quickly swallowed it as she thought of a question. "Baski is dying, and the Outside exit is in the North West while this town is in the North East. It''s so far away. How will they get food over here?" Kai shook her head as she looked away. Kaye confused again as she looked between Auryn and Kai. One smiling while the other looked regretful. "They won''t is the simple answer. If we did not come along and offer this deal, they might not have any decent food supply, and the town would collapse. I doubt this town has much food saved up that is long lasting. With the outer-ring of the city already starving most of the time due to the lack of food it would descend to civil violence, and the people would leave back to the areas with food." Kaye stared with disbelief as she listened to this. Her eyes were growing wide as she did not know what to say as she sat down on the bed drying herself off with a frown coming onto her face. "So you are saying that without us they are doomed to starve and die?" Kaye spoke as Auryn began to smirk as she also let out a soft sigh. "Do not say it as such even though that is correct. We hold a rather high advantage if we are good enough we may get some nice benefits. I think I know Nathan well enough to say that we don''t want to push our advantage and being generous will foster better relationships." Both women nodded in response as everyone began to get ready for the meeting to come, after spending such a night in a lovely room with such amenities the council had hoped to soften them up for the meeting to begin. It was a shame that Auryn knew the tactics well and had already given the true worth of her town to her group. A soft knock at the door as a male voice rang out to the people inside. Denoth was speaking through the entrance to the people on the other side. "I''ve spoken to the council. We are to be given a tour before the meeting happens. They want to show us the goods they are offering before we make any final deals." Auryn moved to the door as she opened it to let the man inside. Denoth clearly nervous as he sat inside on one of the chairs as he shook his head. "I hope you all know what you are doing. If we can''t deliver the goods then issues will arise." With a gentle pat on the man''s shoulder as Auryn gave him some small amounts of comfort. "I''ve gotten a tool to help with negotiations and I''m sure they will see it our way when it comes down to it they have little choice in the matter. They will have no other choice when it comes to both food and water when they figure out what has happened to the town of Baski." Denoth calmed down, Kaye and Kai again nodding as the group stood up and got ready to depart. "Alright, let''s go make a deal!" 131 C130 Tour Guides Standing outside the Inn. Both council member Poiea and Desren waiting for the group of outsiders to eventually come for the tour. It was both of them coming together to decide to work on this full force. While the council were in a three to one agreement on accepting the alliance as it solved the incoming food issue It seemed Karoth: who was the leader of imports and exports did not trust them at the word of the guests. Today was not only a day to get closer to the guests but also to find out as much information as possible. They needed to figure out logistics, supply and amount. They required a large portion of food and after recent support of a decline in population in the town of Baski they needed to get answers fast before the people began to riot. "So, since they saw the shops and processing areas. I think we show them one of the mines. Maybe with Sir Sketa." Desren spoke as she overlapped her long Dark Elf arms as she thought for a moment on who was the best person to show. Her fellow Council member Poiea is shaking her dwarfen head as she looked up to her. "Are you crazed in the head lass?" Her words were coming to a shock to the other woman who gathered most of her materials from Sketa Miners. They produced almost sixty percent of the total gathered materials in the entire district. "Oh, may I know what is wrong with that. I''m the processing council, and I know that we get the majority from Sir Sketa''s mines." The Elven woman finished the dwarven woman just laughed next to her, shaking her hands as she turned to face her fully. "Yeah, also how about the safety violations and hazards. You don''t know about them because Sketa pays his fines and pays people well to shut up. It will be just our luck if the group get killed in his mines!" Folding her arms as Poiea looked up to the woman with intensity as she wanted the safest option while Desren wanted the most productive opportunity. They both shook before they decided on the best between choice. "Cheivden" Both of them saying the man''s name at the same time as he was a safe worker but still used explosives and other technologies to unearth veins that his safer competitors did not apply. Just as they finished, they watched the group of representatives along with Denoth coming out. They had to know Denoth by name as he spearheaded a decent chunk of the trade between the town of Baski and Sengi. They still found it strange that he had come to such a position to help both groups. "Greetings ladies are you ready to see the tour of the mines. We will show you exactly what you are going to receive from working with us." Both women smiled at the group as Denoth rolled his eyes in the back as he got excluded from the greetings. Auryn was bowing gently to both women as her smile grew at the reception. "Thank you both for showing me around: it''s a pleasure to have such attention while we are here." Her words floated in the air perfectly as both women felt the heat rising to their cheeks. The flowers in the pots near the inn slowly shaking like the presence of the woman made them more alive. Her entire being was making the world around her more alive even in this damp and dark place. It was clear to the powers she possed. Both women staring for a brief moment till Desren coughed briefly to clear the air, making a motion to follow as the group started to move towards the north, past the outer ring of the city and into the depths. During the walk past the rings of the city, it was easy to see the levels of poverty in different sections. The rich part looked like any average middle-class section in most human towns. The low availability of space, food and water made the rich pay at a premium. The middle ring was also the location of most stores, workshops and other businesses. It seemed this area became filled with the most muti-homes with most families sharing a home with one to three different groups depending on the living condition. The outer ring was the slum district with most buildings being what people could scavenge together. Unlike the abandoned Senoa slums in which people had to fight for the fundamental rights of survival, this one had people helping, and some buildings were getting constructed to become more liveable. It was still a sad state of affairs as most people here looked underfed and malnourished. It made Auryn grieve as she saw the state of things. She would begin to work on this as she wanted no one to suffer like this. She knew some of the others would be annoyed with her, but she cared little in the end. She would do what was best for people. She would do what she thought Nathan would want as well. After arriving at the mines. Auryn was looking around as the ores were loaded onto carts and took away, guards checking over the miners as the loads became processed and the tally taken for the amount of ore gathered in each vehicle. It was all efficient and clean compared to most standard mining operations. Though one thing caught Auryn''s attention in this mine. Ores getting dumped to the side which were pure white. No one was paying any attention to them as she walked over. "What are these?" She said picking up the massive ore with a grunt as she looked over it. Feeling somewhat connected to this ore. "Oh, that is Godless Ore. It''s an ore that no one can change, use or do anything. It''s a trash ore that highly frequents in this area. It''s a shame really as its a nice shade of white." Auryn scanning over the ore as she felt something deep inside the ore. She would need to take some back to Nathan as she knew this would be useful. Her words surprising the others as she said lightly. "Can I keep this?"s. 132 C131 Sir Cheivden Both Poiea and Desren looked at the woman holding the ore with curiosity as they wondered why the guest wanted such ore. In all honesty, this ore held no value and had gotten labelled as junk. They had tested many different refining, alchemical and magical tests to find this ore was almost null to each test. It was the perfect ore for doing nothing important which had gained it the name ''Godless Ore'' as even the gods had abandoned it when constructing the world. Many areas that held this ore, frequently massive amounts were found together which caused miners nothing but headaches. Even in this mine, the ore was continuously dumped off to the side here as the amount had formed its only small mountain inside the cave. Miners were staring up at the tremendous growth of rocks like a monument to the lazy ore that had nothing useful to do. "I''m sure it will be fine. You will have to speak to the mine owner and foreman if it''s ok to take this ore." Just as they spoke those words, a loud rumble could be heard off in the distance. The sounds of an angry dwarf coming over waving his hands in the air as his long thick beard covered his entire body with goggles and a sizeable coal-stained hat covering most of his head. "Ahh, This is Sir Cheivden now." Just as those words came past Desren''s lips, the Dwarf clapped his hands together as his eyes already landed onto Auryn and her own hands touched one of his own mined ores. "Ahh lassy, I can say that is a prime example of mineral superiority, and I will be happy to sell it for a small fraction of its worth due to the beauty you hold." Both the Poiea and Desren groaned in despair as the man tried to sell junk to the foreigner like it was valued goods. Even Kaye who had heard the information began to frown as she had already learnt the value of the products. "Well, It''s sad to say sir that I''ve forgotten my pouch today. Maybe another time then. Or you could give it to me as a parting souvenir for me to remember our first encounter?" The dwarf spent a few moments thinking as his head turned to look at both the council members. Cheivden only now realising that two council members were here and led around this person like she was royalty. His gut is telling him to play this off mainly due to the mistake of trying to sell useless junk to this person. "Haha! That is fine lass. You can take it and take as much as you can carry!" He said chuckling as he tried to play off the whole scenario like one massive joke. Both council members were letting out a sigh of relief as Kaye was still not pleased. During her time in the supply division, she always had to deal with scummy merchants that tried to rip people off. "Thank you Sir: I''m Auryn, this is Kaye and Kai. We are representatives of the town of Sanctuary. Could you care to give us a tour of your lovely facility." It only took Cheivden a few moments to pull himself back into his normal state as he walked along giving tours. The sounds of pickaxes hitting stone as carts became loaded with ore. The dwarf pointing out each section as they eventually came to the entrance to the mines as a large fragment of rock stood to the side. Cheivden was making sure to stop next to it as he always loved to point this out. "This is called the Designed Stone. Its a chunk of rock found only in this region." Pointing to the rock, it was clear that different ores were present inside the rock. Almost layered like ice cream as the silver, copper, tin and many other ores were separated and layered against one another instead of together. "This we suspect is the first area created by the god above. Designed and tested before putting to work. As we can see this ore is unnatural. It does make it somewhat easier to process on our end as we can cut out a chunk of whatever we need and process it that way." Auryn looked at the rock with interest as she saw many lines of different ore, though one ore that was missed from the pile was one that most races coveted. "I see no gold here?" The dwarf Cheivden let out a small belly laugh as he pointed to Auryn with a big smile crossing his face. The beard wobbling with each moment. "You are right Lass. This is by design, or something happened to the gold that we do not understand. We have found no pockets or empty areas were gold could have existed so we think it was never made during the creation of the land." The tour continued into the mines with the dwarfs and elves inside mining away, testing structures and finally testing samples. The same layering of ores here as in the Designed Stone. Eventually, the tour concluded as they left the mine. The amount of ore produced in this small section enough for the entire town of Sanctuary alone. Auryn had high hopes she could get a fantastic deal here, and it could mean less reliance on the so-called church territory that hurt others. "This is an amazing facility. I hope to see Sir Cheivden''s ore made into fantastic tools for use in our town." Spoken by Auryn who continued to smile to the Dwarf who let out another belly laugh. It was not until a young elven man ran up to the council that everyone stopped chatting. "Madam Desren. It seems Seros the Blacksmith has fled with a weapon for the Chief of Security. He''s just vanished, and we can''t find him!" Everyone looked to each other as Auryn felt some guilt pressing into her. She had created the weapon that the man had fled with. The only words were able to form from her as she thought about the situation. "Oh dear." 133 C132 Recompense It only took around thirty minutes before the group had arrived back at the blacksmith area. Auryn having spent the previous day here when she blessed a sword for the Blacksmith known as Seros to show her support. Little did she know was that shortly after the man had fled during the night with the sword. The crowds of guards, people and even the head of security himself standing outside the shop looking rather pissed off. The Elven male with bright red hair and a similar firey attitude watched as the two council members and guests approached him before looking into the store with dejected apprentices and workers. "Here to see the damage. The bastard ran off with my weapon. Once I find him I will take it back and throw him in jail for a very long time." The head of security snarled as his eyes looked along the crowd, only stopping at Auryn for a slight bit longer as it was clear he blamed her for this to happen. Auryn simple looked at the man with regret and sorrow as she had never wanted this action to occur. "May I ask what has happened Chief. Any notes or signs that it was truly a theft and not a kidnapping?" Desren was coming forward to ask the man as she wanted to get everything straight. She had to take responsibility for her district if this was the case after all. This would look bad on not just herself, but all of the crafters who had previously worked with the man as well. "Oh did he ever. I got this lovely little letter." The man let out a hiss at the end as he passed over the letter to Desren, the paper''s crumpled in the man''s hand as it was clear he had almost destroyed the article due to his rage. Taking her time to inspect each bit of paper. They were broken down into many different sections. The first one was a personal letter to the man in question with the second one being a receipt for the work request. The final few were official sign overs for the store, assets and pretty much everything else the blacksmith had owned in the town. Looking closer at the letter in question that was left back Seros. Desren felt her jaw growing slacker by the second as she wanted to scream herself. The man was guilty on all accounts and knew what he was doing was wrong. "May I look?" Coming up to the woman, Auryn put a hand out for the paper so she could also see what was happening. The Chief was nodding to Desren as she handed over the note to her. Auryn was reading through the record carefully as she wanted to make sure she got every detail from the letter. ''Dear Kandreos'' ''I thank you for supporting my efforts up to this point with continued patronage from not just yourself but the guards as well.'' ''I''m humbled by the support shown, and I''ve always repaid it in kind with the quality of weapons provided.'' ''I''m sorry to say that after a recent incident the properties of the weapon that I was constructing has recently gotten altered by an encounter with a God.'' ''Due to this fact, I will be unable to provide you with said weapon. I am also unable to refund you as well due to the capital invested in the mythril sword as it was my latest masterpiece.'' ''Fear not as you do not need to pay the remainder of the fee; I will also enclose my entire building and stock for you to sell off as payment. It should gain you a more substantial income then what you have spent on the weapon.'' ''Kindest Regards'' ''Seros'' ''P.S - Do not try to find me. I''m taking this weapon out and becoming an adventurer like the good old days.'' The entire letter made her chuckle, eyes watering as she handed back the paper with tears in her eyes. The whole thing made Auryn laugh as she had guessed the power of fertility made the man feel younger. Thus to regain his youth he had taken the sword to act like an adventurer. "What is so funny!" The Chief of security Kandreos barked at her with annoyance in his eyes. Staring directly at the woman now as his hatred was felt. It was clear he blamed the woman in some capacity. "It''s funny that he seemed so happy with that item that he ran off with it. You should be pleased Kandreos as after selling all the items and store itself you should be in a positive net yourself." Auryn responded. "Are you stupid. How could I ever be happy with such an outcome? The master blacksmith has left, and few can match him. I do not have my sword, and a few people in this city can refine and perfect a mythril core as he could!" His anger evident as he spat with rage, his eyes staring at the woman as he continued to vent his anger at his words continued. It was clear that the man was not going to stop till he had vented his entire rage. "That sword should be mine as well. Enchanted to such a degree then blessed by a Goddess. I paid for it rightfully, and it became completed yet he left. It''s theft plain as day. You made light of the situation making it only worse. Will you compensate for this loss since the sword is worth much more thanks to the blessing you gave!" His anger was finishing as he stared at the woman, guards and people staring at the man as many felt this was unreasonable. Even the council members felt this was silly. Only Auryn had a severe look on her face as she stepped forward. Her hand was extending to the man as she touched his chest as a green flowing energy passed into him. The man was having no time to react as he pulled away only after a few seconds. "There you go. I have given you a gift as recompense." His eyes were narrowing as he heard Auryn speak. The energy was only making him feel slightly sick and nothing more. His mouth twitching as he asked. "What did you do?" He responded. Auryn was letting out a bright smile as she put her hands together as she brightly shouted with everyone listening. "You will no longer have erectile dysfunction or infertility!" 134 C133 Godless No Longer The silence in the air was thick enough to cut with a blade. Shame the latest one made by the blacksmith had gotten stolen. The people around watching with disbelief as the man felt his jaw hitting the ground. His private life was getting thrust into the foreground as it was clear that his private matters would no longer remain in that realm. The woman looking at him with a soft smile on her lips as she had pushed a strange power into him. His body was feeling warm but his anger also growing as the woman had brought something so personal into the public eye. "You think blurting out my public secrets will do you any favours. I will have your head for this!" His voice was cutting the silence as the guards heard the man not denying the fact but instead of calling on the people around him to take this woman into custody and even apply capital punishment. "Guards Seize her and bring her to the dungeon!" The words echoed out as the guards moved forward and surrounded the woman. Auryn was continuing to smile as she was no longer looking at the man''s face but down to his crotch. Even the two councilwomen blushed as they turned their gazes down. "Oh my." Muttering her words Dresden pulled her gaze away. The few people were surrounding the man turning to look at the same thing. A few people were starting to blurt out laughing as even the guards stopped to watch as well, each one either smirking, laughing or blushing as they turned away. "Maybe you should head home instead Kandreos." These words spoken by Auryn made the man turn his gaze down as well. It was clear as day to be seen by anyone as a large tent had pitched inside his cotton pants. It only took a few moments before his dark ashen face grew hot as his cheeks started to blaze like the stars of a thousand worlds. His mind growing blank as he turned around and started to walk away. "You do not need to arrest her. Leave her be. I need to go do some paperwork in my office." His words were fooling nobody as they all now believed the woman who had caused this man to have his hopes of a family rekindled. The atmosphere joyous as no one hated the man as he always had a short fuse. Now that one of the issues in his life was resolved people could swear that the man walking away had a smile on his face as his main issue at home became settled. Auryn smiled at the man walking away as she turned to take the ore from Denoth who had grabbed it during the time they had moved to this area. Taking the ore her fingers pressed into the ore further as it seemed a lot softer to the touch as she put pressure on it. After pulling her fingers from the surface of the material, she found small indents were her fingers had pressed. Eyes are staring at those indents as she felt the power inside her connecting with the ore. "No way." She felt her excitement growing as she moved over to the anvil as she pressed the ore onto the top. Her eyes are looking to the nearest assistant as she spoke kindly to him. "Can you please hit this into a bar for me?" The assistant looking confused as he grabbed a hammer before coming over to the anvil. His hand was holding the stick as he slammed it down into the ore. His surprise was growing as he removed the hammer to see it making progress on the mineral that seemed more like clay than an actual hard indestructible ore. "How is that possible. It''s normally not able to be changed like this." The man''s words confused everyone around as many apprentices came around to stare. Even the councilwomen came with surprise as they watched the woman pulling at the metal with each hit, almost similar to handling dough when making bread. Each second passing by as the hammer hit across the metal as it eventually Auryn told the man to stop. Her hands were continuing across the metal as it had the same consistency of jelly as she could tear off sections with her hand. "Grab me a mould. Anyone will do!" The apprentice was handing over quickly a full mould for a morning star with the entire cast only having one hole at one end. The pattern could split into two pieces when needed as there was an iron latch on one side and the gap at the top could insert an iron rod for the shaft of the weapon. Auryn was quickly pushing more of her power into the metal as she held it over the hole. Finding the more power, she used the softer the ore became. Eventually turning into liquid metal as it flowed into the mould and hardened back up again. While she was offered a metal rod to act as the handle. Her hand waved to the man as she declined it. Her fingers were grasping one end as she pulled out the metal to form a handle made out of the same material. The shaft was hardening up quickly as she cracked the mould and pulled out the morning star. The weapon had a purple colour to it after this quick forging process. Auryn''s eyes were looking over the weapon with interest as a smile crossed her lips. Each swing of the item proved it lighter than most materials and the strength enough to keep the bludgeoning weapon safe. Putting the weapon on the floor, she felt the ground vibrate as small strands of grass broke from the level in a five-meter radius around the impact. Life had bloomed out from this simple impact. This weapon had similar divine properties to the person who created it. Thinking for a moment as she pulled up the weapon. Thinking of a name as she spoke it softly into the air. Muttering it out as she gave this divine weapon a name. "Starlife" 135 C134 Starlife The essence of this new weapon stunned the onlookers. The blessing for the other weapon that was given to the master blacksmith was child''s play compared this weapon by the gods. The powers were oozing from the morning star made out of an ore that people thought previously unworkable. Life was blooming around the area as it gleamed into the world around them all. Blades of grass were breaking from the dirt and stone as even such harsh environments could not stop the progress of life itself. Even a few flowers had grown in such a situation as the Dwarfs, Elves and even the council members stared at such wild, untamed beauty. "Beautiful." One of the Elves spoke as the stale unground had become almost alive with this woman at the centre is a living Goddess to this change. Each passing moment more people fell to the ground as they knelt on the soft beds of grass to give a quiet prayer to the person who wielded such power. After all, was said and done, Lifestar became cradled by Auryn as she had no place to store the weapon at the time. Her eyes were looking up to the members of the council as she smiled so brightly that those around her felt a warm glow in their hearts. "Why are you all bowing in the grass. It''s almost like you all have never seen grass before!" Each word light and mystical as the words caught many people off guard. Eyes are looking at each other as after a few moments the majority of people stood up with smiles. This moment being locked and ingrained into peoples memories and hearts. "Auryn. We should finish the tour and head back. We have much to discuss in regards to sorting out trade between us both." The Elven woman Desren said as she felt this moment was getting to a strange part. The whole grass and god-like powers causing many others to feel weird. This strangeness was also held by herself as none of the people around had seen an alive God before. It was captivating and unusual in the least. After the event, both women walked side by side down the steps as they headed back towards the main building. The other''s following behind as Auryn still carried the weapon like a child as it became held so close to her. "May I ask how you made the ore into this weapon. Did you use forging magic of some kind?" Desren softly spoke as she asked the question. Her curiosity was more than usual as she felt so wondrous about the events that happened. If she could find a way to make use of all that ore to create such unusual weapons with such light properties that could be forged with extreme ease. It could aid the city in the smallest way to becoming a stape in the extreme. "This item became mine when I used my power. The power the creator god shared with me. As I used my power to help someone, the remaining power was taken in by the ore. It became one with it, and I could mould it and change it." Her eyes looking down to the mace-like weapon as the power inside it was similar to her own. It was like the weapon had taken part of her soul in its creation as she felt a kindred spirit resting now inside the weapon. Two heartbeats close together as the weapon was alive in her eyes. "The more power I used, the softer it became to almost a liquid state. I think that the All-Father will know more and I should potentially ask him. This stuff will be mostly useless otherwise, and this weapon feels rather light. So as a Mace its a poor design. Light weapons make poor bludgeoning tools!" Laughter was escaping Auryn''s lips as she came to realise the nature of the weapon was flawed in its design. Light weapons being terrible for weapons that required weight behind them to inflict more damage. Though in the end, she could use this weapon as a symbol than an actual combat instrument. Arriving back into the centre of the city. The group entered into the central building for the administration of the town. Reaching one of the side rooms before getting escorted inside. Three of the council members now inside. Both Poiea and Desren taking a seat to the right of Kaye and Kai with Auryn taking place by herself at the left of Kaye and Kai with the last council member Karoth sitting to her left. The table was rather small to allow the people to speak without shouting and also let them all work together without the feeling of a great divide is present in the form of a larger table. "Well. I''m hoping you are happy after being shown such a lovely tour of our fine and grand city. We should get down to business and stop with the playing around. If we want this to work out, we have many hurdles to go over and if we can''t work them out then might as well you all leave and never return!" Karoth spoke with venom in his voice as he pulled out stacks of paperwork. His eyes not ever looking to the three guests as he had briefly looked at his fellow council members with some disgust and annoyance. It was clear he was not happy with this plan at all. "May I ask Council Member Karoth do you dislike us?" Stopping for a brief moment at the question, The council member putting his papers down as he had begun organising them into neat stacks before he looked over to Auryn who had asked him the question. "Dislike?" The words were coming from his mouth like a question on the wind. His eyes were staring at the woman as he pulled himself up into a posture of defiance as his eyes bore down onto the woman. Finishing his sentence after the question posed. "I despise you." 136 C135 Karoths Annoyance The words were coming crashing down as Auryn felt that coming from the man sitting close to her left. It was clear that he despised her and the other members here. It seemed much more complicated than mere hatred for not being a dark elf or dwarf. It felt thicker and more profound than pure race hatred. "Karoth!" Desren was the first to speak after the fact. Giving a signal to the man sitting close to Auryn that he was way out of line with his words. Though by the features given back by Karoth it seemed her cared little. "May I ask what problems you have with me then Council Member Karoth?" Auryn spoke those soft words as she kept her smile on her face, her posture relaxed as she wanted to get through this without issue as she needed to get this resolved without having to rely on Nathan. It seemed. Lately, they all required Nathan to do the heavy lifting which she wanted to prove was not necessary now. "Problem. Of course, I have a problem with someone coming into our place with grand ideas on how to solve everything. One small basket full of materials, food and water and we treat you like this. I still want to see full proof that you can even do the things you claim!" Each word hammering home as Karoth spoke. Both other council members angered by this as well since the knew the truth, having witnessed the powers themselves when the mace came to being. The ladies were staring at the man with anger as they waited for him to finish. "Before you say anything Council Member''s I heard of the rumours and heard of what happened at the Blacksmiths shop. It''s an impressive display of power, but it still means nothing to provide enough food for thousands of people in this harsh landscape." Continued Karoth. Both members of the council turned to look over at Auryn as they also wanted to know if this was possible. They had seen the woman''s powers in such a capacity but nothing entirely relating to food at this point. "Let us also get to the point of payment, transport and support from the merchants. Can you even guarantee this for us?" Karoth continued as he went through sheet after sheet of concerns he had. Finally coming to the last parchment as he spoke louder still with annoyance and anger. "Then it comes down to the fact that this is a new town. I bet you do not have a setup trade network or transportation department who can help deliver the goods. Do you expect us to send our carts over two weeks to get this supply of food?" His voice annoyed as Kaye and Kai stared in anger at him while Auryn just listened with patience and kindness as she showed no rage or hostility herself. Just let the man say his complete peace before she responded. "If we send people to the location and find nothing. Or worse we find bandits or an army waiting for them. What do we do then?" Crossing his arms as he looked to the woman with evident disgust and annoyance as he threw out the entire problem with this as he felt like the women in front of him were using this opportunity to get whatever they could before ditching out or worse luring them into a trap. "So really. The only way I can get you to trust us is if I can prove to you all that I''m not danger or trying to pull your traders into a trap. Then at that point we may not even do the deal due to the distance." Shrugging her shoulders as Auryn continued speaking. "Since food can go off quickly in this desert heat. Without someone like me or Natahn around it will be hard to stop the food from going bad in the two weeks. So the resources traded will be almost useless without mages which will jump up the price on your side." Each word was causing the three council members to blink as they never expected her to also show more faults with the plan. Karoth was squinting at the woman as he did not understand the reason behind her shooting down this as well. "Indeed. May I ask why you are also shooting yourself in the foot. I thought you wanted us to begin trading, but it seems you are tanking it instead?" Short laughter was coming from Auryn as she shook her head in response to those words from Karoth as he spoke about her shooting herself in the foot. "I plan to aim no Crossbows at any of my body parts Sir Karoth. It''s just that you are wrong about everything. My trade plan is easy and will only require one day of travelling at worst and will have food to you very quickly." Her words caused a stir as both the council members who had toured with the woman smiled as they knew something amazing was again going to happen. Karoth on the other hand just scowled as he stared at her. "What bullshit are you spouting now?" He said to her bluntly. "Oh, no bullshit Karoth. It''s something my Master gave to me. The power he provided to me is a blessing, but he used his power to make this deal rather smooth." Standing up from the table as she continued to smile at the man, pushing her chair in as she walked around and towards the door. "Well, let''s go. I need to prove you wrong and make you realise that this is the real deal. Once we get to the south side of the city, I can shove those words right down that neck of yours!" She said those words were laughing gently as the others began to follow behind. Karoth stunned as he came up behind them looking annoyed. "Why do we need to go to the south side of the city. What is the purpose!" Auryn responding as she looked at the man with a grin. "To set it up after all." Responding after a small pause. "The Teleportation Gate!" 137 C136 - The Journey Stone The group had heard these words. Still not able to comprehend the actual meaning behind it. Silent as they just followed the woman to the south as they all looked stunned. "A gateway. What are you talking about?" The Elven man was speaking first. Karoth was just speechless otherwise as he tried to understand the meaning behind this all. What was the purpose of this device and how would it help them. Each step was echoing as they finally exited the outer ring of the city. Most of the trip spent in total silence. "I was given this by Nathan. He told me that this Gem would make a tunnel between here and Sanctuary. It has other abilities to journey between the two points to shorten the time taken between the two places." Holding in her hand what seemed to be a thick brown gem that looked almost similar to a mana crystal except for the many carved lines into the rock that seemed to pulsate with pure power. The stone was guiding people''s eyes as they focused on it like a trance. A few people wanted to touch it almost like it had a mesmerising effect on them. Finally arriving at the edge of the cavern as the wall started here. Thick natural stone walls rising around them. The cave wall mined and picked for years to come to this point as weaknesses and stress points marked into the walls. "So how will this solve our issues then. I''m assuming it has something mystical about it?" The man continued asking questions. Karoth''s queries were getting more concerned as he did not understand the whole nature of this. His mind merely thinking to the more logical side then the mystic side. "Well. We can have caravan''s go down this route without worry of attack or ambush between our towns. It will reduce the time between the villages to less than a day of travel. It will also mean the food will remain fresh. It will also allow us all to be happy with this arrangement as we both will be able to help each other in desperate times." Holding the Stone, Auryn started to channel her energy into it as the small brownstone began to glow brightly with light brown streaks of light flooding into the chamber. Lifting from her hand as it started to spin rapidly. The sounds of shattering glass echoing into the area as the gem broke into two pieces. The first piece remained here spinning slowly as the earth rose below it. Turning into a stone pillar with strange markings all over it as it continued to grow up to the gemstone. The support was now holding the gem at the top like a pedestal holding something valuable. The second piece began to spin faster and faster as it moved southwards into the wall. The deafening screech as the wall around the glowing brownstone just vanished without a trace. Carving a twenty-meter diameter hole, Boring into the earth as it went and continued its journey. The several council members and even Kaye staring in wonder as the tunnel became made. "Well. Worry not as this should get faster. When I asked Nathan said it can take an hour or two depending on the length so I assume it will become faster!" Finishing with a smile as Auryn had turned her back to the strange stone digging a hole into the earth, picking up speed as it shot off into the darkness as the tunnel became constructed. Though the distance shreeking of stone and earth getting dug still present to them all. "This is a security risk. They can bring armies through this hole! If they want to invade this is a perfect way to do so!" The anger in Karoth''s tone loud as he felt panic and fear coming to him after witnessing such an event. His mind in a war-like state as he knew nothing all too much of this. "Oh, Karoth shut up." Everyone turned to the woman who spoke those words. Desren was looking at the man with pure annoyance as she could see the bigger picture. The man seemed to not understand anything at all when it came to matters like this. He only thought about the logical steps, and this was a point which logic needed to get set aside. "They are Gods. I doubt they need a hole like this to get in. If the man who made this wanted to. I''m sure he could invade the other way around. Why waste our time. The church is our real foe, and if we can gain allies against them, I say we take the hand extended to us." While they both stared at each other. Karoth about to go another round to start arguing his point. Auryn was letting out a coughing noise as she put her hands together trying to make peace between them both. Her eyes filled with gentle peace as she smiled. "I mean not to interrupt, but we have a common foe it seems. We also hate the Church." As she finished Karoth changed his target as he turned to the woman, placing his hands on his hips as he looked down at her in annoyance. "Why do you even hate the Church?" "Why do we hate the Church? I think its an easy thing to know since we are all trapped in this hell hole. Though the armies chased us as they knew we had an essential person with us, the Princess of the entire empire exiled into this place, and of course, the Arch Bishop wanted that. Nathan destroyed the army''s moral and routed them. Turning the weapons, they had back against them and then obliterated the Arch Bishop from two kilometres away with nothing but a crappy hunting bow." "They attacked us, and he saved us. We owe him and yet he keeps making the debt worse. Making a place for us to live, saving us and what other things will he do to help us out." "He is our. True God." 138 C137 The Journey Through The Tunnel After such a speech. Karoth was calming down since the words spoken aligned with the city. While he was still sceptical, a decision made that a small group of people including a council member would go to see if this was true. The other council members argued for this moment till Karoth himself decided to go. Along with a few merchants with carts including Denoth would travel the path. One of the merchants getting paid to put up magical torches along the path using a combustible ore that burned for years which allowed light to remain for a long time to come. The last people were indeed Kai, Kaye and Auryn as they sat in the main cart on the journey. As everything got set up with the carts at the entrance. The group was preparing to leave the underground city in this strange new corridor created by a god. Each moment the distance sound of screeching growing ever more distant. Denoth led the group as they started down the path. Denoth, Kai, Auryn, Karoth and Kaye in the first cart with merchants and mercenaries in the second, third and fourth carts. Each one hired to be guards for the merchants as this was a rather strange place to come. The guards were providing a sense of protection in this peculiar place. The five of them inside the cart all silent as they eventually set off down the tunnel with them as the primary vehicle with others following behind. The light on the front of the cart like a beacon in the darkness. The only noise a strange rustling from behind them. In one of the barrels as it seemed almost like a mouse had snuck into the wooded area to find shelter. Auryn was moving to the back as she opened the barrel to check inside. Her eyes were rounding out as she saw Desren inside the barrel with a small smirk on her cheeks. "Shh..." Staring at the woman with disbelief as the woman looked so tightly packed into the barrel yet she was telling Auryn to be quiet and allow her to come on this trip. What had the world come to with people in charge doing stupid things? She had two minds. One was to tell her off and tell Karoth about this incident while the second more fun idea was to cause as much discomfort for the woman as possible which sounded much more fun. Her smile was growing as she slid the lid back on rolling her eyes as she noticed several holes on the cover to allow air to come in. Her eyes were going wide as she slowly pulled another barrel lid as she slid it over the top. Sitting back down with Kai who had watched the whole thing shaking her head. Kaye is seated up front with Denoth and Karoth as both men chatted about the town as Denoth sang its praises as the council member seemed to be still sceptical. The sounds of the barrel in the back growing louder as it seemed to rattle and quickly moved as it appeared whatever was inside was trying to escape. Kai and Auryn were staring at it. Kai shaking her head with Auryn laughing as it seemed the woman inside was trying to escape after the air holes had gotten blocked. "What is going on back here!" Karoth had heard the racket as he came into the back of the cart. Looking at the barrel shaking as his eyebrow raised as he quickly moved over to life both the covers and looked inside. "Council Member Dresen. Why are you inside the barrel?" His eyebrows raised as he looked at the woman who was bright red after almost getting suffocated inside the barrel. "Oh. Thank you, Dresen. I got trapped inside this barrel. If you did not save me, then I would still be trapped inside... Hey!" She screamed at him as the lid was placed back on before the man shook his head and walked away. The group was laughing at the playful manner of the group. Time would pass as. Eventually, the woman came out. Karoth still pissed with her for abandoning her duties but still allowing her to stay as the path continued for several hours. After some time only Denoth sat in the front as the rest sat in the back of the cart resting. The man was feeling rather tired as it was getting late into the night. His eyes were slowly closing as he let out a small yawn. Opening them to spot something in the distance as he saw a small cave strangely to the right of them further along the path. "Hey, all. we have an opening to a cave further along." Speaking as Auryn and Kaye came up to the front as they looked at the strange opening that also seemed to have light coming out from it. Eventually, the cart pulled up to the side as the group stopped and looked inside. It seemed the brownstone did more than dig as at this halfway point was a strange oasis with trees, grass, flowers and a flowing waterfall. Many vines with strange growths along the main stem that glowed brightly as the light flowed into the room. The relaxing atomsphere was letting everyone calm down after the few hours of travelling. Everyone was sitting down as they relaxed inside. The grass lovely and warm to the touch as this place felt almost like a retreat. The merchants were talking to each other as they dipped their toes into the water stream. Kai was relaxing against a tree as the council members discussed together. Though it was mostly just Karoth telling off Desrin for sneaking off. Auryn was looking around the room with a small smile as in a few hours she would show the people around the area of Sanctuary and finish her mission. She was kind of glad to be going to her New home. "Nearly Home." 139 C138 Resting And Relaxing The area between both cities, given the name Inter-point. The place of rest between both towns and the founding of new friendships between both parties. The soft sounds of the water cascading down from the ceiling between the vines and roots of the plants that hung from the roof of the cave. As the water came down from the roof of the cave, it landed on many rock formations. The crystal-like structure of the rock giving the water a beautiful glow that seemed to also fall across the room. It would give the entire place a warm and homely feeling. The water was eventually falling to the bottom of these rocks as it all collected in a ditch with small stones collected at the bottom. The water filtering along as it formed a small river in this cave room before eventually coming to an end as it flooded into an unknown place. The grass around the area springy to the touch as it seemed almost like an invisible wave of air moved and brushed across the serenity of the field as the grass blades waved and the tree branches moved and swayed. The few pieces of fruit on the trees falling to the ground as the red apple rolled across the grassy field before landing into the water with a splash. Going down the river only to be picked up by a hand of the merchant''s basking in this area''s calm and quiet nature. The only sound as the man took a bite from the apple as the swift crunch echoed into the air. This place still filled with the mystic and powerful nature that only the gods could provide. "I feel like I should apologise to you Auryn. I can see this place and if this is only a small fragment of the place you call Sanctuary. Then I will be a right old fool." Sitting next to Auryn was Karoth with a face of displeasure as even he had to admit the wonders and mysterious nature of such a lovely area. He almost wanted to live here and spend his time relaxing. "Do not worry Karoth. I respect that you have so much pride for the people you care for. It''s best that we help each other out. We cover each others weakness. At the end of it, we are only on this plane for so long, and we must make every moment count, Otherwise what is the point?" Those words carrying away onto the wind as Karoth smiled before shaking his head. Looking at the woman with some interest as he felt almost rude asking her a question. "May I know more about you Auryn. I see you have powers, but you are not a God. How did It happen?" His question was flying into the air, as Auryn looked at the man for a moment before looking at the water with a small smile on her lips. Her sigh escaping as she did not know how to phrase her answer. "The Snow Elves are a race that is self-exiled. We headed to the corrupted north not only due to the high amounts of divine energy but also because we never wanted to deal with the gods again." Her voice was shaking as she still remembered the war that raged on. Many dying as the screams of the men, women and even the children raged on in her mind. "After such a war. We decided to never fight against other people. Though in the North there are many corrupted beasts that we still fight anyways. Our race like a flame was slowly going out. I came here to find some way to help restore us." The words were echoing into the air as she looked to the man for a moment with a small smile on her lips. "You say this, but you got involved with a God?" Replying shortly Karoth looked to the woman with some confusion as the story seemed to conflict with the truth. "Nathan is different. He provided me with the power to help my people. He never asked me for anything or put anything onto this condition of help. I could have left him, and I''m sure I would still have this power." Her eyes were watering slightly as she quickly moved her arm to pull away from the tears. Softly laughing as she wanted to brush away the tinge of sadness and pride with her cheer. "He sounds amazing. All the ordinary tales about the Creator God usually are cold and ruthless. You are talking about him being kind, caring and sweet." Stopping for a moment as Auryn looked at the man, nodding his head as both of them had lived for some time. Karoth clearly in his older years with Auryn being very old indeed. "I think people must lose sight of things. When you view from the top of the mountain, everything must look so small and insignificant but when you view the world standing shoulder to shoulder with people. Your view tends to change, I hope." This topic was coming to a close as the merchants had finished the rest as they all climbed back onto the carts. Kaye and Denoth already on the vehicle waiting for them both as they started to move back towards the wagon. "When we get to Sanctuary would it be possible for me to see Nathan?" Karoth''s words were carefree and wishful as he stopped to look at Auryn who had stood next to him on the way back to the cart. The woman also curious as she turned to the man. "May I ask why you want to speak to him?" The question in response to a question making Karoth smile again as he rubbed his chin softly as he began to think. "The man you respect is someone I wanna see and talk with and also when you see someone as old as him you want to ask questions. How did the world form? What were the gods like to live with and create? You must want to ask so many questions yourself right?" Karoth was saying so much with excitement almost like a child as Auryn just laughed with the man. Her smile was never fading as she started to walk to the carts again. "I''m happy to be walking beside him. His stories will come when they come. I have no interesting in forcing them out." Karoth was watching the woman walk away after finishing. He felt his eyes locking onto her back as his smile continued. He pressed his lips curling as he whispered under his breath. "I''ll fight you for her Nathan." 140 C139 Returning to Sanctuary The caravan set off after everyone came back onboard. The group relaxed after such a stop as the merchants and mercenaries behind were still talking about it in a relaxed and calm manner. In the distance behind the group of merchants and mercenaries on the last carriage were still putting up torches on the way. The tunnel behind them so long that it went from view. The tube is perfectly straight as only the curvature of the world showing any signs that this planet was not flat. The hours ticked past slowly as the hand''s of time slowly turned. The silence was still very prevalent in the main cart as the people inside just relaxed after such a fantastic time in the Inter-point. Such a place refilled and warmed the soul as the Vortex itself drained it and froze it over. "Light ahead!" Denoth spoke as he raised his hand, seeing the light at the end of the tunnel as the people in the other carts started to smile. Finally, the long day journey was about to finish with them reaching the final destination. The sunlight was getting closer and closer as the Dark elves winced in pain. The sunlight causing them to flinch as it seemed they were light-sensitive even in such darkness coming into light. Eventually, the carts stopped at the entrance as the whole valley opened up in front of them. "Beautiful" Softly speaking Desren looked out into the valley with wonder in her eyes, Karoth standing by her side as the mercenaries and merchants came side by side to see the wonder of the place. The people were staring in awe and bliss to this place. Looking out into the green plane that seemed to stretch out forever. To the left in the distance was a vast and tall forest with trees so large it dwarfed the ancestor trees of the Elves. Birds were flying overhead as they landed into the trees as it seemed life itself was flourishing in this secret paradise. In the centre, they saw people playing and running about like those that had nothing to do just enjoyed the lovely day as the water ran past. Other people working at hundreds of building projects were ongoing. The foundations of many homes getting built as carpenters and Blacksmiths worked together on each house to perfect the design. Something about this valley changed the people inside. No struggles or disputes as they put aside differences to work together for a better future. It was almost an addicting sight as even the military who trained seemed to all smile as they sweat. All of them happy even during the training. Two women were approaching them with a similar appearance. Skin so white that they almost looked dead as they wore long robes all in white with a calming demeanour and red glowing eyes. Clear as day the vampire nature. "Vampires outside during the day?" Desren spoke first as she looked at the women approaching them all. A few people curious but only the councilwoman voicing this question as they came close. "We have gotten a Boon from the All Mighty Father of all." They both sent a prayer to the man as they both looked up the group. Everyone confused except for Auryn who seemed confused at the sudden prayer to the man who rescued them all. It all seemed to fast for a group of people like this to start worshipping the man in such a strange and open way. "Now that you mention it. Now that I am standing here my sun-sensitivity is not triggering." Desren spoke as she left the cave, stepping out into the bright sunshine as she moved out further. The wind was blowing across the grass as she let out a small laugh of pleasure. Enjoying the time outside that most Dark Elves despised. The other elves were stepping out and enjoying the baking sunlight. The merchants and mercenaries stepping out as the group moved towards the town. Many people were stopping to greet them with a smile on their face. The infectious atmosphere making all of the people inside begin to smile as they eventually arrived at the Inn for the evening. The sun beginning to set as the Merchants, Mercanries and a few others sat inside drinking as this was the first time it had become so lively. Desren and Karoth staring as Auryn started to leave. "Oh where are you going?" Desren spoke. "Nathan is back. I can feel him on a nearby cliff! I''ll catch up!" Auryn spoke quickly as she started to move away. Time has passed so slowly and she felt her need to meet the man growing as she sprinted across the town, eventually out and across the fields back to the north. Almost like a little girl as she felt so giddy as she finally got the wall of stone and sand above her. Summoning her own powers as vines started to grow from the wall, eventually forming into a plant based staircase going straight up. Her feet catching the plants as she climbed up step after step as she made her way to the top. "I wonder how pleased he will be to know we have secured the basic needs for the people. It''s going so well I''m betting he will be proud of me!" She said with a laugh as she sounded more like a small girl then an actual older woman with over eight hundread years of life behind her. It seemed the powers inside her and the apperence of Nathan had changed her own attitude. Finally arriving at the top, her breath catching her slightly as she looked around with interest. Her eyes were catching three people off in the distance as she squinted somewhat. Her heart was skipping a beat as she saw Nathan and his new look. "Handsome... Oh" She stopped for a moment as she watched them for a moment. Her smile was turning to pain as she felt like screaming. No words were coming out of her mouth as she struggled to understand what was happening. Screaming at the last moment as she began to ran. This could not be happening. 141 C140 - My Perfect Satchel Evening Sixteenth of Growth (Month 2) of the Year 997 - Under Senoa Several Hours Earlier Having spent most of the day working. Nathan was retrieving all of the parts of power from his deceased daughter after several hours of pure work. Sweat was covering his face as this was the first time he had gotten so exhausted by doing such activities. He had gotten stabbed and attacked by an angel. Forced to use power to resolve the situation and change Annie and finally using all his ability here to pull away from the divine power from his daughter and making her body fade away so no one else could use it. He had no hope of finding all the little pieces. He just needed to make sure to get the majority back and then infuse his power to finish the process. It would take even more effort and time, but maybe he would take a break from this all. Spend some time in Sanctuary and rest up after the fact. The light sound of dripping water echoing into the room as he let out a small sigh. His eyes were focusing on the gems piled up onto the table as he forgot one simple thing that potentially would have made this much better. A Bag Rubbing his head as he looked around the area for an idea. He began his search again through the corpses as he eventually came to the old man who had a large pouch on his body along with a few small coin pouches. Taking it all her looked back to the man with some interest as he could tell the old fellow was still breathing and still alive. "Shame. I will kill you, but at least it''s more merciful than the others." Placing his hand onto the old man''s chest, power flooding through own hand as Death energy poured into the former church priest. His breathing stopping in an instance as his heart failed, Humanely killing him without any pain or worry. "Be glad I did this small mercy." He whispered as his anger and rage had slowly died down. His plan was now changing as he needed to begin a long few hours of rebuilding a life. "I wonder how much faith I have. I need to spend at least fifty thousand on paying for the Artifice power." Moving his hand up to the screen as he pulled open the screen, his eyes scrolling down as he pulled open the faith menu. His eyes were almost bulging out of his face as he blinked a few times. Faith: 129840 He stared at the number for some time as he looked around the room before back to the screen number. His mouth grinding as he smiled brightly as he almost felt giddy for once. "This should be easy." System: Revival of a Demi-God will cost Faith:75,000 with the current amount of Death Orbs. Along with Artifice which requires Faith:50,000 to purchase. Total Cost 125,000 "You kill my mood. Just to let you know that Cel." His smile was coming back as he moved over to the orbs. Cramming them in one by one as the bag could only carry four. Hundreds of these orbs remaining as he bit down onto his bottom lip again. "Purchase Tempory Power Word: Time" System: Minus Five Hundred Faith Faith: 129340 He then moved his hand to purchase Power Word: Artifice next. His eyes are glittering as this was the main power he used back in the day to make so many commands and choices on world creation. Once he levelled it back up to the level, he previously commanded then Nathan would get closer to the original power he used to use. System: Minus Fifty Thousand Faith The power of old connecting back to his own body as he felt his hands tingling for a moment as he looked down at the bag. Emptying out the stones as he decided on his first project. Gathering both the powers of Time and Creation, he pushed them into the bag as his energy again soon was consumed yet again. The bag expanding on the inside as the pure darkness showed the actual state of the pack. His smile was growing as he felt the power of time fading rapidly after its first use. The ability to purchase only lasting for a short period. "Excellent. Space, Time and Creation make one hell of a combo. I will need to enter my bag at some point and see how much space I created..." He just let out another small laugh as he started to push stone after stone into the bag without an issue. The entire table work of Orbs just dropped into the bag without a single sound as this small pack seemed to eat up everything placed into it. Nathan was making sure to grab the weapons that had a divine nature with them as well to make sure they would not get used against another god again. He had to figure out exactly who made these tools as well. The last thing to do was also to grab the chain. The chain used to bind the Goddess of Death had worried him. It was due to this chain the Goddess had no power and the reason behind it was very simple. "This is one of the chains I created in The Divine Plane. Someone must have taken it and used it against her to stop the powers." Moving over to the chain itself, grabbing the end as he started to grasp the substantial length, stuffing chain link after chain link into the bag with his strength. Eventually tearing out part of the ceiling and walls as he detached the chain from the wall using his Might. After several minutes of playing clown car with a large chain and this small but now perfect bag, he finally pushed the last of the chain and even pieces of the wall into the holy satchel. His smile was growing as he started to walk towards the exit with a grin. "Well, that was easy." 142 C141 - Ritual of Revival Taking his time as he exited out of the dungeon. The sunlight was slowly setting on the horizon as it was clear that it was becoming night in a few hours. Nathan took his time to look over to Annie who still slept on the ground. His eyes were rolling as he wanted to push the woman to wake up. "I best leave it. I don''t want to strain our relationship at this point. Annie will know me when she wakes and can fly to me." He looked up to the Sky as his body flashed with pure white energy. His form was pulled from the ground as he ascended into the air with his power crackling around him in its purest form. Eventually reaching a high altitude as he looked down at the almost deserted town. A few people still escaping at this point. His body pressing forward as the power of Journeying threw him through the sky. The loud cacophonous explosion of sound echoing throughout the air as he broke throughout the sound barrier. On the group, many people looked up to the sky as they watched the man blast off and escaped south-east towards the town of Sanctuary. Many children jumping as the parents looked up in shock, awe and slight fear at the man who destroyed the former city. The large group of exiles from the city all travelling together as a stream had already started to walk a particular path. Nathan able to see everyone walking towards the direction of the first cave he had made. This cave able to sustain people for a short period. Flying through the clouds as he felt the sun on his skin and the wind across his body as the few whispy small clouds floated past him. His eyes still catching the walls in the distance as he remembered the sea surrounded this entire section of land on the east, west and south sides. To the north was the remaining landmass which was the entrance and only real walking exit. His eventual plan was to tear down the wall though he would potentially leave the northern wall intact and break down the southern wall before making a port which could connect people. He had assumed his actions would be less favourable to the empire and cause them to view him with hatred. He still wanted to try speaking to his daughter Saleh to fix things, but otherwise, he was happy to just cut himself off from the empire and would use his power to do so. An hour passed as he reached his destination. Landing back onto the cliff that overlooked Sanctuary from above. His eyes were looking to the many areas with a smile coming across his face as he was finally home. "Now that I have Artifice I may build myself a home." He pulled his bag off as he started to pull out the stones one by one. He wanted to start the ritual before the sun went down and also to finish this as quickly as he could manage so he could spend some time resting. As Nathan stacked the massive pile of Death Orbs together making sure to stack them carefully. His sigh echoing out as he was alone on the top of this cliff before his hand moved into his jacket to pull out a small gemstone. The colour is a bright orange that seemed to take the sunlight inside and glow ever so brighter. The beating from the Gem that looked strangely similar to a heart. The energy surrounding it much stronger then the Death orbs sitting in a pile. Slowly pressing this bright orange soul crystal into the mix of orbs. His energy forced out as he pushed his Artifice and Death energy into the spheres. He felt the will of the crystal heart taking shape as the orbs all became mortal red as they melted down into a blobby mass. Pushing out his own hands. Nathan stared at the pile with a broad smile to his face as he started to use his Artifice ability to pull the collection into shape, slowly transforming it into the form of a humanoid woman. His fingers were slowly pulling and pushing in the air as he manipulated the energy as the woman slowly grew in size until she looked roughly like an eighteen-year-old. Long black hair that flowed down her back with pale skin. Two long elven ears that stuck out to both sides Height being just over 5''4 as she was rather small for someone at this age and race. Almost similar to a massive dwarf than a little elf. Her appearance is stunning as she looked almost like a young star. It showed her divinity with the lack of markings, wrinkles or any form of negative skin at all. Her clothing also dark as she wore a long flowing black dress that stopped just before the knees to show off her two small feet that seemed perfectly fit for her. The difference in this version and the one that was underground became clear as the one underground looked older, haggard and more stressed then this one who appeared calm and ready to take on life. The final touch was the orange heart gemstone that floated above the body, slowly moving down as Nathan finished his work. The Gem was forcing its way into her chest as power flooded through her body. Collapsing to the ground after he finished. Nathan was letting out pants as she was covered in sweat as he had used up so much of his power during this time. He felt the need to badly rest as he watched his daughter land softly onto the floor with a gentle patter. "Welcome Back Aelina. I will make this all right for all my children." His words soft as he heard the gentle footsteps from someone close by. His eyes turning as he was surprised to see Ameria. Her smile soft as well as she nodded to him. "Congratulations Nathan." 143 C142 Dark Days Confused and somewhat shocked that the woman was up at this height. He slowly stood as he turned to Ameria who moved closer and smiled at the man. His eyes were looking her over before he just sat back down next to his daughter who had yet to open her eyes. "Is she sleeping?" The question getting asked by Ameria as Nathan looked over at her with a slight smile as he shook. Letting out a small yawn as he stretched his hands before laying on his back. "No, when one is reborn as a God. It takes time for the soul to enter into the body. This body is still new, and it will take her time to pull herself into the body. It''s like putting on clothes I guess." His explanation not entirely true but the best way to describe something to a person who could never truly grasp the state of how Godly souls worked in the world. Nathan taking time to rest on the ground as the lovely spring day in the Vortex was still extremely hot and beautiful with light wind caressing the top of the cliff. "May I ask Ameria how it went. I''m sure you went with Auryn to the underground city to work a trade deal out with them?" His words catching the woman somewhat off guard as she just smiled and waved her hands in a slight panic. Her laugh contagious, coming out as she moved down next to Nathan. Eyes were looking towards the man as she let out a sigh herself. "Let''s not talk about work. A daughter was just reborn, and I bet you must be exhausted. Wait does that make you the mother and father?" Her smug smile was continuing as Nathan rolled his eyes at the thought of him being a mother and father. His title was the All-Father, but the reality was never that simple. "I''m not a woman, and I don''t give birth. I create which is a difference to a woman who pains herself while pushing out a child when all I do is wield my power to make my imagination come true." Nathan finished his words as he looked to the woman who had gotten closer to him. Surprised at the boldness of Ameria as she looked at him with a similar grin to her lips. "You created so many people. It surprises me each day that you came down to help people. I guess we are so lucky to have you?" Her words hitting Nathan as he had not chosen to come here but rather forced by his oldest daughter. It was clear that she had done so to teach him a lesson and show him the value of being around and guiding people. Though he was sure, he had gotten guided himself. "I''m a lucky man indeed. I have many people to thank and at the end of everything I want my family back together. I have much time to repent." His words were pulling a smile to his face as he relaxed to the ground, next to him Ameria just burst out laughing. It was not the sweet and kind laughter but one mixed with some disgust and a tinge of displeasure. "Ameria?" His words were caught in his mouth as he was confused at the strange behaviour of the woman. Somewhat unsure as to why she laughed in such a way to the question. "Sorry, please ignore that. Let''s go onto a different topic?" Still feeling rather curious he looked to the woman before just nodding his head. Curious as to why she laughed in such a way but putting it behind him as he looked over the city below. "What do you wish to talk about?" He lightly responded. "Let''s talk about how Senoa went. How did everything progress and how did you manage to turn that Angel?" Her words light and kind again as he looked to the woman with a small smile, his mouth starting to move as he formed the answer but his mind stopping as Nathan quickly concluded as he felt some fear flowing through him. "Wait. How do you know about Annie? You never went to Senoa." His body was shifting as he pulled himself up into a sitting position, turning his body to the woman as things were not starting to add up. The woman was acting strange and getting this close to him and asking weird questions. "Who..." His words were dying as he looked at the woman who was sitting next to him, pain shooting through his body as it felt like fire was raging through him. His body was tearing itself apart from the inside as he could no longer breath. Looking at Ameria as her arm extended out to him. She was gripping a dark golden blade with ancient runes and gems studded into it. The edge was emitting a horrible divine power that seemed to devour everything close to it. The blade buried in Nathan''s chest. Energy leaking out as the edge devoured it all. The life force already weakened now getting taken by this monster like blade. "Oh, you almost caught on. Little too late though." Her giggle was coming out again with a sickly sweet tinge to it. Her face morphing as it looked like something crawled under her skin. Nathan''s eyes were darkening as he concluded. "You are not Ameria." His words hollow as he could barely keep his eyes open. His powers were unusable as any power he tried to summon got merely sucked up into this nasty blade. His body was rapidly fading as he did not know what to do. "Oh, I''ve waited for this face for so long. I will become and gain everything you have. I will stand at the top while I cast you aside!" Her fingers were pressing the dagger further into his body as her tongue licked her lips with a degree of lust and deformed pleasure. Her scream was shouting to the world her twisted desires. "Now do me a favour father..." "Just Die!" Her words pausing as she moved closer to his face as she licked her lips again, eyes staring deep into his eyes. Pressing the blade into the hilt as she laughed. "I will become this worlds newest Arch God!" 145 C143 - Rebirth Darkness, Death was not a simple subject; his life had always confused him slightly now that he thought back on it. Nathan had spent his entire life wondering what he would do after he had gotten his revenge, though now at this point it seemed to be rather silly, worthless or even meaningless. When had the world he created become something so real, he had been going through the motions, but he could never really accept that was real. When had this become so true that he had started to question himself. He had made the woman who had stabbed him; he had planned this all out so that this person would become the perfect antagonist to the point that his own life ended by the woman he had created. Could he even be surprised anymore? Could he be angry, upset or yet disappointed? She was doing what he wanted. During his self-reflection, a large message appeared in front of him ¡ª his attention drawn by the scrolling words. "You can leave this realm." Such a simple message as a door appeared in front of him, drawing his body and mind as freedom awaited as his feet stepped forward one soft movement by another till he was only a few steps away from his release, till he could put this all behind him. Something stopped him, something pulling at his very soul as he looked back around the empty pitch-black room. He felt incomplete; he could run away and try to forget about this. It was the more natural, more straightforward and much better option. He was not a god; he was simply a man who had done this out of hatred, revenge and a lust for his enemies destruction. He had used those emotions to create a realm with living, breathing people as far as he could see, could he abandon them. He was responsible for the creation of these people and yet he never expected them to become such a real thing with smiles, laughter and happiness. He had lost so much, but they stood to lose so much more if he decided to leave. The world seemed to shake as Nathan turned, clearly not expecting his choice to change. The world had done this hundred of times, many societies and creators. In each instance, Nathan would or should choose to leave this world to its fate. This time was different; something was different as the man had turned around. It was not supposed to happen. In the distance, Nathan could see small black coloured roses slowly starting to grow from the dark ground; the only reason they could even be distinguished was the faint glow emanating from the beautiful roses. A beautiful but straightforward path was guiding him along, his feet slightly dragging as his courage started to take over. Each step was growing with confidence as he left the door as the world began to shake. "Warning, You are required to leave." The message sprang up, Nathan''s hand weakly reaching up as he shoved it aside as he continued to follow the pathway, it was almost like the system was beginning to fight against his change of heart. "The system will not work anymore; you will not have any assistance." Again, another swipe as his determination grew as his stride become more natural as he notices a door finally at the end of the pathway, locked with chains wrapping around it. "You are no longer welcome." Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "Please turn around and exit." "You have died, you are required to leave." "Please leave, you are not a god!" The messages become more frantic; it was almost like this system was not his anymore. It was almost like this world had turned against him and his desires as he finally reached the door. The darkness was beginning to swirl around like a menacing grim reminder that his presence was just barely tolerated. Nathan looked over the door as he could still feel his presence, his hands no longer the lovely toned as his entire body had reverted to his skinny, almost lanky build that would leave most people unimpressed. Of course, this suited him much more as his smile returned. "I''m sorry, this world''s sentience was a mistake." He said to the silent room, his eyes opening again as he stared at the door with anger rising in him now as Nathan knew he had to fix this himself. "But I will never abandon it; I will fix this... I promise you all this!" He placed his hands against the door, tugging it as his weak strength could not even budge the chains an inch. As his breath caught in his throat, he started to panic as he looked over the door again with the same anger. "You will never enter back into my world." His eyes blazed as he looked at the newest system message, hatred and anger as it became clear that someone else was now controlling these system messages, it was no longer the effective system but someone else less than willing to have him come back. "You can''t take this from me; I will not simply comply with you!" His shout filled the air as the silence filled with a faint humming, the power of the world respond as Nathan moved up to the door, his hands digging into the metal frame of the door as he began to rend, tear and destroy this entryway. The sound of creaking, bending and eventually snapping of this door, chains cracking and breaking as the golden locks were forced open and fell into the darkness around him. His scream echoing out into the room as the swirling darkness was forced back, the world breaking as his hands began to not only tear open the door, but a bright glowing rip in the fabric of the space started to appear. Once he had torn the rift, his entire body was tugged and pulled through it like a person getting sucked out into space. The entire room went dark. Finally, the silence returning as a figure came out of the darkness, in a dark robe with porcelain skin and incredible timeless beauty. Her smile growing as something different had happened this time, something had changed, and it excited the woman of time. "Now, this shall be interesting," she said as she chuckled into the silent room. 146 C144 - What We All Sea. The thunderous lightning struck around the dark masses that floated along the rough, screaming waves that seemed to strike against the side of the ships like horrible sirens. The sounds of the anger water being rather tame compared to the screaming of men, sounds of cannons blaring with the eventual sound of splintering wood and gore splattering against the water below or worse. The flames of burning ships seemed to cascade against the backdrop of this battle. The sky echoing again as another bolt of lightning shot down onto the top of another boat, causing the crow''s nest to explode into fragments, flames and more screaming. The air around these vessels seemed to be different, the roars of beasts as Wyverns riders flew across the sky, small packages being tossed into the ships of the foe as more loud explosions echoed out into the air. Two flags could were on this battlefield. One bright blue flag with the image of an Owl flying in a strike pose along with Dolphin below it. This represented the Kingdom of Kalisa. The other flag was black with a white lion painted onto the banner which belonged to the Empire of Telinbor. The fleets were sadly not evenly matched, several ships belonging to the Kalisa fleet, blue banners floating in the wind while trying to retreat, many trying to give a place for the flagship to escape from this disadvantageous battlefield. The Telinbor ships seemed to be slower but armed with many more cannons. At the same time, this usually would allow the Kalisa fleet to safely retreat from the quieter, more massive vessels it seemed a new tactic had been introduced by the Telinbor''s. Wyverns. These creatures were hard to tame, almost impossible in most circles with such a fierce temperament. Though somehow these creatures had been tamed and bred to such a level that they could be brought out in the hundreds in the battlefield. The fight which should have been a simple match of speed against strength had been turned around with the flights of Wyverns keeping the movements of the fleet in check. On the flagship of the Kalisa fleet, standing at the head was a somewhat older gentleman. He was in his late fifties with white hair. He was bleached either by age or sun. It was hard to tell as the older man turned his head to look at a tanned woman approaching from under the deck to his position. "Admiral Sebast, how is our retreat going?" The woman was different from the man, she features more defined as it was clear she was not used to the sea as she wobbled around. She was wearing a full seat of leathers, sword at her waist as well as a strange chained book on the other side of her hip. This would confuse both mages and swordmasters. "Kerha, it''s going fantastic. As you can see not a single problem." The Admiral responded with his pure snark as the sounds of explosions, cries of panic and the single roar of the lightning overhead, it seemed Kerha was immune or rather dense to this as she simply turned around and surveyed the field of war around her. "Seems you are losing Admiral." "Aye, with grace, though... Speaking of grace, how is the Princess dealing below deck." He responded with a hint of shame in his eyes. "With as much grace as your battlefield here." With her simple retort, the Admiral just began to laugh again as he began to smile. It was not a simple of hope, but with satisfaction, one that knew that he had done as much as one could in this situation. They were always outgunned, this was the first time they had been beaten by the speed and strength of the enemy flyers. The Wyverns were making it almost impossible for any simple movements to gain space between the opposing fleet. It was at this time, another ship carrying the bright blue flag exploded in a sea of flames, the Wyvern corps above dropping its dangerous exploding cargo onto the vessel below. "It would take a miracle to save us now." responded the dark-skinned warrior. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "I don''t trust in such things, so inconsistent now you know," Sebast responded with a dry chuckle. "That is why they are miracles now, Admiral." Both of them stared around the ship, crew members both of Elven and human decent trying desperately to put out the flames that had been caused by a few stray bombs hitting the boat. Many screams of pain from those below deck who had suffered from the stray fire or splinters of wood scattering from the damage. Below deck, in the front of the ship in a private room. The room was decorated much better than anything else in the same boat. Though to be expected of the guest of this room it was said to be just the bare minimum as a young blonde haired half-elf sat at the end of her bed, holding onto the fine silk of her long flowing dress. Her faint, glowing golden eyes were looming in the darkroom as she sat patiently. She knew that this was not a safe place to be, though by the body language of her life long friend and bodyguard she had put together that this place was possibly going to be the last. Felicia placed her hands together with a calm nervousness as she began to pray. She was not a religious person, never had been. Though at a time like this, it never hurt. Though to which god. She had many options as she thought about her history and studies lessons. She began to smile as she picked one at random. "Creator God, Father of all. Please... If you can hear me, send help to those in danger here. Give us a small blessing so that we may see the beautiful light of another day." When those words left her lips, a cacophonous echoing explosion was heard, not on the ship but far above as the water became even more violent. The Princess quickly standing as she moved over to one of the few windows. Her eyes growing wider as she could not believe what she saw. Right above the ship, a tear in the sky had opened. God had answered her prayers. 147 C145 - Turning the Tides. The Roaring thunder spread throughout the battlefield. Wyverns screaming in terror as the world tore itself apart as a gash in space opened up above the flame-strung fleet. Kerha and Sebast stood on the edge, staring up at this event with wonder and fear. The world itself seemed to dislike the events happening ¡ª the wyverns doing the best to fight against the riders to stay away from this danger. The next part was what surprised them all as a man struggled, tore and pulled himself through the tear, his face full of pain and anger as he eventually pulled himself past, standing on the brink. The Admiral spoke first as he stared at this. "Kerha, you are a mage... what kind of magic is that man using?" The woman stared, her mouth open so wide one could park the entire fleet inside. "I do not know..." Nathan pressed, pushed and scratched his way through, the first smells that hit him came from the ocean, blood and burning wood around him. Black smoke rising around him as he watched two fleets battling against each other. His vision looking down at several ships passing by, the passengers staring at him with awe and wonder, though the more massive fleet''s response was different, hundred''s of archers gathering as they pulled back and began raining arrows towards him. "Fine, if you want to make a foe of me, then I shall gladly respond." Nathan took a moment, waving his hand to open the system. He took a few moments before panic began to spread as he waved a few more times without response. Fear began to grip the man as he looked at the thousands of arrows now travelling to him without interference. "The power has not left you, feel it and respond." The words are whispering into his ear, like a breath beyond as Nathan raised both his hands, taking a breath himself as he clenched his eyes closed and requested the power to respond. It was different, the system had given him this power, but now his response was accurate, this was his power now. He felt a connection to the thousands of elementals travelling towards him. "I command, halt!" His words echoed on the battlefield as the thousands of arrows hung in the middle of the air, the power dripping from Nathan like a venom unleashed. The Wyverns were bucking against the riders, many ridding themselves of their previous masters, turning against the ships they had previously been masters as they only knew one thing. They trusted the most powerful master around, and it was no longer those that rode them. Pressing his hands forwards, he silently commanded all those arrows to go back against those that had fired them. He was The Lord Of That Which Falls The echoing screams as thousands of soldiers fell one by one, many dead in an instant as the arrows returned with sweet vengeance against those that loosed them. Screams of Joy came from the smaller fleet of Kalisa, rejoice that things were shifting into their favour now. Nathan had made his choice; he might as well finish this. He had a few powers back when he accessed the system, the first one he ever had was of course Power Word: Bow. He also had a few others, one of them including Power Word: Aqua. His smile was growing as he made one more command. "I Command the Sea, Swallow them up and allow none to escape my wraith." The water began shifting straight away, hollowing out below all of the enemies. Ships began dropping into the ocean. Screams began echoing louder now, wood cracking and snapping as the ships were taken under the water, men crying out as they began cursing loudly. Just like that, the Telinbor fleet... gone and the sea became calm. Not a single plank, person or even a single bit of wreckage could be seen across the pure, clean water along the ocean. It was like they had never existed. The remaining ships of the Kalisa became an uproar of joy and happiness; what was them at death''s door had reversed. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Only two people stood, silent as they watched water pillar itself up to the cut in space, the man walking down towards the lead ship with the water giving itself as a carpet to the people below. "Kerha, you are a rank four air mage right. What level of magic was that?" The Admiral turned his gaze, worry in his old eyes as he had never seen anything like that. The woman next to him had something he had never seen as well, Kerha was afraid. "That man is either an eighth... maybe a ninth tier mage. He can cast spells with minimal or no chanting and without pause... He is also able to command different elemental magic, which is normally not possible... One thing is for sure. He can kill us all without a worry in the world." They both took a moment as they watched the man landing on the ship, a rather ungraceful entrance as the man almost tripped over the side of the boat, but no one dared to laugh, and those that were close quickly were tackled by those who understood the situation. Nathan eventually picked himself up from the front of the ship, many people staring at him with wonder and equal amounts of fear. He noticed two people coming up towards him as they had respect and again fear as they bowed before him. "Master Mage, your time is most welcome. May I ask what has sparked your interest here?" The Admiral spoke in a neutral tone as his eyes looked up to the somewhat malnourished man in front of him, to his surprise, the male just began laughing and looking slightly embarrassed. "I''m not a mage; I''m also as unsure about the location as to why I am here. I disposed of those who tried to harm me and got rid of a problem. Maybe you could repay it by helping me out?" Nathan responded, clearly trying to get a small payment for the service he just rendered. Both of them looking surprised and confused with the man who appeared just as unsure as them. This was Nathan in a nutshell though. 148 C146 - The Princess They stared at Nathan for a moment, both knew the price that dedicated to the destruction of an entire fleet like this, mages of this power level could cost something in the region of a whole city states worth of income for just a display as this. "Well, sir, we''re a rather simple people. I hope you can accept our help as we are not able to give you monetary gains, at least not at this time." The Admiral spoke with a smile coming onto his old face, though Nathan would nod as the group quickly moved this conversation inside as the other sailors continued to stare before going back to work. Inside the cabin, all three sat in the captain''s quarters which was used by the Admiral. The sensitive nature of the group was countered only slightly by Nathan''s apparent lack of understanding of their feelings. Before anyone could get into the meat of the discussion, a loud stomping noise came from outside the door. Everyone else had a rather grim face except for Nathan, who was still unaware of the little monster coming through the door. The door slammed open, a young woman entering into the room with the face of a slapped gorilla as she looked slightly annoyed. The woman was roughly 5''6, long blonde hair with a royal beauty kind of look through the scowl and stubborn look made it less so. As she came into the room, robes flowing as she held a staff, clearly a magic apprentice of some type as well. The last item was a pair of small elven ears on the woman; it was clear she was maybe something close to a half breed elf? "Admiral!" The little girl demanded rather than spoke, her eyes full of confidence, pride and a very toxic attitude. It was almost like she was a princess Nathan thought with a smirk coming onto his lips. "Princess." the other two members, bowed respectfully and nodded. ''Shit'' Nathan thought. It only took the Princess a few moments before her eyes turned to the somewhat homeless looking man sitting across from the Admiral and Kerha. She quickly turned her body towards the man, her eyes noticing that the man had not even paid any proper respect. She had noticed something different, and it was almost like this man was disgusted with her. She would have to put him in his place. "Worm, why have you not paid respect for your future queen." She began, speaking in a high and mighty tone. Kerha was about to rattle to try and defuse the situation but was silenced by the old hand of Admiral Sebast, his grin growing as he wanted to watch the fireworks. Nathan had noticed the movement of the Admiral, groaning at the sly old fox. "I''m Second Princess, Felicia Teelathy of the Joined Kingdoms of Kalisa. You should bow your head and beg for forgiveness. I''m a generous and merciful Goddess." She began to laugh in a typically spoilt brat tone, hand to her mouth as she was looking down on Nathan. It seemed both Kerha and Sebast looked slightly stunned at all of these words flying out of the woman''s mouth. They slowly turned the head to the man who seemed to be taking this all in stride. Nathan stared at the woman for a moment, the smile growing on his lips before he slowly leaned back in his chair as he began to chuckle. "Future queen, you are a second princess... please check yourself on that one." His laughter was growing as he dismissed the woman before continuing. "I''ve met actual gods in this world; you are not even close to them," he said gently as his head shook, he turned his body away from the woman and back to the group. Felicia felt her face growing hot, anger rising in her as the two others did nothing to stem the words coming from his mouth. Usually, any level headed person would know that something was wrong with this, but the rage was the ultimate blinders. Felicia felt a cold sweat rising across her as she raised her hands, pointing both her palms towards the man, she had decided to teach him a lesson. She had just become a Tier two mage. She would show the power of someone who wielded such power at her age. "Oh spirits of the world, hear my call. Gather the wind together and force this one back!" As she chanted, the wind began to gather into a ball, taking almost five full seconds before it was rapidly forced into the direction of Nathan who seemed to remain calm and collected. As the wind approached, it seemed like the entire ball of forced magical air was stopped, spinning in the air as it forcefully stopped itself. Nathan turned his gaze towards the massive ball before it began to shift, change and almost cower to the man''s gaze. As soon as it had approached, the ball quickly returned itself. It was faster, stronger and even seemed to be angry with a slightly red glow to the spell. It smashed against the Princess who flopped, slamming against the wall with a loud crunch as the wooden wall of the ship blocked the Princess from merely flying out into the open sea. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Silence Absolute Silence. It took a few minutes before Sebast stood. "I will tend to the Princess, Kerha, please keep our guest entertained while I go look after the Princesses Inju... Needs." He said as he did not want to add anymore smoke to this fire. After a few moments, only Nathan and Kerha were left in the room. Kerha felt her body shiver in fear. The man had caused a magical spell to rebound against its owner. The part that confused her was the simple fact that she saw no magical energy used by the man she had a rare magical sight thanks to her family''s line. Most people had a colour which was representative of the school of magic they could use. Nathan, on the other hand, had only a deep dark void. It was endless and bottomless. Most people absorbed the magical currents around them. If they had elemental air as a magical representative, then they would absorb that power in the air. Nathan, on the other hand, did not consume anything. Instead, he forced out all those same magical powers. It looked like he created magic instead of absorbed it. She had one burning question in her mind, one she would never actually dare speak. "Who are you?" 149 C147 - The Kingdom Of Kalisa Eventually, the Admiral returned with a small plastered smile attached as he sat across from Nathan as he put back on his smile. It took no time before Nathan began to ask his questions as he needed to gain some information about this location. "We are in the Sea of Calembor." The Admiral said with some confusion. He could not understand why this man knew very little about this location. "We are several months away by travel to the Empire of the Dusk Goddess. Thankfully we are too small for her notice, or I''m sure we would have already taken her interest and become an integrated part of her... wonderful Empire." The Admiral went on. "The actual kingdom of Kalisa is made up of four separate kingdoms. The main kingdom is made up of humans and elves. This makes up the main Island of Kalisa and the Royal family, which is always a Male Human with a Female Elf as the King and Queen. It''s normally those with the strongest magical power who become the rulers as its not a typical monarchy." Nathan snorted gently. He may have been somewhat wrong with calling out the Princess he was still not far off. "The other two kingdoms are not part of the royal family; they instead are Dukes or Duchesses and take part in a council within the kingdom." "Though the kingdoms are joined, we are not unified; we are rather split in matters. Even the main Human and Elven kingdom which shares the island is rather split into many ideas." Nathan continued to nod as he just leaned on his hand. "So, who owns those ships that attacked you then?" The Admiral seemed to slightly sweat again as he pulled up a bit of cloth, dabbing his head as he began to put another smile onto his face. "The so-called Telinbor Empire, though more like a large duchy in reality. They were part of Kalisa kingdom but broke away around forty years ago. The Telinbor have the largest fleet while overall, have fewer people. We have been at war with them since they broke away." Nathan continued listening to the story, a simple question escaping his lips. "Why did they break away?" "Well, they are human supremacists. They first were settlers to a new island chain we found further south. The islands appeared from the ocean, of course with land being so limited here we took the chance to settle it. But after only a decade they split away. Something always felt strange. In twenty years they managed to amass a huge fleet, and now only forty years later they have a large flying wyvern fleet." "It''s just very odd; the people we sent over had none of these traits of being human radicals. Plus we sent over Elves along with the humans. It should never have turned out the way it did." He began to shrug as Kerha spoke up next. "We were ambushed on our way to the magical institute." Nathan slowly raised an eyebrow. "Magical Institute?" "It''s a small island away from the group. They are not part of any kingdom and remain neutral. They train mages for all nations, and in return, we pay fees and resources to them to train them. Powerful mages are one of the cornerstones of the military of each nation, so it''s essential." Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Kerha finished as she looked at the man with still some wonder, shock and fear. She had no idea of the true nature of the man. If she knew the real reason behind his power, it would not even help relieve her worries. "We are here to deliver the Princess to begin her classes. She has one the greatest potentials out of all. She just turned sixteen and has the power already at tier two; most awakened mages don''t even get to the first rank." Kerha continued before Nathan shook his head. "Then, the Telinbor Kingdom attacked," Nathan said with a soft smile filling his face as he joked on about a rather old meme back in his ancient world. They both nodded as they relaxed slightly as the conversation turned more civil after the princess incident. "So, Nathan?" Sebast spoke gently as he looked at the man with some interest. He took a moment to think before continuing. "May I ask why such a powerful mag... Man is here?" He remembered at the last moment when Nathan had told them he was not a mage, though most would not believe such a thing when they had saw him use water to swallow up an entire fleet with just the wave of his hand. "It''s a long and complicated story, let''s say I''m trying to figure everything out myself. Once I have figured out a few things I will be on my way." Nathan spoke vaguely as he needed to figure out his powers. He no longer had access to the system, but his forces remained in some capacity, he needed to relearn everything without a helping hand. It was not going to be easy, but he would figure everything out and save those back in the Empire. He would at least try, try to save those who had pledged themselves to him, those who were against him and even those that had killed him. A commotion from upstairs brought the rest of them back to attention. The three of them heading out to the deck of the ship as the crew had all gathered around the front. Nathan looked out at the small collections of islands, cliffs and large structures. They had arrived at the magical institute. 150 C148 - The Magical City State The Magical Institute Referred to as the Magical City State. The mages cared very little about giving the place a proper name, merely spending more time focused on research, magic and other pursuits. Though the grand architecture was something that made all the sailors stare with awe. The white cliffs imposing as a massive castle sat perfectly sat ontop. It was almost like the white stone that made up the cliffs had simply continued upwards, expanding into this magical fantasy like a castle that sat imposing ontop. Spires poked further up into the sky as waves of magic flew around the entire building as the wards that kept the castle safe. The magical power was flowing around the area becoming rather dense. The next interesting fact was the number of ships in the area, many small, medium and large vessels around¡ªthe small dock struggling to accept the people arriving. Far below the castle sat a port town, possibly only a few thousand people but all of them set up to accept people arriving by ship. It was clear that this was going to be a busy period. Taking new candidates made the whole port come alive for the week that this happened. The port was busy as they pulled in. With many sailors, soldiers and mage candidates on the area. It was easy to see those who were applying to the academy above. Staves, Robes and magical items adorned them. Most people from the more wealthy class of family though it was still possible to see those without the wealth as they arrived in the larger ships carrying supplies. The princess at this time had recovered, still shocked she had commanded Kerha to follow her into the academy with a small troop of soldiers following. The Admiral bowed before the man before preparing his ship to sail. "I''ll let the king know of all your deeds to save the princess." He said this, implying they all part. It was clear that it would not be easy to stop the rumours spreading. It was not long till he was all alone, standing on the dock with his eyes peeled as he turned around, looking around with some confusion now. He had to figure out his powers; maybe he could enrol as a student here to try and figure out some of his skills. He already had no faith in the mages knowing about his powers, but maybe some old tombs in the library could be found in regards to it or at least he could practice in the school without worry. Once he figured out his powers and had grown stronger then he could finally head home and figure out what had happened in the time he was away. His first test was to get into the castle above. He figured out several issues. 1. He had no idea what magic was. 2. He did not look like a magical student. 3. He was about ten years older in looks then most students starting. Maybe even more at this point. He chose a rather simple way to go about it; he got into line. He followed the direction as many students looked at the man confused, even the guards stood with a pure confusion till he reached the front of the line. He was about to speak before the head guard came over, looking annoyed. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "Are you trying to get inside, you are too old to attempt the magical examinations." Nathan just shrugged as he did not know anything about magic, he could try something flashy to get passed. The head guard was joined by an older gentleman, his robes a bright blue with a pin attached to his mantle. It was clear he was someone of importance as he arrived. "We have no issues with age when it comes to joining, though you must prove yourself with magic." the magi instructed as he pushed his staff against the ground. Other students began to whisper around, and even the head guard began to chuckle. If he had not come at the age of sixteen, it was clear his talent was mediocre. Nathan simply raised his hand, muttering under his breath. What seemed to be a magical incantation to most was simply random bullshit that came from whatever he could think of at this moment. "Wall, floor, pastry... oh god I miss cheeseburgers." He muttered as no one could hear him. He focused on his powers, on Aqua as the water from all nearby sources flowed together, coiling around the head guard like a violent snake. He was trapping the poor man before quickly swirling fast like a tornado. Eventually, he was tossed like a sack of potatoes, launched a few hundred meters away before crashing into a wall, his body making a sicking crunch before hitting the floor with a thud. Nathan stood, staring at the Magi who slowly dropped his Stave, eyes going wide as he turned back to the man who had become a human pancake before slowly looking at Nathan. "Ahh, It seems I have mistaken you for a student sir, you must be the new water magi teacher?" He could only come to this conclusion after hearing the following. * Half-Assed Chant producing a powerful spell * No magical signature was indicating either meagre mana output or illusion based magic. * After casting such magic the man did not even seem somewhat tired. With the three points above, the man had to assume that this person was a mage and a powerful one at that. "Please, come this way, sir. I assume you are the new Magi teacher, or you want to apply to be one!" Nathan simply shrugged as he walked passed all the students and the waterlogged guard captain who looked slightly sick of his life after being the brunt of a magical spell. If he only knew that this was not a magic spell and merely the world was responding to a gods command, maybe he would be coughing blood instead of water. 151 C149 - The Fiery Dean Sitting inside the expansive office inside the tallest tower of the castle, bookcases all around with dormant magical artefacts sitting in many different cases around the room which were part of his collection. The floating orbs all around the room making the mana cycle faster as it felt almost repressive for anyone who had a lower tier of control. Sitting at the desk, wearing long blue robes with three stars as his pin badge. The man looked in his seventies with long white bleached hair and beard. His eyes wise but old as his slightly hunched figure continued to peer over an old text book, thick glasses taking in all the knowledge as his eyes sadly were not in the best condition after long nights of peering through text books only in candle light. The knocking on the front door caused the old man to look up from his book, grumbling at the interruption from texts. "Dean Astterio, we have a new Water Magi teacher who has arrived." His assistant spoke gently. Grumbling like an old fart, he simply waved his hand a few times to get his useless assistant to bring in the new teacher. Astterio was a master in water magic, he was at Tier 7. This was one of the highest levels around. He could destroy several ships at once if given a few minutes to cast. He was feared for that reason as well as respected. It was this reason when he saw the scrawny man with a rather dumb looking smile on his face that it rubbed him up the wrong way. The man showed no curtsy, bowing or even respect. He just kept smiling that dumb, stupid and rather annoying way. His time was valuable yet here this man was just acting like it did not even matter. He would humble him. "Give him the Omega Class." He spoke gently as he waved them both out. As they left he leaned back in his chair with frustration. He gave proper respect to those of higher standard, yet these days it seemed the same respect was taken for granted. The Dean went back to his own work, scanning through the texts, his poor vision and foresight had failed him to notice that all the artefacts inside his room had become active with simply the presence of a single man. Nathan had failed to realise till he arrived at the dorm that his own position in the academy was rather poor. After he had spoke to the assistant did he come to realise his own place. "You''re rather unlucky Sir Magi, it seems the Dean has looked at you with disdain." The assistant said as normally as possible, though felt the response from the Magi even stranger. It seemed to him that Nathan could really not even muster up a care in the world. "Why is that?" Nathan responded with a clueless nature. The Assistant blinked as he was almost floored. "Because, the Omega class is the worst class. They are normally in a three month period before getting expelled. They are given one more task and if they fail they will be kicked out... Normally anyone in that class has a ninety six percent chance of getting expelled." Nathan slowly nodded his head in understanding. "Along with that fact that any teacher assigned to the Omega class is basically in that same period. If they don''t have a student pass within that three month period... they are fired." Eventually Nathan was shown to his room in the Academy, just like his own position his own room was lacklustre. His room contained a single bed, desk and that was about it. The room was filled with mould, dust and even a few bird nests that must be because of the few holes in the walls. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "I will come back in an hour to take you to your class grounds, please make yourself..." The assistant was about to say comfortable till his eyes looked around the room, silencing himself before just simply walking away. Nathan looked around the room, raising his eyebrow as he simply walked inside. He was about to at-least try out his Power Word: Creation. The assistant came back an hour later, looking rather annoyed as he had to deal with this failure of a new teacher, his hand wrapping on the wooden door as he sighed with the sheets of paper in his hands that included information on his students. "Please hurry up, we have very little tim..." He stopped as the door swung open, his mouth almost dropping out of his mouth as he took a step into the room. Looking around the marble tiled floor made the man almost drop. It was like a mansion now with a pair of staircases heading upstairs to the left and right with a pair of double doors going forward. The bight lights from the glowing lights that floated around the room only made the assistance feel like he was having a bad trip. It was not till Nathan came out from the double doors that the assistant snapped somewhat back to reality. He would hand Nathan the papers, stuttering and muttering random nonsense that made no sense. "But, it''s bigger on the inside..." "This is not possible..." "What the hell, am I high?" Nathan simply patted the man on the back as he led him outside before shutting the door and began to walk down the corridor, the assistant still stunned as he gave the man general directions before stopping and turning to the door. Nathan walked off with the directions as the assistant quickly turned and ran back to the Dean''s office. His feet scurrying away. It was at this time a loud thunderous roar could be heard from that same location. "What the hell!" as the dean finally noticed all the magical devices were now active. 152 C150 Meaning Of Magic 1 Nathan found himself at the far outskirts of the castle, standing at the back and far away from any other classrooms. The wind blowing across the white cliffs as he looked out at the poorly maintained courtyard. It seemed this place was left abandoned and unattended for a purpose as he saw several groups of students out here, all looking down trodden as they had been put into this class that could mean expulsion from the academy. Nathan in all honestly had no interest in trying to salvage people''s lives at this moment, he was busy trying to figure out his own powers. His powers of creation, aqua and bow seemed to still be rather active as he felt the powers still within and around him. To the students in the area, all of them watched the supposed teacher simply walk to the edge of the cliff and sit down with a lack of interest. Sadly this was a common way of thought in the academy. Even the teacher had given up in their eyes on helping them even pass this class. Slowly the group of students left one by one till only three students remained. Each of them looking worried but eventually began to move up to the teacher sitting. The first of the students slowly tried to stop the other two, he was roughly average height with lanky build and dark brown scruffy hair that looked like it was in a permanent state of bed hair. His unkempt nature with the pair of constantly repaired glasses on his nose made him look somewhat timid as he spoke quietly. Kellan spoke to the other two. "It''s clear that this teacher is not interested, come on lets go back to the library and maybe we can figure out a new plan?" The other two students stopped before the tallest of the bunch spoke. He was a dark skinned male with a similar quiet nature to Kellan, except his eyes hid passion, calmness and a thirst for knowledge and power. His sandy blonde hair and the aquamarine turquoise mix of his eyes giving him a rather unique and interesting look compared to Kellan''s average looks. Duston spoke back to Kellan as his unique eyes returned the meek man''s gaze. "We have tried that several times, we cant even get access to the most essential books without a teachers permission... which teacher would give you permission and even now when all the teachers have basically put us here to let us get expelled!" When the two began to argue with each other, the last student slowly pushed forward. This student was not human like the other two but instead was a Demi-human. She was small, she was a head smaller then the average size of a human which had not helped her in matters as her own magical power was lacking. The two defining features of this small girl was the fluffy fox tail and ears on her body, all of them dyed a lovely red hue as the small fox girl slowly approached the teacher, her small appearance not affecting her ability to be bold as she spoke. "You are a teacher, please teach us how to use magic. I will do anything or everything to become powerful enough so people will stop disrespecting me!" Nulan spoke, her voice soft and almost squeaky as she voiced her wants to the man who looked out at the ocean with a mind full of contemplation. Nathan''s attention took a moment to focus as he heard the soft voice behind him, turning around his eyes met the fluffy nature of the woman as he began to blink. He was wondering when he had put this race into his game when he had a flashback to the conversation he had several years ago. (Several Years Ago, Real Life - Previous World.) Sitting in the computer chair, posture terrible with a mouth full of noodles. The zombie currently hanging in the chair looked very similar to Nathan but was currently working away on design ideas as he slowly rubbed his head. It took a moment before he noticed a small chat message pop up on the screen next to him. Biscord Message - (1) FitterCleric60: Oi, I sent you some money. Go to the store and grab some beers and lets have a chat while drinking! The message turned the zombie somewhat human as he pulled the money into his bank before heading out, it took him only a moment before he was back inside the house. Several cases of beer as the talking began to one of the few internet friends the man maintained to keep his sanity. After an hour of heavy drinking, laughing and sending meme''s, videos and other messages to the mate. The topic went to the game he was creating. Biscord Messages FitterCleric60: Look, I know its asking for alot, but for a pal who will be your first player you should add a few races to the game. CreatorCat: What do you mean, what races do you want. FitterCleric60: Fluff!?!?! CreatorCat: What? FitterCleric60: How are you so dense, you need to add in Fox Girls, they are the best source of fluff around! CreatorCat: Hmm, maybe... I really dont know if I should! FitterCleric60: I''ll pay for your next few months of rent if you add them to the game. CreatorCat: God... I cant believe I''m going to do this. It only took a few drinks, offering of some monetary gains to a lone person in a small home to get him to cave and add something like this to the game. Somewhere on the otherside of the connection, a faceless man smile as he sent a message to the other contact on discord. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Biscord Message To TimelessRose FitterCleric60: It''s done, now about my powers? It was at this time that fox girls along with a few other demi-creatures were added to the game in this respect. A very generic trope that was mostly added because of the crazy of those who wanted them. 153 C151 Meaning Of Magic 2 The three students watched the man stare, mostly at Nulan with what appeared to be reflection and disgust. It made the fox girl squirm in unease. Though most assumed it was because of the nature of the magical powers they all had and not because of the stupid requests the teacher had done in his own life. It took Nathan a few moments before finally he responded to the woman''s words. "I cant teach you magic, if that is what you are wondering." Those words hit the poor small fox with a force that made her eyes tear up. Her entire life was based around a culture that supported and highlighted those who had magical prowess. The entire race of fox people had a natural affinity for most magic and even herself had magical prowess till around a few months ago when her magic stopped, some reason it simply ceased to continue or work as all her powers. "I dont care about magic!" Nulan responded as her heart simply poured out, the two other students watching with pity. "I just want to have strength to fight those who simply disrespect me or hate me, I see so much hatred and despair that I want to fight against it with my own two hands... I may be small, worthless and just a pointless life but I want to get my revenge against this world and build a small home for myself with my own power!" To most, these words simply sounded like desperation, fear and the cries of a child. To Nathan he felt his heart getting pulled. It was one of the few things to still get him at this point. "Are you sure you want to gain this power, it will alienate you against this world, you knowledge will be something that pushes people away and eventually make you alone at the top." He spoke gently as he looked at not just Nulan but at Kellan and Duston as well. He invited them all and found that all three sat down with an intense look in Nathan''s direction. While this look made him simply sigh out he nodded and looked to each of them. "Well, how about we start off with your knowledge of magic then, I''ve still yet to learn what the view of magic is on this side of the world." It was a poor lie as most of the world had similar points of magic but the students seemed not to notice or atleast care as Duston began to speak. "Well all magic is broken down into aspects. Like Fire, Water, Earth and Air. these are the four primary aspects with light and darkness being part of the core aspects but not part of the primary four aspects. It is said that these aspects are combined and make up the rest of the magic but the more pure the aspect is towards the primary four." Nathan listened with some interest, though it was clear that he was somewhat annoyed. "Mages are broken up into the ten tiers of power. Tier one are basic magics that are usually refereed to life magic. It''s the most common and most people out of all mages can cast this tier. It''s roughly around eighteen percent the population that can cast magic. It then goes up to about Tier three which all three of us could cast at. Though all three of us are no longer able to cast magic because of our bodies rejecting magic which is rather common among mages." "If you are able to go through and keep casting magic, then you are one of the point one percent that is able to do so. The highest people have been able to reach is tier nine but it is said that once you reach tier ten you are at the same levels as gods themselves!" As Duston finished the basic lesson, Nathan simply began to laugh, his hand pressing through his unkempt but strangely clean hair as he looked at them all. "Well, interesting fantasy you have all learnt. Can I have a text book?" His eyes staring at Kellan as he noticed the boy carrying around a tome. The young man slowly handed over the expensive tome, which had cost him a small fortune as he had come from a small merchant family. This book having cost him several years worth of pocket money. "Take all your knowledge and throw it away." Nathan simply tossed the book off the cliff, Kellan letting out a strange cry between a walrus and a cat who had its tail stepped on. "Why throw away years, decades of magical research. It''s hard for us to trust you!" The young fox girl spoke as her tail had become straight, hairs standing on end as a small cute hissing noise came from her young mouth. "Tell me, how do you cast magic?" Nathan asked Duston "Well, you first begin to pull mana into your staff or wand, then chant the words before the spell forms." All three of them watched as Nathan simply stood up, his smile growing as he walked over to one of the few statues near the entrance back into the academy. His hand came into contact of the metal as the entire statue began to boil, slowly turning into a mass of metal that hung in the air before splitting into two orbs. One made of pure silver, the other made of the remaining mixed metals and impurity. The silver ball began to expand before splitting into hundreds of smaller balls, eventually forming into chains that connected and shrank into three small necklaces that seemed to hum gently in the air as Nathan turned back to them. "Chanting is useless, magic is not about speaking your demands. It''s a give and take on the world as you are asking the world for power in exchange for respect, dedication and focus." He slowly held out the three silver necklaces with a single intention. He was not going to turn them into Gods like he had for Auryn as it was not simply possible for them. He was going to do the next best thing. "Will you join me?"