《Conscripted》 Chapter 1 ¡° ***At the middle of all things*** ***Ascathon*** The middle of all things, the place where the multiverse begins and ends. The place where ¨C according to even the oldest beings ¨C everything began. The place where the gods live in a city, a place where immortals walk among one another like mere citizens, governed by the Council of Gods. Here, at this holy and breathtaking place, there sits a god with his ghostcat on his lap. And for all the world cares, he could as well be some measly office worker in any unthankful job. Of course, I can single-handedly obliterate worlds, but even that gets boring after a while. If it wasn''t for the Council, I wouldn''t even be here. I would be out there in the multiverse and do as I please. But as life is, there are always those who want to control others and I have to admit that the Council is doing a pretty good job at it. The gods are no different from the mortals. The Council manages the gods of the multiverse, making sure that new ascendancies don''t stray out of line. I admit that having someone who keeps the sheep in line isn''t a bad thing. Even when weak gods fight, worlds get destroyed. Such is the power of the gods. And those who don''t stick to the rules tend to vanish. There are only a few ways to deal permanently with an immortal being. First, you have to kill its corporeal form, then, you have to make sure that its soul doesn''t reincarnate. Otherwise, you would have a pissed-off god come after you a few decades later, or however long it takes the soul to find a new vessel. That''s mainly why I am trying to keep my head down. It doesn''t happen often, but gods are vanishing when they oppose the Council. Permanently. So, for now, I try to be a reasonable and good sheep. Which means that I am doing my best to be useful. ''Cause, useful people don''t vanish. I sigh again, wondering how it''s possible that by ascending to godhood I would turn into a mere desk-jockey. I mean, I was an Empress in my former life! I enslaved and ruled a whole world until I grew powerful enough to ascend into the ranks of the Crystal City. The Council gave me a little leeway in my dealings with the mortals for the first few centuries, as they always do with the new gods. They know from experience that it will get boring soon enough. Then, with time, all my mortal connections fell away. Family members died, by accident or by choice... apparently I am not a person who people want to hang out with for centuries. It says something about my character. When I realized one day that I had nothing more to lose, I killed myself in an attempt to escape the Council''s attention, who had roped me over the centuries ever further into their web. Turns out that they have a way of tracking souls throughout the multiverse even if they go through the reincarnation process. If I had known that, I wouldn''t have killed myself. Apart from being reborn and getting a new body, reincarnation always comes with a loss of power and memories. So, even if you aren''t happy with your body because you reincarnated as a girl instead of a man, you should avoid dying at all costs. That''s really the main difference between an immortal and a mortal soul, the power level which allows them to keep their memories throughout multiple lives. My silent brooding is interrupted when someone rudely opens the door to my office and a man in silver plated leather armour steps inside. ¡°Ascathon!¡± Jahr greets me, holding a paper in his left hand while running his fingers through his hair. ¡°I really didn''t want to seek you out, but I have a message from Tjenemit.¡± The other god eyes me with obvious distaste. As a deity of order, he seems to have a natural aversion towards me. We never got along. I wave a hand for him to go on. ¡°What does he want this time? A rare beast slain? Did some sentient dragon ascend and he doesn''t want to play along? Information? Who do I have to spy on?¡± Jahr waves his hand, grinning with glee. ¡°Nothing like that. He just wants you to take part in the meeting at Studio 7.¡± A meeting? ¡°What''s this meeting about?¡± ¡°A new project. And it so happens that I expect to become the project''s leader.¡± His expression turns even more gleeful than it already is. ¡°Which means that you will be my bitch. I''ll make you do twice the work.¡± ¡°I am not going to be anyone''s bitch,¡± I answer matter of factly. Jahr isn''t the first asshole who I don''t get along with, and I am sure he won''t be the last. Maybe it''s time to remind everyone why the Council keeps me around? ¡°You heard the order, so come along like a nice little pet.¡± Jahr huffs and turns around, then he tries twisting the doorknob ¨C without result. He yanks at the door, but nothing happens. Losing his patience, he kicks it but stumbles back. It''s like some mortal is trying his best to get through a heavy metal door without any tools at hand. ¡°What''s this! How is this possible!?¡± ¡°It''s a special magical circuit, aimed at disconnecting everything within this room from the aether. Very useful in subduing a new test subject. It''s the secret of why I am so good at catching runaway deities,¡± I educate him patiently. ¡°Inside this room, you are nothing more than a mere mortal. At least as far as your power is concerned. There will be no high-power energy conversion of any kind. I am afraid that I haven''t figured out how to catch a soul within this space. An essential part of catching other gods ¨C or at least to incapacitate them.¡± I shrug. ¡°One day I¡¯ll solve that problem too.¡± And until then I¡¯ll have to make do with other solutions. Jahr turns to face me. ¡°Let me go.¡± ¡°No.¡± I huff. ¡°Haven''t you listened? You are my newest test subject. Feel honoured.¡± ¡°You have no idea. Tjenemit knows where I am. He will punish you...¡± Then ¨C suddenly ¨C a light bulb seems to switch on in that stupid brain of his and Jahr chuckles, searching the walls with his eyes. ¡°But if this inhibition field affects the entire room, then that means that you are also weak and helpless.¡± He reaches for the shiny sword at his belt. ¡°A grave mistake. Even without magic or a god''s power I am a skilled swordsman. A martial artist of the highest calibre.¡± His eyes shine with happiness at the opportunity that presented itself. ¡°And you are nothing more than a weak mage. You are nothing without your spells!¡± The time he needed for his speech was more than enough for me to sneak a hand beneath my desk, gripping the handle of the small, handheld crossbow. ¡°You are completely right.¡± I raise the crossbow from beneath the desk and aim it at his chest, releasing the first bolt with a satisfying ''Twang!'' of the string. The projectile, a bolt tipped with the shard of a mana crystal, embeds itself inside Jahr''s chest. The other god stumbles backwards with a shocked expression on his face. His shiny armour may be functional, but it''s still just metal. The heads of my darts are made out of mana crystal, a mysterious material that''s to gods as metal is to mortals. The pure energy and magic inside a mana crystal is able to cut through any barrier if wielded with enough force. There are only very few places in which you can acquire this rare material, like in the middle of all things. Actually, the whole planet is made out of the stuff. Some ancient and long forgotten cataclysm created it. I still had to search the planes outside the city for a long time until I found a fitting piece of mana crystal. Not waiting for the results of the first shot, I fire five more times, manipulating the automated loading mechanism of the neat toy. The barrel with the six darts rotates each time with a satisfying ''clink'' until the last dart finds Jahr''s forehead. Stumbling backwards, he is stopped by the door and slowly slides to the ground, his hand still on the half-drawn sword. I watch, fascinated whether it will work or not, as the enchanted darts do their job of catching Jahr''s soul. Studying his aura, I watch as it congeals around the first bolt which embedded itself in his chest. There are only very few beings who can deal with an enchanted weapon stuck inside their body. To counter the effects of a spell that''s activating inside one''s own body would require incredible skill with inner mana manipulation, a skill in which even I can''t claim proficiency in. As a god, it''s so much easier to just release your aura and blast anything away that might be able to harm you. ¡°Don''t worry, Fluffers,¡± I coo at the cat on my lap. ¡°The evil man won''t harm you.¡± Lifting the little kitten off my lap, I put it on the table, then I get up to inspect the corpse. It takes half an hour to search Jahr''s mortal body and to store the cleaned shard of mana crystal inside my chest pocket, his soul safely imprisoned inside. It¡¯s the best container I can think of to make sure that he won¡¯t revive any time soon. Capturing souls is so much easier since I found out how to enchant mana crystals with a capturing array. The only mystery that remains is to find out how I can create the stuff. It''s one of the arcane mysteries which got lost in the ages.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Because one thing is for sure in my opinion: Mana Crystals are somehow artificially created. Once I get to the bottom of that secret, I might even be able to challenge the Council. Now that would be a story! I could become a king among gods. Nobody would be able to oppose my forces if I had access to such a secret. After all, a big part of the Council''s power is based on the fact that they sit on the biggest known deposit of mana crystals in the known multiverse. Revelling in this fantasy, I deactivate the inhibition field by pressing a tile next to the office''s entrance. Testing my magic, I dispose of the body with a flick of my finger and a wave of my hand turns the blood into dust which is easily dealt with thanks to a conjured up breeze. Some minor deity will soon perform the cleaning duties and all of the remaining evidence will be gone. I huff, making sure that there is nothing obvious that would hint at the fact that a god was forcefully immaterialized in this place. Once that''s done, I access the city''s network through the workstation on my desk, a nifty little device with a few hundred Petahertz of calculation power. I had to pay a pretty penny for it, but since there are plenty of surveillance systems throughout the crystal city, it was worth the investment. Having a capable hacking tool is very helpful in making sure that Jahr''s last known whereabouts weren''t anywhere close to my office. Having made sure that there is plenty of false evidence regarding his movements, I pick up Fluffers who is licking itself. The little ghostcat is a remnant I kept from a previous life. By now, I am not very fond of dealing with mortal beings, but Fluffers is a familiar, a magical construct that''s fed by my own mana. As long as it keeps a connection to me, it will stay alive. Outside my office, I take the corridor which leads to the central stairway. From there I head directly towards the meeting rooms. Disposing of the corpse and manipulating the data inside the network took a lot of time. I might actually be late. Upon reaching Studio 7 I wince, noting that the door is already closed. Which means that the meeting has already started and that I am too late. Sighing, I open the door and enter the room. Better to get it over with than to stay outside until they start searching for me. The room turns out to be large enough to hold a table for twenty people and a raised pedestal for someone who wants to hold a speech. Tjenemit, a dark-skinned man with average features, is standing on the elevated ground and obviously waiting for something while he searches through a stack of documents. From his appearance, you would never guess that he is one of the rulers of the multiverse. The seats at the large table are held by gods of various races. At first glance, I recognize a few of them, but more than half of the present faces have no meaning to me. Upon entering, the previously lively room falls totally silent as people stop chatting. ¡°Why is he here?¡± ¡°If he is in, I am out.¡± ¡°I would rather take my chances with-¡± ¡°SILENCE!¡± Tjemenit¡¯s voice booms through the room, shutting up everyone. Turning towards me, the Council member points at an empty chair right next to a half-orc who I recognize as Marigold, a god who I had a few dealings with over the years. Close to me are also Nazareth, a little gnome who somehow managed to become a lesser deity ¨C a god of mountains as far as I recall. There is also Zenial, a goddess of the moon and night of average power. And there is Seria, a deity of life and death. She is a real powerhouse and for some reason, I have a feeling that she doesn¡¯t like me. Looking back, we share quite a bit of history. Though I have no idea what I ever did to her, aside from hitting on her once or twice. But who would blame a healthy man for hitting on a pretty woman? After having taken a good look at the present menagerie of gods, I follow Tjenemit¡¯s order and walk towards the empty seat. I am a little confused about the widely different power levels in this group. Though, it seems like there is a god for each of the most common aspects of godhood. But before I can reach my seat, Tjenemit stops me with a raised hand. ¡°Where is Jahr? He was supposed to bring you with him.¡± Oops¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t know? He just told me to be here and then he ran off.¡± ¡°He is totally lying,¡± someone whispers to my left. ¡°It¡¯s written all over his face.¡± ¡°I bet he killed him¡­ just for the kicks...¡± another joins in. I quickly turn around to search for the offenders, but none of them dare to identify themselves. ¡°I killed nobody.¡± If I ever learned something about the law, then it¡¯s to deny until the end, and that¡¯s what I am going to do here. A tall figure in a plate armour which looks suspiciously similar to Jahr¡¯s leather outfit bends over to ask a question of the little gnome next to him. ¡°Nazareth, why would you make such an accusation?¡± The lesser deity¡¯s eyes widen and he sucks in a sharp breath. ¡°Don¡¯t just rat me out like that! I said it because it¡¯s true! That¡¯s Ascathon, the soul mage I told you about! Everybody knows that people who talk bad about him disappear.¡± The plate-guy looks up, focusing on Tjenemit. ¡°Is that true!?¡± Then he looks at me. ¡°And why are you holding a kitten? It looks ridiculous.¡± Nazareth quickly raises his hands, waving. ¡°Whatever you do, don¡¯t insult the kitten! The kitten is sacrosanct!¡± The Council member closes his eyes and massages the bridge of his nose. ¡°I am too old to deal with this. Ascathon, what did you do with Jahr?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± I answer quickly. Tjenemit¡¯s eyes flicker to my chest pocket. Somehow the elder god can tell that I am hiding something, but it doesn¡¯t seem like he is willing to put up with the hassle of pursuing the matter. ¡°I suppose that if we start an investigation, nothing worthwhile will show up?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± I reply. ¡°Just check the surveillance feeds. Jahr left my room quickly right after delivering the message.¡± Shaking his head, the Council member gestures for me to sit down. ¡°I am just glad that I invited several people to this project, so we have a few spares. Myrm, you will have to take over Jahr¡¯s place. It means double the work for you, but that can¡¯t be helped. If it proves too much for you, I¡¯ll find another deity of order.¡± ¡°Me!? Why me!? And how can it be that you just let an accusation like that slide? There must be an investigation!¡± the plated figure complains. ¡°Jahr and I were supposed to play two different aspects!¡± ¡°Look.¡± Tjenemit¡¯s expression turns dangerous as he smiles winningly at Myrm. ¡°Ascathon here has a few abilities that are valuable to the Council. Which means that as long as he doesn¡¯t cause too much of a disturbance, or gets himself caught, I don¡¯t care. In fact, Jahr¡¯s inability to deal with Ascathon automatically removed him from the list of candidates for this experiment. Why do you think I sent him to get this fellow?¡± Allowing his voice to turn menacing, Tjenemit releases his aura, pressing down on all of us with all his might. The lesser deities pale and turn green with nausea. Nazareth bends over to puke on the floor. Even the stronger ones among us shrink back from this unrivalled power which forces itself onto us like the weight of eons. The only ones who seem fairly unaffected are Myrm, Seria, Marigold and me. I silently berate this Myrm character for setting off a Council member. He must be new, and unaware of how things work in the world of gods. The Council may play nice on the outside, putting up a shiny facade for those who aren¡¯t privy to its inner workings. But at the core, all the Council members operate on the principle of ''might makes right''. Ever since I was so unlucky to gain their attention, I did my best to be unimportant enough to be left alone, but useful enough not to be disposed of. Sick of being ignored, I do my best to ignore the sickening feeling and raise my hand like a good little kid at school. ¡°Can I sit down now? And I still don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on.¡± As planned, my ploy breaks the moment and Tjenemit rolls his eyes, retreating the menacing display of his aura. ¡°Yes, I suppose we can repeat the introduction for those who were late.¡± His eyes wander to two lesser deities who apparently didn¡¯t show up in time. Happy that I am not the only person who was late, I hurry to sit down on an empty chair and try not to stand out, but the gods to my left and my right move their chairs to create a little more distance between me and them¡­ which makes me stand out even more. Tjenemit takes his time before continuing his speech, making sure that everyone is paying attention. ¡°Listen up! You guys have the doubtful honour of taking part in a pilot project which the Council is trying to establish throughout the multiverse. ¡°Let''s make this as short as possible. I have a lot of things to do, and there are more groups participating in this project than just you. As you all probably know, the Council takes great pride in overseeing the awakening of new gods. Nobody wants a repeat of the age of war. That¡¯s why we come down very hard on irregular awakenings. Not to mention that they are a big threat to the poor mortals. I mean, it¡¯s entirely too easy for a god to take over an entire planet, dictate what everyone ought to do, and to become a tyrant on a massive scale.¡± Again, everyone in the room looks at me. ¡°I never did such a thing!¡± I defend myself. ¡°I just made sure that an everlasting cycle of war was broken!¡± It¡¯s not my fault that I had to bring down most of the planet¡¯s important governments. Or that I had to beat the word peace into those savages. Thanks to me, the planet experienced a thousand years of relative peace. Nor is it my fault that they returned to their short-sighted ways soon after I gave up killing everyone who reached for power. After a thousand years of dealing with unruly children even I get bored. Tjenemit clears his throat. ¡°As I said, this project is aimed at supervising individuals who are strong candidates for ascension. For that reason, we will assign groups of gods to planets with crossing pathways, and which hold therefore a higher concentration of immortals. These gods will play the part of the planet¡¯s pantheon. You will report anyone who might ascend to godhood to us before they actually achieve that step. Are there any questions?¡± A lesser deity raises her hand. ¡°How do you intend to force us to do such a boring job? And how are we supposed to identify candidates before the Council becomes aware of them?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good question, and the Council came up with an answer. We used some of our power and placed a world enchantment on the planet in question. A very complex spell, don¡¯t worry about it. A lesser deity like you would never grasp its complexity.¡± He waves the matter away with a swipe of his hand. ¡°All of you will get an amulet that weaves you into the enchantment. Each time some lesser soul prays strong enough to the aspect you represent, you will be drawn along the pathways to them and fulfil your roles as gods. Over time, you will be more and more involved in the world and build enough of a reputation to identify those with strong souls.¡± Okay, I am out. Where is the exit? I didn¡¯t keep my head down to be caught up in this bullshit! What he suggests sounds like a lot of work, and being forced to interact with mortals by being teleported to them when they pray to me? Just no! Raising my hand, I try to get Tjenemit¡¯s attention. ¡°I am thankful for being given this opportunity, but I prefer my bleak office.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°What do you mean by ¡®no¡¯?¡± ¡°There is no backing out. Especially not for you. We can¡¯t have the position in charge of magic and chaos be left vacant. What would the world come to without an evildoer? As much as we would like to deny it, there are always those who pray for the end of the current regime, for power, for their chance.¡± He smiles. ¡°But don¡¯t worry. You will be glad to hear that you will be positioned on a world which you are very invested in. One could say, that you already have a history there.¡± Tjenemit clicks his fingers and amulets appear in front of each of us. They are simple, silver coins on a chain. ¡°Put those on, and don¡¯t ever take them off. If you do, I¡¯ll know, and I won¡¯t be pleased.¡± The others put on the amulets with sour expressions on their faces, and after a moment of hesitation, I follow their example. I could try to run, but I¡¯ve seen too many times that it doesn¡¯t work. The Council gets them all in the end. The Council member nods after checking that everyone has his or her amulet on. ¡°You will be given one decade during which you can build your reputation as a god. Use any measure of power you want to impress the mortals. There is just one rule, don¡¯t fight each other openly. We all know the results of a battle between gods. I won¡¯t tolerate you attacking each other in any form. Don¡¯t test my patience on this matter, don¡¯t try to find the boundaries. You will regret it.¡± He looks around, making sure that he has made eye-contact with all of us. ¡°With that said, you can begin.¡± Clapping his hands, he activates the amulet around my neck. I try to complain. There are still many unanswered questions, details which would be crucial to know! But I am too late, and Tjenemit seems to be in a hurry. The world twists and dissolves as I feel myself being pulled along one of the countless pathways against my will. In the next moment, I find myself on a battlefield in front of a bloody, babbling man who looks like a medieval crusader. Someone pinned him with a spear to the ground, leaving him to die on his own. ¡°...forsake you, god of light, I don¡¯t need your order any longer! If you won¡¯t lead us to victory against these heathens, then I¡¯ll pray to the darkest of powers! As long as my comrades-¡± He notices me. ¡°By the light! Man, what are you doing with a bloody kitten on the battlefield!?¡± Chapter 2 ***The World*** ***Paladin*** The man in dark leather looked down on me, curling the corners of his mouth in disgust. Half of his face was hidden by a hood, but that couldn''t hide the utter disdain he felt just by looking at me. He would have been the perfect image of an evil sorcerer, were it not for the white kitten he was holding protectively in his hands. Or was my death causing hallucinations? No. I had seen people die because of wounds in their guts plenty of times. It was neither painless nor quick, and it was a death sentence if not treated by a skillful healer. Yes, they would start talking mad, but that was only after fever and infection had driven them insane. Without wasting another second on me, the man turns and vanishes in a shower of sparks. A mage! The man was a mage and he had left me to die with a barbed spear in my guts! A spear that was cursed with the ability to banish the victim''s mana. I was as helpless as a child right now and that man who could have saved me with a few seconds of his time just left me to die. To become food for the carrion eaters! ¡°Oh, darkness!¡± I cursed. ¡°The light truly abandoned...¡± Suddenly, the man reappears, still holding the kitten. His mouth opens in obvious surprise as he looks around. I gape myself, despite the pain in my guts, astonished at his return. Then his gaze falls on me and he reaches out, pulling the spear out of me in a single, smooth motion. The very same moment, I can feel healing magic pouring into me, restoring me with a power I''ve never felt before! ¡°Stop!¡± He stabs the spear right back into my stomach and I suck in a sharp breath, too surprised by the pain to scream. ¡°Praying!¡± He pulls the spear out and this time I do scream, feeling every barb rip through my flesh. ¡°To!¡± Healing magic washes over me and I sigh in blissful relief ¨C but the speartip falls again and relief turns to agonizing pain as the maniac twists the weapon inside my guts. It feels almost as if I can sense the hooks catching onto my intestines. ¡°Me!¡± Then he vanishes again, leaving nothing behind but a trail of sizzling energy. Raising my head, I inspect the damage, only to find out that the maniac left me in a worse state than before. My guts are spilling out of me, blooming from my belly and fanning out around the spearshaft like a horrible flower. ¡°Holy Motherfucker! The light truly abandoned-¡± I stop mid-curse as the man reappears. Without hesitation, he reaches for the spear. ¡°Nooo!¡± I call out, long past caring. ¡°I didn''t pray to you, you insane son of a bitch! Why don''t you just end me!¡± He kneels down, getting right into my face. ¡°If I kill you, there is nobody who can tell the other mortals not to pray to me! You have to live for long enough to tell them that summoning me is a very bad idea.¡± ¡°But- I- didn''t- pray- to- you!¡± I hiss out between my teeth. ¡°All I did, was cursing the light!¡± His eyes widen and he gets up, mumbling to himself. ¡°That means that the world enchantment doesn''t just react to prayers. It reacts to anyone and everyone who despises my opposite just strong enough.¡± An arrow plunges into his left thigh, and he looks down at himself. Looking up, he scans our surroundings as if realizing just now that we are on a battlefield. Spells are flying, men fighting, screaming and dying. Though, none of them seem to pay attention to us. Right next to us, a knight of my order and one of the heathens are fighting, one armed with a club and the other with a short sword. Neither of them is giving the other even a chance to back off. Drawing the arrow out of his thigh, the mage breaks it, veins bulging on his hand. Hovering at the edge of consciousness, I notice that there is no blood. ¡°Those were my favourite pants!¡± And that''s when I realize for the first time that this man isn''t just a maniac with magical powers. A dense weight settles down on my chest and an aura of blue magic appears around the stranger. It gains in intensity until all I can think of is the man''s presence and his power. Then a wave of red and blue radiates from him with irresistible force, washing over the landscape like a tidal wave, a primeval force that can''t be fought against or understood. The pain fades into the background of my mind as red tendrils of pure magic wash out of the man, incinerating the pair of duelists in our immediate vicinity. It''s as if I am facing the sun and I suddenly know that this being could wipe out everyone on this battlefield with a wave of his hand. The fighting around us stops gradually as the awareness of this presence spreads. The feeble-minded crumble first under the weight of his presence, but soon enough there is complete silence as men fall to the ground, something within them crushed like an ant beneath the boot of a man. The weakest of them simply drop dead, their spark of life blown out like candles in a tornado. But if we are nothing more than insects to this existence, then what does that make him? ***The World*** ***Ascathon*** ¡°Puny, little mortals!¡± I reach out and rip the spear out of the man''s guts. More blood and other contents spill out of the wound. Calling out, I address everyone around us, ¡°You squirm and struggle in your puddles of mud! It''s always the same. Each of you should be locked into a little cage of his own! That''s the only way to stop you from killing one another! Not that I care! I stopped caring long ago.¡± Reaching out, I cast a healing spell on the man who is responsible for my presence in this desolate place, the power behind the incantation strong enough to reassemble his body in a split second. The wound in his stomach closes abruptly, cutting off what was hanging out of him. Then his organs squirm beneath his skin as his body struggles to reform what was lost. His pale complexion pales even further upon seeing the miracle. ¡°Get up, worm!¡± I order, and when he isn''t fast enough, I pull him to his knees by grabbing the shoulder piece of his chainmail armour. ¡°I''ll teach you what it means to call upon me!¡± ¡°B- b- but I didn''t do anything...¡± he whines, and a wet puddle forms beneath him. That''s when I realize that I got so angry that I released my aura in the presence of mortals, killing most of the people around me. It probably killed most of the weaker ones on the battlefield. I halt for a split second, but brush the weakness of feeling sympathy aside. It doesn''t matter, it''s not like their lives mean anything in the great cycle of things. Easing up a bit, I leer down at the shaking wreck of a man and drop the spear in front of him. ¡°I said, get up!¡± Trembling, he takes the spear and gets to his feet, very careful to point the weapon away from me. Then he looks at me, fear in his eyes. I survey our surroundings, searching for a first suitable target. A soldier in a similar outfit is still alive, just ten metres away from us, so I shove the worm in that direction, towards the man who is half unconscious and foaming from the mouth. ¡°That man, kill him!¡± ¡°But- he is one of my comrades.¡± The shaking man clutches the spear to his chest. ¡°What do I care!? I tried to leave, but I just appeared in front of some other poor beggar, then I was teleported back to you! Apparently, I have to help you, or I¡¯ll be just teleported to the next sod!¡± I scream at him, causing him to flinch like a scolded child. ¡°You called me to this place in order to kill people! Do you really think that the gods discern one worm from another!?¡± I point at the incapacitated man. ¡°Kill him!¡± He steps back. ¡°You should listen to yourself. You don¡¯t make any sense.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t make any sense!?¡± I look down at the incapacitated man. ¡°He says I don¡¯t make any sense.¡± Returning my attention to the trembling spearman, I scream. ¡°I don¡¯t have to make any sense to you! I am an immortal being beyond your comprehension! And because of certain circumstances, I am forced to listen to you!¡± Bending over, I drop Fluffers to the ground and pick up the downed man at his chest piece. He struggles, but I break his arms like twigs and he screams. Then I notice that they all scream, the conscious survivors on the battlefield are screaming. Where there was previously a melody of war and steel, there is now a hymn of pain and desperation. And both sides are taking part in it. I rip off an ear from the struggling man, claw away a pound of flesh. Sometime during my work, the spearman bends over and pukes on the floor. It takes me a minute, but when I am done, there are only bits and pieces left. Fluffers meows and waddles closer to the puddle of blood, lapping at it and ignorant to the scene of me carving a mortal apart with my bare fingers as if he is nothing more than a piece of clay. ¡°I already tried to change this world once. A thousand years of peace, of enlightenment and learning! And look at you people now! You are back to fighting each other with swords! I don''t even dare to ask for the reason of this battle!¡± Turning, I point a bloody finger at the spearman. ¡°If you refuse another order, I¡¯ll do the same thing to you!¡± His face loses the last bit of colour and he nods, sinking to his knees in submission. ¡°I have sinned, for I didn''t recognize the bane of the Mirai. A thousand years of tyranny weren''t simply forgotten. The stories all say that the Necromantic Empress had a familiar, a ghostcat. I called upon powers beyond me and this is what I reap. Forgive me for not recognizing you. I thought you were a woman, at least that''s what the stories tell.¡±Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°I am a man!¡± I kick the sorry excuse of a worm. ¡°Don''t question the affairs of those beyond you.¡± ¡°Forgiveness!¡± He grovels around his knees, worshipping me. ¡°The affairs of the gods are beyond mortals. If the Necromantic Bane was a former avatar of yours, then I am not to judge.¡± I ball my fists in rage and frustration. Great! Now, this worm thinks that I am some sort of gender-confused transvestite! I would like to see him being reborn as a female slave. In my opinion, throwing a temper tantrum against the world was a perfectly reasonable reaction! Not that I have anything against one gender or the other, I just feel more at home as a man. Most of the time, a reincarnating soul also gets a vessel that fits. Like, nine out of ten times you end up in a suitable body. But there must be some glitch in the system, because once in a while you end up fucked ¨C quite literally! Ripping the worm apart would be so satisfying. I could go through the whole battlefield, but without witnesses, the stupid amulet will just keep summoning me from one place to another. I''ll just end up in front of the next idiot. The sooner I teach them the proper amount of fear, the faster I get back to taking care of my own business. I''ll break this idiot and make sure that those who find him see the terror in his eyes from a kilometre away. Pointing somewhere behind the worm, I select the next closest survivor of my aura outburst. ¡°There is another one over there. Get going.¡± Suddenly eager to follow my orders, he crawls in the indicated direction before he gets to his feet. ¡°H- how many will you have me kill before you are satisfied?¡± I purse my lips and stretch out my senses, trying to sort the living from the dead. ¡°Let''s start with the five thousand and seventy-two people who survived my outburst.¡± I don''t bother counting how many are already dead on the ground. With that, we begin the gruesome work and I make sure to give the guy my special treatment. At first, the worm was reluctant to follow my instructions, which made me wonder how a person like him could end up on a brutal battlefield. But under my tutelage, he got the gist of my intentions quite quickly. I explained in great detail what I would do to people who caused me to appear in front of them, be it because of a prayer or a curse. Similar scenes repeated themselves throughout the following days, and as I was forcefully teleported around the world, I noticed that the unavoidable chaos which came with the advent of the gods slowly subsided. Some countries fell apart during those days and new powers used the opportunity to rise. I never paid much attention and only ever did the bare minimum to satisfy the amulet, leaving my so-called worshippers with the wish to never summon me again. It took some time, but finally, the mortals got the hint that something world-changing had happened. The gods were real, and a prayer or a curse ¨C spoken with enough devotion ¨C could quite literally bring down heaven or hell on their heads. After a few days ¨C which felt endless to me ¨C the stupid world enchantment finally decided that I should get some time off. Or rather, Tjenemit decided that he wanted to speak to us. I appeared in Studio 7, among the other gods and with Tjenemit standing in front of us, writing something in his notes. Looking up, he quickly counts us with his pencil. ¡°Perfect! All of you are alive! We had a few glitches with the teleportation settings. You probably noticed that the enchantment just kept teleporting you to your next assignment? That was intentional, of course.¡± I look down at myself. There are mud and blood sticking to my clothes... and other stuff. I flick away a torn off fingernail which was sticking to my trousers. Intentional my ass! Someone fucked up the code. That''s a grave oversight, especially when weaving a spell on that scale. Pulling at my shirt, I give up on looking presentable. After two days in the field, I stopped trying to clean myself. How would I build a reputation which makes my followers fear to summon me when I appear in front of them naked because I was in the shower? Then there is the little problem that I never appeared in a nice place. Not once. Taking a quick glance, I notice that most of the other deities in our little pantheon look tired and that their clothes aren''t exactly in the best state. Though, some look decent, like Marigold and Nazareth... and the suit of armour, Myrm was his name? Not that plate armour would need more than a short wipe-down. Seria also looks decent, though her tight expression tells me that she is pissed. Tjenemit continues his speech, ¡°Seeing that most of you managed to build quite a reputation, I decided to ease up on the amulets'' teleportation conditions. Previously, the parameters for recognizing a ''devoted prayer'' were set quite loosely. I tightened those a bit. Now, you should get a few hours of rest each day.¡± He nods and vanishes, taking a pathway to who knows where. As soon as he is gone, Seria screams like a fury and hammers her fist through the table in front of her. ¡°I was teleported to sick and dying people all day long! Not to mention the births!¡± Nazareth wipes a pearl of sweat from his forehead. ¡°Wayshrines all the way for me. I had to tell lost wanderers the direction they should take. Do I really look like a navigation tool?¡± ¡°Something similar happened to me, brother.¡± Marigold pats the gnome on his back. ¡°I had to guide the uncivilised races on their path to war. We are both nature-oriented deities, so this usage of our time feels quite offending.¡± Other gods join in, sharing their own stories of how they had to suffer and endure the presence of lesser beings. Myrm nods, his movements seeming tired. ¡°Yes, but didn¡¯t any of you notice how much bad stuff is happening in that world? I know that the place is a crossroad of pathways, and therefore has a lot of strong souls in it, which in turn leads to a lot of battle and strife. But I was teleported from one horrible event to the other, some of them potentially world ending! First a battlefield with an insane paladin who murdered all his comrades and tried to create a bloodrite on an epic scale. And it didn¡¯t end there. Necromantic plagues, mutated wizards whose demon summonings backfired, a mad scientist who tried to use magic to create a nuke!¡± ¡°I actually was fond of that guy,¡± I interject. ¡°Hope you didn''t kill him. If there is one thing for which I can forgive people summoning me, then it¡¯s the pursuit of knowledge, so I told him where he went wrong.¡± The room falls silent and I realize that I spoke out loud. Myrm shoots to his feet. ¡°You told him to blow up the elven capital!?¡± I raise both hands in defence. ¡°I did nothing of the sort! I just told him how to get his device to work! How should I know that he wants to use it against his own people?¡± Or that he has no idea what would happen if it activates. I might have forgotten to tell him that there is no limiter on his matter to mana conversion tool. ¡°That aside, who cares for elves? They always get the snotty souls. And before you blame me.¡± I point at myself. ¡°God of Chaos and Magic. Is it really my fault what others do with the knowledge? I just answer questions.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Myrm calls out. ¡°The people on this world aren¡¯t ready for nukes or any other weapon of mass destruction! Especially not when the Council just turned their world upside down by making gods real! The world is in chaos because of us.¡± I dismiss the argument with a wave of my hand. ¡°I know, I know. And Prometheus was chained to a stone for bringing the mortals the fire. I have seen that particular world go through centuries of strife. It¡¯s an unending cycle that can only be halted temporarily.¡± Seria groans and gets up. ¡°Sit down, Myrm. As insane as it sounds, that¡¯s why Tjenemit gave Ascathon this job.¡± She looks at me, pulling down the corners of her mouth. ¡°He is just too good at it, and I hope that he will try to avoid doing world-ending stuff.¡± I nod. Seria may not be my official boss, but I know that she has connections to the Council. Better not to draw the ire of someone like that. Then she addresses the whole room. ¡°As much as we dislike it, we are in this together. Let¡¯s at least try to work with each other. The Council set this up so that we are forced to get involved in the world, but nobody said that we have to make our lives miserable for each other. Maybe, just maybe, we manage not to step on each other¡¯s toes?¡± Sighing, I lean forward and place my face on my table, which is situated to the far right of the room. ¡°Wake me up when you are done¡­ or when the stupid amulets start teleporting us once more.¡± I must have fallen asleep, because when I wake up I am falling forward and only my quick reaction saves me from planting my face on a dirty street. Groggily, I try to understand what¡¯s going on. Then I remember the amulet around my neck and the ordeal it caused. The stupid thing must have teleported me somewhere. Again! Will I ever get a few hours of rest? At least it isn¡¯t another battlefield, or some dirty ritualist¡¯s cave. Though, my current surroundings don¡¯t look much better. I am on a wide street between two large, wooden buildings. Apparently, the locals are using it as some sort of marketplace. There are countless vendors shouting out their goods and prices while a steady stream of people meanders in both directions. Most of them look poor in their shabby clothes, but there are also those who are clearly upper-class citizens in their fine robes and with expensive jewellery. Without exception, those individuals are guarded by several guards as they busily pursue some unknown goal. Turning, I notice a frail girl in a small cage right next to me. Her aura is strong, but she is still a mortal. The collar around her neck and the shackles leave me without a doubt what the random assembly of cages and the wooden platform in front of me mean. On the platform, a mean looking fella is lounging on a stool like a king, waiting for someone to show interest in his goods. Nobody seems to have noticed my arrival. ¡°They didn¡¯t lie,¡± the slave in front of me says. ¡°They said that the gods have returned and that they now intervene in the mortal world.¡± She grabs the bars of her cage and presses her face against her prison. ¡°They were warning us not to pray or to curse, but I didn¡¯t listen. For a whole week, I wished for you to be here.¡± ¡°Oi, kiddo.¡± I shake my head. ¡°Do you have any idea who you summoned? I am not a hero in shining armour. I don¡¯t do the saving. When I appear, things go to hell, quite literally!¡± Her eyes flash in anger. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be saved! I want them to hurt. I want them to suffer! And I don¡¯t care if I go with them as long as I see them scream. You have the power to do that! I thought for a long time about to whom I should pray. To Myrm, who fights for the light and the law which landed me in this cage? Or to Seria, who can only ship me to the afterlife? Or maybe to the one who burned down this world and built anew one from its ashes? They all curse you, you know? But my mother was a teacher before we lost everything because of our debt. She showed me the true historical accounts, and the Mirai were a great people. They had strict laws, yes, but no slavery.¡± I study the girl who can¡¯t be older than fourteen. She is a real blabbermouth for her age. My eyes involuntarily wander into the distance as her situation reminds me of one I found myself in. Being a slave is no fun indeed. I notice her swollen belly, probably to be expected in a situation like hers. Most of the slavers I know like to test the goods if there isn¡¯t a promise that they will sell for much more in an untouched state. The seller notices me and gets up from his stool. ¡°Hey, no talking to the goods. Either you buy, or you leave.¡± With a lumbering step, he approaches and I smile. Reaching into my pocket, I pull out a gold coin and fling it into the air, catching it with ease. ¡°How much? I am afraid that your sorry excuse of a merchandise will require a lot of change.¡± The man¡¯s eyes are drawn to the shining metal, gaining a glint of their own. ¡°Fifty silver. She may be used, but she is young. You will also get two for the price of one if you buy her now.¡± I look down at the slave. ¡°I may get two, but one of them will be a useless mouth to feed. As I see it, that lowers the price significantly. How about giving her to me for free?¡± ¡°Just kill the lil bugger when it¡¯s outside and you have no expenses,¡± he suggests. ¡°Or pay a good healer and cut it out.¡± I study the coin in my hand and fling it from one hand to the other, deciding that I¡¯ve heard enough. While the asshole¡¯s eyes are still following the piece of shiny metal, I reach out and grab his throat, squeezing his windpipe shut. It takes a great amount of experience to do it just right, allowing the victim to breathe just a little bit while ensuring that he can¡¯t scream - and not doing any permanent damage. There is no sound, but he struggles as I pull the sharp edge of my special coin down his forehead, over his eye, and along his cheek, blinding him. He flails, with twitching urgency, but it''s like holding a toddler. I repeat the process for his other eye, creating two deep ridges of rapidly decaying flesh in his face. Then I pull him closer and whisper into his ear. ¡°Tell the world that those who darken it have to answer to the gods.¡± I notice that it¡¯s far too quiet around us and that people are looking in our direction. The closest of them may even have heard what I said. Man, I am way too good at this stuff... I let go of the slaver¡¯s windpipe and he starts screaming while clawing at his face. Falling, he starts rolling over in the mud as he tries to get away and pieces of darkened flesh flake from the cursed wounds. Getting up, he blindly runs down the road and the people part in front of him like water. I pay the subsequently panicking masses behind me no further attention. They are of no consequence to me. Instead, I kneel down to get to eye-level with the girl. ¡°Don¡¯t take this the wrong way. As I said, I am no hero, and I am not going to save you. What I did to your keeper was simply a result of him interrupting us. I don¡¯t like being interrupted.¡± She nods. ¡°Good.¡± I raise the bloody coin so that she can see it. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a chance to save yourself. Actually, you have three choices. Either you send me away now and never summon me again ¨C otherwise, I¡¯ll kill you. Or you let the coin decide. Heads, I¡¯ll kill you now. Tails, I¡¯ll give you the power to escape.¡± ¡°Why the game?¡± she asks, suspicion clear in her voice. ¡°Because I like games, and I won¡¯t just help you for free,¡± I reply, playing with the slippery piece of metal. ¡°Everyone is the smith of his own fate.¡± ¡°I am much better with dice. If we increase the odds, would you be willing to grant me the power to punish all of them?¡± She looks me straight into the eyes. I huff and use force magic to shape the coin into a little, twenty-sided dice. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you from one to fifteen, from sixteen upwards, I will grant you more and more power.¡± ¡°How much power?¡± she asks. I raise both eyebrows, getting annoyed with how long this is taking. ¡°Do you really have the time to question whether I¡¯ll help you or not? I am sure that the city guards are on their way, and if this place gets too annoying, I¡¯ll just pack up and leave.¡± She considers the dice for a moment and then takes the slippery object out of my fingers. Chapter 3 ***The World*** ***Karin*** I take the slippery dice from his fingers, no longer so sure if this was the best ¨C or the worst ¨C idea I ever had. What rode me when I aspired to summon a being the adults only dared to whisper about? When I suggested the dice, I thought it was an incredibly daring all-or-nothing move, betting on the benevolence of something that isn''t known for its benevolence. Now that I am thinking about it, aren¡¯t I purely relying on this being¡¯s goodwill? They said that the advent of the gods created chaos like the world had never seen. The cities in the south are said to lie in ruins. Whole armies are rumoured to have been massacred by divine intervention, just because some sod called out a prayer and was heard. They are saying that calling upon the gods is to call upon a force of nature. A mortal can only hope that he isn''t in the way when these beings decide to intervene in our fate. But who am I to tell? I was just helping with my mother''s accounts when they enslaved us. I was never sent to the local temple for theological studies! Normally, I would never believe the lies of my captors, but maybe they aren¡¯t completely wrong? The people on the streets said it too. It isn''t like I heard these stories only from the asshole who was blinded just now in front of me. They said that calling on powers beyond one¡¯s control would never end well. I weigh the dice in my hand and look up at the god. The metal feels warm and incredibly heavy for such a small object. It¡¯s the first time that I got to hold real gold in my hands. ¡°Well?¡± the god asks impatiently, almost anticipatory. Of what, I am not sure. For some reason, I can tell that he doesn''t see much more value in me than in the slaver who he just maimed like he was a bug. I cast my doubts aside and turn the dice in my fingers, searching for the number twenty. Then I carefully place the dice on the ground, the twenty showing up. ¡°Is this a joke?¡± he asks, staring down at the dice, then at me as if he can read my mind, looking directly into my soul. His completely black eyes are pools of emptiness which seem to suck in the light. I shudder at the sight of him. I fidget inside my cage, feeling the need to run, but something tells me that there is no running, even if I wasn¡¯t locked up. Then I touch the bars of my prison and I suddenly remember why I am here. Whatever he may do to me, it can¡¯t be much worse than what fate had already in store for me. I was to be a slave, a thing to be traded and killed at my owner''s whim. ¡°You didn¡¯t say that I have to throw the dice.¡± He looks at me. ¡°I said, let the dice decide.¡± I try to correct him. ¡°Actually you said: ¡®Let the coin decide.¡¯ And then I changed it to a dice, and you didn¡¯t correct-¡± His forehead furrows, and I lose the confidence to talk back. ¡°A dice has to be thrown,¡± he insists. ¡°Did you just change the bet to a dice instead of a coin, because you thought that I would be impressed by your reinterpretation of the bet?¡± Feeling desperate, I reach out and lift the dice the barest of a millimetre, letting it drop on the spot. It wobbles for a bit but keeps showing the number twenty. ¡°There, I threw it.¡± Then he covers his face with both his hands. ¡°I am actually not sure if I like your cheekiness, or if I should just kill you because it will save me a lot of trouble in the long run.¡± He sighs. ¡°Fine! But I¡¯ll teach you a lesson nonetheless for trying to fuck with me.¡± My eyes bulge when he takes one bar of my cage in each hand and pries them apart like paper, creating a more than generous hole for me to leave the cage. ¡°Get out.¡± I hurry to follow the order, only to be grabbed by my throat when I am halfway outside. Panicking, I flail as he pulls me out the rest of the way and throws me onto my back. I squirm, fearing the worst, but he kneels down on my chest in a not so gentle manner and places a hand on my forehead, fixing me against the dirty ground. Screaming, I try to get help, but the streets are empty. Everyone else proved their wits by running away. They are probably still running, leaving me and the other slaves behind! Just like they didn''t care when they walked past us on the streets! Fuckers! All of them! They only ever care about their own hide. ¡°Shhh. This will just become worse if you resist.¡± ¡°What are you doing!?¡± I squeal, terror creeping back into my voice and replacing the rage I just felt. ¡°Giving you the power you wanted.¡± With a gesture and a grin on his face, the dice flies into his hand and he raises the bloody thing directly in front of my eye. In front of my face, the dice opens up, almost as if it had a mouth, reshaping itself into a ghastly tool, a green light emanating from it. I squeal like a slaughtered pig when he pushes the dice into my left eye, probably popping it in the process. A sharp pain drills directly into my brain, and for a moment it feels like I can see everything. The god¡¯s shining aura is directly in front of me, almost blinding me to the web of infinite possibilities and energy that stretches out all around us. And for a small moment, I understand that there is no good or evil. No black or white. No light and dark. Those are all concepts made by humans. Instead, there is just¡­ being. I can''t do anything about the certainty of this realization, about the knowledge that I now wished I had never been aware of. I was a fool for challenging a god. It hurts so much, it feels like my mind is falling apart as the god forces more power into me than I am able to hold. And so I sink into the darkness. Down into the cold web of pain that envelopes my entire being. *Slap!* I open my eyes and am face to face with a man. No... that''s not what he is. It''s the god. ¡°What?¡± Something licks my cheek, and turn my head to look at the adorable white kitten... until I realize that I can see through it. ¡°That''s not for eating,¡± the god chides the cat, waving a warning finger at the familiar. Using one arm, he hurls me to my feet. Once I am standing without risk of falling over right away, he picks up the cat, petting it. ¡°I know that you didn''t have something nice to eat in days. I would also get stomach pains if I had to eat humans all the time. Much too much fat on those.¡± ¡°I-¡± I croak, trying to cope with my new vision. There are numbers everywhere. ¡°What are all those numbers? What do the colours mean?¡± I look down at myself and a large, green four appears on my chest. ¡°No clue. You will have to find out for yourself. I used a new form of clairvoyance magic on you, an experimental vision-spell I was playing around with for a while. You should be able to see magic with it, see probabilities. Maybe you will even be able to predict a part of the future? Who knows. Wild magic is a little finicky in its manifestation. You will never know the exact outcome,¡± he explains nonchalantly. Telling me to the face that he just used me as an experiment. ¡°But I just wanted power! What use is seeing numbers!?¡± I complain before I can stop myself. Luckily, the god doesn''t seem to be offended. ¡°Well, apart from that, I did some things to strengthen your soul. Either you will pop in the next few days, or you will be a first real success. Though, you probably don''t really count because you were on your way to ascension anyway. Most souls fail at some vital crossroad. Ascending on your own is like rolling twenty a hundred times in a row. What numbers do you see?¡± ¡°I have no idea what you are talking about, but aside from other numbers, there is a large, green four when I look down at myself. There are also numbers in different colours, smaller ones, but the large green ones are dominant. When I look at you, there is a twenty... and your cat is a nine?¡± He mumbles something I don''t understand. ¡°Those are most likely power levels on a logarithmic scale.¡± ¡°Log- arit- mik?¡± ¡°Ah, feudal societies... just think of a one as the weakest. A two should be ten times stronger than the one, and a three ten times stronger than the two. Do you get it? You helped your mother doing the accounts, so you should be fine with numbers.¡± I watch his gaze on me as try to do the math in my head, but I quickly give up. ¡°That can''t be.¡± I point at him. ¡°That would mean that the kitten could sneeze at me and I would die!¡± He rolls his eyes. ¡°That''s the problem with mortals, Fluffy. They see something and immediately put it into a labelled compartment. Like thinking that something that looks like a kitten must also be as powerful as a kitten.¡± He looks at something behind me. ¡°And there are the city guards. Time for me to leave.¡± ¡°W- wait!¡± But he vanishes in a shower of sparks, and one of the lines of power in my vision lights up as his... essence?... is pulled along. Reaching out, I feel nothing of this insubstantial web which I can see but not touch. Turning, I check out what the god meant when he mentioned town guards and true enough, a whole bunch of them is coming up the street. They are in their usual leather armour and equipped with spears. Moments later I find myself inside a half-circle, weapons pointed at me.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Blinking, I slowly raise my hands, wondering why they all have zeroes hovering in front of their chests. The god said that ''one'' is the weakest, so what''s a zero supposed to mean? A man who looks like he is in charge steps forward, pointing a sword at me. He is a large and broad-shouldered fellow with a big beerbelly, which immediately lowers my opinion of him. ¡°Don''t resist, heretic! You will be charged for summoning a god with the intention to injure your legal owner!¡± I raise my shackled hands, showing him the chains as rage bubbles up within me. They dare to accuse me!? ¡°Are you insane!? How could I hurt anyone like this!?¡± I point at the other slaves in their cages. ¡°You should be saving us! You monsters! Not protecting an asshole who buys and sells people!¡± ¡°Shut up! Dirty slave.¡± The commander steps forward and brings his sword down on me. I shriek, seeing my whole, short life flash by. My hands rise involuntarily to defend against the blow, but it probably just means trading an arm instead of my head. Some of his numbers move against mine, as if checking something, and then his sword bounces off of me like a plush pillow. The both of us are stunned and I can¡¯t believe that I wasn¡¯t cut down like the peasant I am. His face flushing red, the commander strikes me two more times before I realize that I have no problems anticipating his blows. The third time, I catch the blade and rip it out of his hands. While he stumbles backwards, I start chuckling, insanity creeping into my voice. ¡°He didn¡¯t lie. He really gave me the power!¡± The commander points at me, hurrying to get behind his men. ¡°Kill her!¡± ***The World*** ***Ascathon*** ¡°A bath! A real bath! We didn¡¯t feel so clean in days, Fluffy.¡± My pet voices its consent, although much less enthused. I carry it into Studio 7, grinning from ear to ear. This time, there are much fewer deities present. There are only Nazareth, Marigold and Seria, who are standing in front of a large map of the world, which was pinned to the wall opposite the entrance. ¡°Guys! You are still working so late?¡± I grin and check out Seria''s heart-shaped butt, an asset she likes to show off by wearing revealing dresses. I especially like today''s blue bodycon dress. It''s a mystery to me why a blonde bombshell who parades around like that wouldn''t want my attention, but she sneers at me in displeasure when she turns around. ¡°What do you want?¡± she asks briskly. ¡°Nothing. Just a little chat with my co-workers,¡± I answer, unfazed by her attitude. That''s simply how it is between us. Her eyes narrow and she snorts. ¡°You only ever try to socialize when you want something.¡± ¡°Oh, fine.¡± I sigh. ¡°I just wanted to know the current status quo.¡± ¡°Had you not fallen asleep, you would know.¡± She crosses her arms in front of her chest, barring my view. ¡°Have mercy on me. I am just some poor conscripted evildoer. Don''t hate me for being who I am. It''s Tjenemit''s fault for forcing me into this gig. If it weren''t for him, you wouldn''t see or hear anything of me.¡± Finally, Marigold has some mercy on me. ¡°Truth be told, we didn''t get much done before the teleportation terror started again.¡± ¡°Teleportation Terror, I like that!¡± I quip, and the half-orc glares at me. After a few seconds of uncomfortable silence, I decide to apologize for interrupting. ¡°Sorry. Please continue.¡± ¡°As you can probably imagine, having two dozen people with demanding personalities in the same room isn''t easy. We tried to sort out various conflicts between the gods, but quickly had to admit that that''s impossible. It''s hard to argue a point when both sides are just doing their job. In the end, we decided that Seria would play our spokesperson for now, and that we would sort out any real issues among the whole pantheon,¡± he finishes his explanation. I wave my hand. ¡°So the only real rules remain the same as Tjenemit first stated?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Seria admits. ¡°Though, I think that''s a terribly inefficient way of dealing with it. Conflicts are bound to happen between deities with polar opposites and we need a way to resolve those conflicts. Tjenemit already barred us from fighting each other, which wasn''t a bad idea. Otherwise, the planet would lie in ruins within days. I only think that the opposite won''t work for long either. Handling every case on a first come, first serve basis also has the potential to spiral out of control.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± I nod. ¡°You mean, what happens when the god of love is summoned by the neglected mistress, and then the god of hate is summoned by the betrayed wife... or something of that sort. Is one god allowed to undo the work of another? Quite the dilemma... but I think I have a solution for that.¡± ¡°You have?¡± Nazareth perks up. ¡°Yes.¡± I display my hands in a helpless gesture. ¡°If I am able to do something about the problem, then I will. If I can''t, then I can''t. I think you guys are getting too caught up in this god-nonsense. Ultimately, that''s not what Tjenemit wants from us. He wants us to identify candidates for ascendancy before they manage to awaken on their own. The Council doesn''t care about a few mortals. Just see yourselves as a force of nature and do what the mortals want. Who cares if their wishes land them in devil''s kitchen?¡± They regard me, not looking convinced at all. ¡°The other solution would be for all of us to select a few avatars who represent us and have them battle it out.¡± Which I already did... ''cause... who wouldn''t do such an obvious thing when you are barred from fighting openly? Not that I want the other gods to come to the same conclusion. ¡°But that would be childish, wouldn''t it?¡± Marigold pulls down the corners of his mouth, appalled. ¡°Let''s not do that.¡± I clap my hands together, relieved that they are apparently above such things. Less competition for me. ¡°Fine! Then what else is new?¡± We continue our chat for quite some time until Nazareth is called away by the world enchantment, probably to show some poor sod the way home. The conversation dies down afterwards, and both Seria and Marigold decide to take care of their own business. Which leaves me to myself. Well, there is Fluffy, but my companion can only be so much entertainment. I retrieve a pocket watch from my robes and realize that a few hours passed since I started my newest experiment. I sure took my time in the bath. Time to check in on how the test subject is doing. So I allow my instincts to choose the right pathway and return to... Okay... A town no more... Looking around, I try to find something recognizable among the smouldering rubble, the burned corpses, slaughtered guards, thrashed buildings. It takes a few moments to take in the devastation. ¡°Ooh, quite the busy student you are, young padawan. Who would have thought that the little girl has so much potential for the dark side?¡± I mumble to myself while I walk in the direction from which I sense the most power, passing a screaming peasant who is missing everything beneath his hips. The girl who I bestowed some power on turned out to be quite an energetic lass. The whole time we talked, she seemed so full of doubt and fear. I didn''t suspect that she would really just... fucking kill everything in sight! Some furry things like dogs and rats impede my path, and I notice that Karin didn''t spare even the pets. Talk about how granting mortals some power can mess up their heads... I step over a corpse which was torn in half, careful not to sully my shoes. A few mice scurry away from the free meat, and Fluffy perks up, following them very attentively with his ears. A little further away, a pile of corpses was erected, the bodies carelessly thrown on top of each other. Dogs and a few carrion birds are already gouging themselves the banquet. Taking my time, I make a big circle around the obstacle which seems to be a study in gruesomeness. My evasive path turns out to be a futile attempt to go easy on my sense of smell. Scenes of carnage are nothing new to me, but I have no innate need to revel in the results. I find my pupil hacking away on the squealing body of some paladin ¨C or at least a fellow who looks like one. The silver plate armour, filled with religious symbols, doesn''t allow for a wide range of interpretation. What''s even more obvious, is that the girl is tired. Her swings barely cut into the man''s armour, but she persists nonetheless, chopping away on him like on some piece of wood. That''s when I become witness to a minor miracle. My apprentice''s victim raises his hand in a feeble gesture towards the sky and spouts some pleading nonsense about Order and God, then a sudden flash of brilliant white conjures Myrm right in front of my eyes. His arrival is accompanied by a flash of light and a wave of force which shoves the girl back. Myrm looks around, seeming as disorientated as I am when the world enchantment decides to fuck with me. ¡°By the nine hells! This is a massacre! Who did this!?¡± He finds his worshipper on the ground, then the girl who is trying to get to her feet, and then his eyes land on me. ¡°Youuu...¡± I give him a wave. ¡°Hi!¡± ¡°Are you responsible for this!?¡± Myrm walks towards me, the loose visor of his helmet bobbing a little, so he quickly adjusts it. It begs the question whether Myrm is making a habit of living inside his suit... I consider the idea... and find it not so incongruous, given our situation of being teleported anywhere at any moment. ¡°Nonono. Stay right there and keep calm.¡± Shaking my head, I deny the accusation with vim and vigour. ¡°I did nothing of the sort. If you would allow me to explain, then you would see yourself that this scene doesn''t need your intervention. In fact, you should thank us for doing your job.¡± Myrm stops haltingly, then looks back at his worshipper who points an accusing finger at the girl who is dragging her sword over the ground, towards him. ¡°D- D- Demon! She massacred everyone!¡± Myrm turns around to intercept my experiment, but I step forward and stop him by holding onto his shoulder. ¡°You should really know the whole story before you intervene.¡± Surprisingly, he turns around and listens while I explain the chain of events to him. For the time being, we ignore the two mortals who are trying to kill each other. It even looks like we can come to a mutual understanding, right up until he shakes his head. ¡°You are probably right that the girl has reasons to behave as she does, but if you aren¡¯t lying, then she needs help!¡± He points at me. ¡°Instead of helping her, you gave a mentally unstable individual a gun and let her loose among unarmed people! You are the worst person I ever met! I should kill you and-¡± The head of the paladin bounces off Myrm¡¯s helmet and the both of us turn our attention to the girl and the beheaded corpse to her feet. ¡°Fuck off, whichever god you are! I already got everything I ever wanted and if you were good for anything, then you wouldn¡¯t appear to help people who enslave others! Do you have any idea what they did to us? What I had to do when they... Mom... when they...¡± She starts sobbing incoherently. ¡°You failed to help your worshipper...¡± I mumble. But then again¡­ the guy was just some mortal. Not someone who deserved any attention. Even beneath his helmet, Myrm looks almost offended. ¡°I never said I would. And if you aren¡¯t lying and telling me a whole shitload of crap, then these people are misguided in their beliefs.¡± He steps towards the girl. ¡°Come with me. I will bring you to a place of healing where they can deal with illnesses of the mind.¡± Surprising even me, the girl spits at Myrm. Then, before the shocked god of Order can react, she stabs her own blade into her pregnant belly, twisting it around in a manner that can only result in death. Reaching inside herself, she pulls, creating a horrible mess as her innards and a baby spill out of her as she falls to her knees, screaming. On a scale of gruesome, fucked-up ways of committing suicide, I silently applaud and give the girl a ten out of ten. Myrm reaches up, trying to cover his mouth, but the visor is in the way. ¡°Child, what did you do?¡± Myrm is at her side in an instant, casting an ineffective healing spell. ¡°Why is my magic not working?¡± I scratch the stubble of my beard, unsure of what to say. ¡°I suppose it¡¯s because you are obviously really bad at healing magic. No, you outright suck at spells! How did you become a god? No, forget it. Are you sure that you are a god of light? Ah, and my own spells might be interfering with yours. I laid a pretty dense set of experimental enchantments on her.¡± Myrm lowers the child to the ground, almost motherly, even as the girl takes her last breath as she is bleeding out. Being gutted tends to do that to a person quite quickly. ¡°This is all your doing.¡± He looks around at the ruins. ¡°You are a monster. Don¡¯t you feel anything at seeing this?¡± I survey our surroundings, indulging Myrm by making a show of taking a good, long look. Then I shrug. ¡°They are just mortals. Do you care about the ants beneath your shoes?¡± I look down at my experiment. ¡°But if you really want to know what I feel, I am intrigued. I actually might like the girl! She has guts!¡± Ahem... her guts are now all on the floor, but I think Myrm knows the expression. Stepping closer, I take the corpse out of Myrm¡¯s arms, despite sullying myself. Then I walk away. ¡°What are you going to do? Where are you taking her?¡± Turning around, I regard my opposite. ¡°You still don¡¯t understand why the other gods are so afraid of my soul magic?¡± I grin. ¡°It¡¯s because even death is no escape. Not for my minions, and certainly not for my enemies.¡± Winking, I take a pathway. Chapter 4 ***The World*** ***Ascathon*** I appear in my hidden hideout, humming happily as I carry the corpse down a long corridor and into my laboratory. My personal place is a huge, hollowed-out cavern deep down in the world''s crust, layered so heavily with protection spells that pretty much nobody has access to it. It''s only possible to enter by using the pathways and by knowing exactly where to go. It''s my little safe-haven, though I have a suspicion that it won''t help me against the Council''s world-enchantment. That would require me to disconnect this place completely from the flow of energy which links the amulet around my neck to the world. I suppose it would be possible if my laboratory didn''t happen to be on the exact same world on which the Council stationed me for their experiment. I take a moment to ponder that little fact. Out of the countless worlds throughout the multiverse, they chose exactly the place where I set up my hideout. It''s possible that they simply made their choice based on the assumption that I have a hidden base on this world. But throughout the centuries I have learned to always make my decisions based on the worst possible scenario. That would mean that they can track my movements and know where I tend to disappear to. Which means that they know about my hideout, but can''t enter it without causing attention or expending a lot of energy. Somehow I doubt that people with an ego like Tjenemit''s would hold back on educating me on my weaknesses. If he could, he would already be here and lording it over me like some petulant bully. Not to mention El Shaddai, the leader of the Council. If there is an opportunity to make someone weaker than him kowtow, then he takes it. The only grace is that I hopefully went beneath their radar up until now. The only Council member who I was unfortunate enough to have regular contact with is Tjenemit. He is powerful, yes, but at the same time, he isn¡¯t the brightest of the bunch. I look down at the pale body in my arms. One might think that she is already dead, but thanks to my enchantments there is still a spark of life in there. Karin impressed me by gouging out her own innards, proving that her hatred for whatever was done to her is stronger than her will to live. She even was ready to abandon the life that was growing inside of her. A move I would have also taken, had I been raped. When she negotiated with me I took a few short glimpses into her mind and what I saw was a confused child who had to endure more than someone her age should. I guess that¡¯s also why she isn¡¯t behaving like a child her age should. Just by looking at her, I can tell that her soul is strong. In her past lives, she must have become pretty strong several times, but she hasn''t quite reached the threshold that''s necessary to keep some of her memories. While Fluffy is scurrying around the room, innocently playing with some of its toys which are splayed out on the floor, I put Karin down on an operating table in the left section of my lab. Even if I revived Karin right now with healing magic, there would probably be too much brain damage for her soul to connect properly with her physical body. So, first I have to repair the damage and improve on some things. Luckily, I acquired some pretty nifty gadgets from other worlds. The multiverse is full of crafty people, so a god just has to know where to go when he needs something. There are worlds out there which are so advanced that even medicine is sold in form of neat, automated devices. I have pretty much no clue about biology, medicine, or healing altogether, so having a stash of this equipment is always handy. All I have is a high-level healing spell which I learned from a powerful priest. Then I trained it for months until I started casting it half asleep. There is also some of the necromantic knowledge which was imparted on me by an immortal benefactor who I always regarded as family. Sadly, she vanished and I never found out where she went, something that happens to a lot of new gods. I have an inkling that the Council is responsible, but there is no proof. Getting to work, I get girl''s body cleaned up and inject her with some medicine-injector that''s supposed to help with cell regeneration. Though, one of the medical scanners informs me that the damage is so extensive that I should consider replacing her innards altogether. Wandering off, I rummage through the forlorn hall, searching through my impressive assembly of abandoned experiments. Good twenty minutes later, I return with a large, red orb. It''s a monster core which I ripped out of a dragon patriarch who crossed me. Some of the more powerful creatures in the multiverse develop a core of solid mana crystal which interfaces with their bodies. It''s a weakened version of the true, blue mana crystals which can be found at the middle of all things. In my research, I gathered several of these cores, since they seem to be the key to artificially created mana crystals. Creatures with such cores also have it indefinitely easier to manipulate mana. On the other hand, a core is a big weakness that will be targeted by enemies who know about it, so I am not a fan of having one. For the girl, though, it will be a big upgrade and help in healing her body. After inserting the core into her abdomen, I attach her to various healing machines which should aid in blood regeneration and cell replacement. To aid the process, I get a med-kit from a technologically advanced world. Upon placing the robot in the form of a suitcase on her chest, the machine unfolds like a cage above her and starts automatically administering first-aid. I watch as the med-kit sews her wounds shut after scanning her body. Spending a minute to ensure that there won''t be any scars, I watch the process and use some of my necromantic knowledge to rid the girl''s body of some of its mortal flaws. Then, all that''s left to do is to wait for her to wake up. Scowling at my hands, I turn to Fluffy, who is licking up some of the gore which dripped off the operating table. ¡°We both need a bath.¡± Bending down, I try to pick up the kitten, but find myself under a dark night''s sky. ¡°Not again!¡± My scream resounds wide and loud through the empty wilderness around me. Groaning, I get back up to deal with whatever shit the world enchantment decided to throw at me. I guess that I should be happy that I wasn¡¯t interrupted while operating on Karin. I am inside a pentagram made out of blood, most likely taken from the group of moaning and crying mortals who are lying in their death throes just a few feet away. ¡°God! Ascathon, you heard my plea!¡± A man in black plate armour falls to his knees, grovelling in front of me and giggling madly. ¡°Ever since you answered my call, I tried to gain your attention for further instruction!¡± Watching him squirm, I get the feeling that he doesn¡¯t have all his marbles together. I clear my throat, not certain of what to say. ¡°Who are you?¡± He looks up, but his non-distinct face rings no bells. No wonder, because I tend to remember most mortals by their clothes. It''s easier that way. For example, torn rags are easiest remembered as generic peasant A, or, people in leather armour as random soldier Z. Though... black plate armour is new. ¡°I am too unworthy of your indoctrination? I beg you to forgive me! In my quest for seeing you again, I weathered storms and monsters, bandits and even other gods! It¡¯s a miracle that I survived!¡± ¡°I see,¡± I grumble. It slowly dawns on me that this might be the warrior who I first met when this whole debacle began. I kind of flipped out that day and gave my best to break him, having him massacre enemies and comrades alike, just to teach him the folly of mortals. ¡°I set out on a quest after receiving your guidance! In your name, I slew everyone who wished to exert their will over others!¡± ¡°That''s good,¡± I answer, hoping that he gets on with it. ¡°I struck them down in the most heinous ways, ensuring that their suffering isn''t over quickly!¡± He points at the group of moaning people. ¡°I even started recruiting for a holy order in your name! The Knights of Chaos will spread your will into the farthest corners of the land! We will tear down the suppression of the light wherever we can find it!¡± Okay, let''s take a step back. I think this guy didn''t get the hint. I never wanted a group of people to pray to me. ¡°Stop it. Didn''t I tell you that I don''t want to be worshipped? You were supposed to make sure that people don''t summon me randomly!¡± ¡°Yes, and I thought long and hard about how to accomplish such a twisted task. Because, which god doesn''t want to be acknowledged? That''s when I realized that only if people actually believe in you, they won''t accidentally summon you like I did! When I called upon you the first time, I also didn''t actually expect to be answered. Hence, I gathered a group of people and indoctrinated them to spread your teachings.¡± Does that mean that there are already mortals running all over the place, preaching in my name!? I open my mouth to protest but stop myself just in time. I raise a hand but fail to find the weakness in his twisted logic. The fellow has a few screws loose, but he is right that the random summons won''t stop if people aren''t aware that I am real. If they believe in me, then at least the coincidental summons won''t happen that frequently... which gives me more time to take care of my own stuff.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°Okay, maybe you are right,¡± I admit. ¡°How do you intend to spread my word?¡± ¡°With my battle-ax, my lord! We will split their heads and chop off their arms, just like you taught me to!¡± He hefts his oversized weapon which was lying next to him, a wicked two-bladed halberd. I refrain from educating him on the differences between an axe and a halberd. ¡°We will propagate the freedom of thought, fighting oppression with violence of the most heinous sort! We will bath in their blood until even the most wicked of them realize the errors of their ways!¡± I don''t think that will actually work, but just maybe it will? It can''t hurt me to let him do as he pleases... for now. ¡°Okay. We will do the following. You will found this Order, and then you will build me a castle as the base of a new, enlightened country. Inside it, there will be a temple, dedicated to me.¡± That should keep him busy for a while. ¡°Then you can call me again and I will give you a set of rules of how to proceed.¡± And if he fails and dies, then that''s one problem off my mind. ***The World*** ***Karin*** I awoke in something akin to a grotto. The cool air causes me to shiver as I notice the cold metal on my naked skin. Surveying my surroundings, I freeze in shock at the sight of beeping artefacts with blinking lights, some of them connected to me. I look down on myself in horror, counting dozens of needles stabbed through my skin. Did someone try to torture me while I was unconscious? Then the memories come back and I shudder, hoping that everything was just a bad dream. Though, another part of me wishes at the same time that it was real. That I had succeeded in punishing those who had wronged me and my family. That I had brought down hell upon them with my own hands. And then I committed suicide. Strange, shouldn''t I hurt much more than I do? Do dead people feel pain? I pat down my body, which feels fine aside from the needles. Suddenly, I remember that I was stupid enough to strike a bargain with a deity who was associated with necromancy and undeath! But to my surprise, I find no definite proof of being some kind of zombie. My skin is smooth and unblemished, bare of any scars. Even the birthmark next to my belly button is gone. Though a little pale, my previously anorexic body is now almost healthy. Any signs of the months of slavery I had endured were gone. For some reason, my body was now in a perfect condition. But my clothes were still a gory reminder of what had transpired. So I didn''t dream. My hands start shaking as I try to pull out some of the needles which connect me through tubes to various artefacts, unknown fluids flowing through them. This isn¡¯t some kind of afterlife. Someone put me back together. ¡°Meow?¡± I stiffen and look down at where the sound came from. The god¡¯s kitten is sitting there, looking up at me with its head tilted. ¡°You gave me a fright.¡± I sigh in relief and continue my work, trying to ignore the strangeness of my surroundings. The cavern looks too unnatural for me to be comfortable with it. The walls are far away, but even from a distance, I can see that they are too smooth. Then there is the ground which looks like obsidian. Is this truly a cave, or am I inside a building? But shouldn¡¯t a building have windows? Glancing up, I study the unnatural lights at the ceiling which illuminate the large space with more power than any candle could. I¡¯ve seen magicians use magic to summon light-globes, but they always had to power the spell personally. There are stories about ancient magitech which is capable of feats which seem impossible with today¡¯s standards. Many adventurers explore the ruins of ancient civilisations to gather the remnants our predecessors left behind. But I am just a village girl. All I can go by are the stories I heard from others. My silent musings are interrupted by the appearance of the god. Out of nowhere, he appears in a flash of sparks and flicks my forehead with a finger. ¡°Are you trying to undo all my work?¡± He looks down at the kitten. ¡°Do you see that? You save someone and they repay you by trying to kill themselves.¡± Taking one of the many artefacts on the table with the blinking lights next to us, he aims it at me. ¡°You are lucky. It seems like you haven¡¯t undone any of my work with your hastiness to get up.¡± He puts the instrument aside. ¡°Wh- What would have happened?¡± I ask, unsure of how to address him. ¡°I would have had to redo everything of course¡­ and this time you wouldn¡¯t have had the luxury of being unconscious.¡± He gestures for me to get up. ¡°What did you do to me? What do you want? I- I never told you to save me.¡± The words are out before I can stop myself. He shakes his head, looking mirthful. ¡°It seems like we have a slight misunderstanding. The gods aren¡¯t under some kind of compulsion to help mortals. Well, we are, but as you probably heard, the mortal¡¯s well-being is secondary to us. There is a deeper meaning to our reasons, and I care not a bit about a single person¡¯s fate. Now, get up and follow me while I explain your situation.¡± I do as told and get to my feet, feeling a little strange. My body¡¯s movements are a little off and it¡¯s only then that I realize that I somehow grew a few centimetres. It doesn¡¯t change the fact that the strange man is still towering above me. Now that I get a real look at his handsome face, I realize that his short-cut hair is as black as the fine leather he is wearing. At some point, he cleaned himself up, now looking more like a real god. His choice of wardrobe is a mixture of leather and a robe, all kept in black. His eyes though, two orbs of dark emptiness which seem to suck in all the light. They draw me in like a noble¡¯s jewels at the market. More so, I can¡¯t look away. He nods, gesturing for me to follow, weaving a path through the artefacts inside the grotto. ¡°Your determination impressed me. I gave you the power, but I never thought you capable of burning down that village. And ripping out the flesh of your own body just to-¡± ¡°Please stop!¡± I call out, not wanting to remember any of it. My hands ball into fists and my whole body shakes in rage as I am reminded of my weakness, my inability to protect myself. ¡°It will never happen again. Before that, I¡¯ll kill myself. Now I know that I can do it! Just tell me why you brought me back,¡± I whisper. He waves his hand in a circling gesture. ¡°I wanted to make you an offer you can¡¯t refuse. Become my assistant and help me handle my affairs on this world. You will speak in my name and spread my will. Of course, you need to be taught first.¡± I look down at the floor, trying to sort out the implications of such an offer. ¡°I would become like the necromantic empress? The Mirai princess who conquered the world and ruled it for a thousand years? They said she was a god but was she, in reality, your puppet?¡± I look down, searching the floor for the ghost-cat which is a trademark for the Mirai necromancers. In every story, the Mirai always appear with their familiars, ghost cats. But the fluffy thing is nowhere to be seen. ¡°Ha!¡± He snorts and deviates from his previous path. ¡°Let me show you something. The faster you get the reality of things, the easier it will be for me. First, there are other worlds out there. Countless worlds! Second, there is something you would call an immortal soul. The strength of the soul determines your lot in life. There are mortals, like you. If you die, you enter the stream of souls. Some also call it the white planes. There, you are nothing more than energy, drifting through the multiverse until you find a proper anchor point in reality, a physical body. Once you reincarnate on one of the countless worlds by being reborn, you may or may not retain the memories of your past life or lives.¡± He continues his mad speech, dropping more information on me than I can handle at the moment. But I don¡¯t dare to interrupt him, so that means to just shut up and listen to whatever he is willing to share. ¡°Mortals, such as you, have the shittiest lot. They forget everything during the reincarnation process and have to start as clean slates. Then there are a lucky few who managed to live very long lives several times in a row, allowing their soul to grow stronger and become more deeply connected to the physical plains. Those people may become immortals at some point, people who remember their past lives. ¡°Once an immortal breaks through the threshold which separates their physical anchor from their soul, they gain access to immense power. They are able to tap into the streams of power which connect the entire multiverse, the pathways. As far as mortals are concerned, those beings may as well be gods. They hold enough power at their fingertip to lay waste to entire worlds.¡± We walk in silence, and I realize that he is giving me time to come to terms with what he just said. ¡°Excuse me, but that¡¯s not how the temple teaches it. They say that depending on your deeds, you will end up in heaven or hell...¡± ¡°Pah!¡± He waves his hand. ¡°Do you want to believe the guy who is able to actually take your soul, or the charlatans who are trying to befuddle your wits and turn you into a compliant little slave?¡± There isn¡¯t much to think about. ¡°The one who can hold souls in his hands?¡± ¡°Good choice!¡± He grumbles. ¡°Where were we? Oh, right! Souls. I only chose you because I see potential in you to become like me. Otherwise, I would never bother myself with a mortal. They die and then they are gone. Become too attached to them and you will end up with a broken heart. That brings me back to dying. Avoid that at all costs. Like I said, even immortals pay the price of reincarnation with lost memories and the earlier in life you die, the steeper the price becomes.¡± We arrive at two large glass-tubes, large enough to hold a human. One is empty, but inside the other is a woman so beautiful that I am left speechless. With pale skin and raven-black hair, she could as well be the god¡¯s sister. Dressed in a regal regalia made out of gold, even in her seemingly comatose state, she makes my breath stutter just by watching her. ¡°Let me introduce you. Nova Mirai, the bane of the world, as they now call me. The one who told the idiots up above that slavery and suppression of free will is bad and all the other things they didn¡¯t want to hear.¡± He wriggles his fingers mockingly. ¡°And as it stands, my former body. Until I decided to kill myself.¡± I force my eyes away from the glass sarcophagus and look at him. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say that dying is bad? And why are you a man now?¡± That hints at some peculiarities to his character I could have gone without knowing. ¡°Yes.¡± He scratches his chin. ¡°But I had my reasons for killing myself. Scientific ones and the hope to escape the Council. Alas, that didn¡¯t work as planned. Nonetheless, I am happy to be a man again.¡± Waving his hand, he gestures for me to turn around. ¡°But that isn¡¯t important to you. The reason I showed you this was just to make a point of my teachings. Reincarnation always fucks with you, so don¡¯t try it for fun.¡± If he means that it fucks with someone¡¯s mind, then I¡¯ll gladly accept the warning. He has to know. He guides me to another part of the grotto, where its ceiling lowers down and the walls narrow into a long corridor. I realize that the grotto itself is a tear-shaped space and that we are now leaving through the tip of the tear. To each side of the corridor are doors, and the obsidian floor is replaced with an elaborate and expensive looking carpet. It makes the area far more hospitable than the dark and ominous grotto. The god gives me a quick introduction, pointing at doors as we walk. ¡°These lead to storage spaces. Then we have a pool and sanitary facilities, followed by living quarters and a kitchen to the left. Personal bedrooms to the right. Pick any you want, except for the first two. They are already in use and won¡¯t open for you.¡± ¡°Two are in use?¡± I ask. ¡°Yes. One for me and the other belongs to my maid. She takes care of these facilities while I am gone.¡± He suddenly calls out, making me flinch, ¡°Willow! Where are you slouching around?¡± ¡°Ascathon? You are back.¡± A voice comes from where the god indicated the living rooms to be. ¡°What was that yesterday? You just stormed into your laboratory with that corpse in your arms and completely ignored me.¡± A woman with silver skin and white hair steps into the corridor, parading her complete nakedness without an ounce of shame. Her milky, white eyes settle on me, and she grins, giving me goosebumps. Raising her arms and involuntarily pushing her ridiculously huge assets together, she pouts upon seeing my obvious rejection for whatever she had in mind for me. My eyes are naturally drawn to the bouncy display and I look down at my own nubile body. It feels stupid, especially after the experiences I had with men, but just by looking at her I feel somehow diminished. Then she squeals. ¡°Look at that! You revived the cutie! Will we adopt her?¡± Ascathon shakes his head. ¡°Don¡¯t call it an adoption. I will make her my avatar in the world once she is ready. Which means that you will teach her the ropes. That reminds me, I still have to tell you about the latest shit the Council dropped on me.¡± The woman approaches with long elegant strides, allowing me to see every inch of her perfectly smooth body. My heart sinks at seeing a big, green eleven hovering in front of her bouncy assets. Then I blush upon noticing that there is not a single hair on her perfect body, except for the smooth, white mane on her head. Before I can stop her, she picks me up, crushing me to her chest. ¡°You are really giving her to me? She must be special if you took an interest in her.¡± The god chuckles. ¡°Right now she is an unhewn stone, Willow. But I see the potential to turn her into a diamond.¡± Chapter 5 ***The World*** ***Ascathon*** ¡°Good. Now that you two are introduced, I''ll see to my godly duties.¡± Fixing Karin with my gaze, I add, ¡°Just make sure not to adopt Willow''s clothing habits.¡± I glance at Williow. ¡°Or lack thereof.¡± ¡°Hey,¡± Willow complains, placing her fists on her hips. ¡°What''s wrong with being naked at home? Normally, there is nobody here who hasn''t already seen me in the nude.¡± ¡°You associate too much with Seria,¡± I reply harshly. ¡°How often did I tell you that she can''t be trusted.¡± Willow shrugs and looks away while playing with a strand of her white hair. ¡°Seria is a nice gal once you get to know her. It''s just that she has some kind of problem with you and she refuses to share the reason. Besides, a woman doesn''t have to be untrustworthy, just because she refuses to play around with you.¡± I throw up my hands in the air. ¡°It''s not about her liking or disliking me. If I want to, I can have plenty of women as beautiful as her. What I am concerned with is that she is hiding something important. I can smell it! Tjenemit might be too caught up in his own ego to see it, but there is more to her than meets the eye. She may even be a spy for one of the other Council members.¡± And as much as I dislike Tjenemit, he is still better than having El Shaddai''s attention. Or worse, being subject to one of the other psychos. ¡°That may be true, but all of the immortals are hiding something. It''s in our character. We are wilful, we hunger for power, and we like to play the long game. Those are the traits that set you on the path for godhood. You can hardly blame others for hiding their secrets - just like you do.¡± She pokes her finger into my chest, almost accusingly. I slap her hand away and concentrate my attention on the girl instead. Maybe it''s not too late to turn at least her into a decent person. ¡°That went way too far off topic. Just remember-¡± ¡°Don''t worry,¡± Karin cuts me off. ¡°You won''t be seeing me running around naked.¡± ¡°That''s a good girl,¡± I reply. Willow digs her index finger into Karin''s cheek. ¡°Aw, don''t be so uptight, it''s unbecoming of a child who should enjoy life. But don''t worry. I''ll teach you the proper perspective.¡± Rolling my eyes, I decide to use the chance to flee the scene by using a pathway back to the middle of all things. It''s certainly rude to teleport out on them like that, but I don''t owe them anything. I appear right in the central plaza of the Crystal City, a place buzzing with life and creatures of all races. When I first experienced it, I had a hard time believing that all of them were gods. Especially coming to terms with the seemingly constantly ongoing explosion of colours and the clash of cultures from different worlds wasn''t easy. I weave through the crowd of mostly humanoid people, each of them either trying to sell or to buy various goods. The circular area of the plaza is so full of vendors that it''s hard to find a way through. And if it seems like an easy path to get through opens up, it is instantly clogged by two haggling parties. Seeing that it is an especially busy day, I consider teleporting directly to my destination, but I decide against it for the sake of moving my legs. Shopping in this place always takes quite a bit of time, since gods have no true currency. I was told that the Council tried once to establish a unified currency for trade between deities, but it quickly became clear that immortals as a whole are far too opportunistic to make anything like that feasible. There is no material in the multiverse a god wouldn''t be able to acquire in vast amounts if they put their mind to it, and any other sort of easily distributable currency would be counterfeited within days. The natural result is that gods tend to trade the fruits of their labour for another''s goods. Some even go as far as to hand out time-credits, valuing an object or service only in the amount of time it requires from the person in question. And let''s be honest, which price should someone place on an item enchanted by an immortal master crafter? There is no way to weigh his time and work against worldly materials. Well, there are the mana crystals. The rare material that defies all logic and can even strike down the gods. Left behind by some ancient civilisation, the secrets of its creation were lost in the distant past. I studied historical texts which spoke about an eternal war which raged for untold times between the gods, until the Council managed to reign supreme and established their base here in the middle of all things. They claim that they created this city, but I am relatively certain that they are just usurpers who settled into the shell of a fallen leviathan. If the Council knew the secrets behind the mana crystals, they wouldn''t just rule the multiverse, they would suffocate it. I stop my silent musings upon arriving at an unassuming bookstore at the edge of the market. Forcing open a rusted and creaking door, I enter a clammy and narrow room which stretches out seemingly endlessly. A nauseating feeling overcomes me as I step over the threshold and into the warped space of the store. It''s dusty and smells of old books, but it''s ten times better than being outside in the suppressing atmosphere of the market. The store''s warped room stretches out to infinity in depth and height, creating the illusion of standing between two impossibly large bookshelves. I snort, seeing that the owner is absent, so I slam my palm onto the bell which was placed on a counter right next to the entrance, causing an unnaturally loud and reverberating ''gong'' from the enchanted object. Not waiting for the sound to fade out, I push down the button on top of the bell, again and again, creating the most annoying rhythm possible. Grinning, I watch as the books on the shelves closest to me start vibrating when I hit the right rhythm. Finally, with a flash of teleportation magic, the owner appears behind the counter. The brown-haired beast-kin wrinkles her nose upon seeing me. Her tanned skin is smooth and the wide lips give her an otherworldly beauty which has hints of the Orient. One of her long ears twitches in annoyance. Her fabulous appearance isn''t lessened by her obvious displeasure of seeing me. ¡°Ascathon, are you finally going to give back the book you borrowed?¡± ¡°Aeehh...¡± an unintelligible sound escapes my throat as I try to remember what she is talking about. I was caught off-guard by that. Which book does she mean? The one I smuggled out... erm borrowed? Or does she know about the one I outright stole? ¡°The Grimoire la Morta? The Tome of Death?¡± she clarifies disapprovingly. ¡°It was in the restricted section the last time you visited me, and now it''s gone.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I flick my fingers. ¡°That one! Nope, forgot it at home. Turned out to be a total dead end to my research. But just to help you out a little, the author was a total charlatan. You don''t want that piece of mental puke back. It''s better that it''s gone. If some future student of the necromantic arts finds it, he or she could be led seriously astray, wasting decades of their time.¡± ¡°Then you can leave.¡± She disappears again, leaving me with no other choice than to start the annoying rhythm once more. Another flash, and the owner is back. ¡°Oh, you again, that was fast. Have you-¡± ¡°I''ll return it, but right now I really need access to your library, Alexandria,¡± I blurt out before she can disappear on me again. ¡°Tell me your price and I''ll pay it!¡± She blinks, taken aback, then she gestures at the endless shelves. ¡°You know very well that all knowledge within Alexandria''s Library is free. As long as you don''t take a book out of the library, you have free access to all the knowledge.¡± I press my lips together, following her finger to the endless shelves of seemingly unsorted books. No, forget that, they are unsorted! Only Alexandria knows her way through that mountain of paper. Forcing myself to smile, I speak very slowly to the beast-kin to make sure she understands. ¡°Thanks. And believe me that I am beyond grateful that you are willing to share all this knowledge for free.¡± It''s really too generous of her to drown her customers in piles of paper. ¡°It''s just that I am in a bit of a hurry, so I don''t have time to invest a few centuries in order to search for what I need. I would like you to give me access to the digitalized version of your library. I have to run just one search and find the knowledge I need.¡± Her eyes narrow. ¡°Just to make sure that I understand this correctly. You want me to give you access to the database you tried to steal the last time you were here? While I slept? And that for free!?¡± ¡°I did no such thing!¡± I reply, offended by the accusation. All I did was try to make a copy! It''s not like I would have taken the data, leaving her with nothing. ¡°Lexi, would I ever lie to you?¡± ¡°In a heartbeat,¡± she answers stoically. Then she waves an elegant finger in my face. ¡°Do you have any idea how long it took me to digitalize all the knowledge in my books? I kept working until my fingers bled and my eyes turned red! For centuries! My customers thought that I was some kind of ghoul!¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Just because she wouldn''t allow anyone else to touch the books in her restricted section. ¡°It was all a big misunderstanding, Lexi. You know that we share the love for books, right? I would never try to take that away from someone. You know what? You help me with my research, and I''ll take a look at that fraying space-time enchantment around your library. Just imagine what would happen if it fails.¡± Her eyes narrow, so I press the issue. ¡°I have this picture in my head. All those countless books, your beloved books, suddenly confined to the three by ten metres of real space in this store.¡± I point outside. ¡°And then the door bursts open and all those lovely books spill outside, flooding the whole market like a tidal wave!¡± I see that she isn''t quite on my side yet. ¡°The books will land on the dirty street! And then all those measly deities out there get their grubby hands on your books! What if they think it''s a free for all and run off with the loot?¡± Her eyes widen in horror and she looks around the space. ¡°Is the enchantment really failing? I had someone take a look at it just a thousand years ago.¡± I nod. ¡°Space-Time magic is a tricky thing. It needs regular maintenance and I can see with yours that it has been a very long time. You certainly need to have it looked at by an expert.¡± She huffs and crosses her arms in front of her. ¡°You are just trying to trick me, just like that night!¡± I smile and wink at her. ¡°But it was a wonderful night, wasn''t it?¡± Lexi considers that, without a doubt replaying the night in her memories. At last, she rolls her eyes and huffs. ¡°Fine. What do you need? And I still want the book back. Knowledge should never be forgotten. Even if it is a flawed version of the truth.¡± ¡°Everything you have on world enchantments.¡± It''s unfortunate that I have to admit it, but I am a total noob at world enchantments. I don''t even know where I should start, not to mention getting out of Tjenemit''s little experiment. ¡°You aren''t demanding at all. Something like that will require an additional price. Anything concerning world enchantments gets immediately moved to the restricted section.¡± ¡°What could be more important than your library''s safety, Alexandria?¡± I rub my hands together. ¡°I am sure that we can find common ground. Let''s talk about the price.¡± She smiles. ¡°You weren''t wrong about that night. I''ll require just a little of your time. Let''s use that amulet of yours to its fullest. Ah, and I want one for myself.¡± ¡°Aaah, the healing amulet is it?¡± Amulets which provide endless stamina are surely one of my best bargaining chips. She nods. ***The World*** ***Karin*** Now that we are alone, I return my attention to Willow. ¡°Are you also a god?¡± ¡°Gosh, no, child.¡± The beauty waves her hand. ¡°I am one of Ascathon''s servants, though I can proudly claim that I managed to rise to the status of an immortal during my service to him. You could call me his left hand.¡± ¡°He called you a maid...¡± Willow raises her hand as if she is about to faint, touching her forehead with the back of her hand. ¡°Oh, the mistake of trying to kill him just once. Will I ever be forgiven, or will this Martyrium last for eternity?¡± As quickly as she started her act, she returns to normal. ¡°I am just kidding. In principle, I do everything that''s asked of me. After all, he is protecting us to the best of his abilities.¡± ¡°You tried to kill him?¡± My forehead furrows as I try to grasp the strange notion. Even as a slave, knowing less than I do now, I would''ve never even tried to kill a god. ¡°What do we need protection from? Aren''t we immortal? Other gods? Is that Myrm fellow a danger?¡± She shakes her head. ¡°I don''t know who this Myrm is, but he is certainly just a minor symptom of the true illness. There is a Council of gods, a group of beings who rule the multiverse. They say what goes and what not. It goes as far as to intimidate all the newly awakened gods into serving them. Any who challenge their authority disappear silently and without a trace. In fact, that''s what happened to a very good friend of ours.¡± ¡°But we aren''t gods...¡± I reply, mulling over the thought. ¡°We aren''t, yet,¡± Willow corrects me. ¡°In fact, Ascathon is helping me not to awaken and to hide from the Council. If any of them knew of my existence, they would surely try to force me to awaken so that they can play their games with me.¡± I nod slowly. ¡°I am sorry for taking all of this with a grain of salt. A few hours ago I was a random slave without hope.¡± ¡°Yet you are taking the situation with more dignity than can possibly be expected. Why don''t we get rid of those filthy clothes first, and then we take a bath together?¡± A lecherous grin enters the woman''s eyes and she grabs my hand before I can respond. Numbers float through my vision, and some kind of strength-check between me and the woman fails, displaying my measly power level of five against her eleven. ¡°I- I promised-¡± ¡°Don''t worry. Nobody would blame you for getting naked in the pool. And while we are at it you can tell me about yourself.¡± She pulls me with her along the corridor, towards the door which was said to be a pool. ¡°Without that knowledge, I can hardly think of a training plan for you.¡± Overwhelmed by Willow''s personality, I allow myself to be dragged off and stripped naked in what seems like a changing room while I have to spill the story of my unspectacular life. I was born in a small village where my mother made a living with her herb-shop. As soon as I was old enough, I started helping mother at the counter. My father was a soldier and often sent us a part of his earnings. While it lasted, it was possible to get by with just the two of us. In truth, I never knew the man, as he was always on duty, fighting in one of the countless wars between the nations. That was until his letters stopped coming altogether. Either he had forgotten about us, or he had fallen in war. I suppose that we could be thankful that the assistance lasted as long as it did. Most women who fall in love with a soldier have to bear the result of their stupidity on their own. But my mother never complained in front of me or gave any indication that I was a burden to her. Without the financial assistance, we quickly fell into debt. The world was hard enough for simple peasants without being a single parent, and mother had fallen out of favour with her family when she ran off to be with a soldier. Debt quickly turned into serfdom, and serfdom into slavery. The merchants who bought herbs from us had a saying, ''Once you fall, you fall quick and deep.'' I never understood what they meant by that until I ended up in that cage and had to watch my mother being beaten to death after she tried to save me from being raped. I allow a bitter smile to creep into my expression. ¡°...and then, after months of slavery, I heard about the advent of the gods. That''s when I started praying and one day, he appeared. He gave me the power to punish everyone, just like that. As if it were no big deal.¡± I look up at Willow. ¡°And I just did.¡± I can''t stop my voice from sounding a little crazy in that moment. The silver woman smiles and rubs my back without saying anything before pushing me out of the changing room through another door... and onto a beach. ¡°Tadaa!¡± She gestures at the white sand and the ocean. ¡°Let''s treat this horrible mental trauma with beachtime!¡± A gentle breeze softly moves the large leaves of a strange tree and waves are brushing against the shore. Blinking, I turn around to assure myself that I just left a building, but behind me is just the thick underbrush and forest of some kind of island. There is also a single doorframe which blurs at the edges, making it hard to focus my eyes on the spot. Inside the doorframe, I can see the changing room Willow and I just left. ¡°Aw, don''t look like you just entered wonderland.¡± Willow bends down and picks up a stone, throwing it at a spot a metre next to the doorframe. It hits some kind of wall and bounces off while the image of the tropical island blurs and waves, returning to normal after a few seconds. ¡°Illusion magic, neat, heh?¡± She places her hands on her hips and grins from ear to ear. I smile forlornly, appreciating her attempt to distract me from my story. ¡°Thanks, but you hit the nail on the head. I indeed feel like I entered a wonderland.¡± A cruel and twisted version of a children''s story. Willow is suddenly next to me, picking me up in a princess carry. I squeal in shame, feeling her soft bosom push against me. ¡°You know what? But the water is real!¡± Then I am tumbling ¨C end over end ¨C as the picture of the world refuses to right itself and I flail with my arms and legs. Screaming, I realize that the crazy bitch threw me, just as I hit the cold water. Struggling, I gulp down several mouthfuls of the salty liquid before I come up for air. To my shame, I expel most of what I can through my nose, coughing and heaving from the burning sensation of salt water in my nose, lungs, and eyes. ¡°I will add swimming to the schedule. You are lucky that I threw you into the shallow part,¡± Willow calls out to me from the shoreline. I make my way back to the shore, trying to get rid of the salt. ¡°What was that for!?¡± ¡°Mainly for my own amusement,¡± Willow answers without a smidgen of guilt. ¡°And to get your thoughts to other things. Enjoy this pool while you can. Once you are relaxed, we have to start your basic education.¡± ¡°Basic education?¡± I ask. ¡°Like in the temple school?¡± Willow slaps a hand against her forehead. ¡°Oh, you poor girl. I have no idea what went through Ascathon''s head when he gave you the Eye of Possibilities. You probably don''t even know enough about mathematics to use it, not to mention understand what you are seeing. We need to run you through basic scientific education, and then a specialized math course before we can even consider teaching you magic.¡± ¡°The Eye of what!?¡± I ask, dumbfounded. ¡°That''s why he ran off so quickly. Why is it always me who has to tell them?¡± The silver woman shakes her head and sighs heavily. Then she walks over to a row of deckchairs, picking up a mirror from one of them. ¡°Oh, girl. This will probably come as a shock, but you probably didn''t even notice the changes beneath all the blood and grime.¡± She then holds it out for me to see. The face that looks back at me isn''t mine. At least, it isn''t what I looked like just a day ago. My left eye is completely transparent, and inside it is the hexagonal pattern of a slowly spinning dice. The right one also changed, and my formerly round, brown and perfectly human iris is now slitted and golden. Mostly hidden beneath my brown hair, which is now much darker and bordering on a shade of the red of fallen leaves, are two bony ridges which start at my temples and disappear behind my ears. Little horns! ¡°Close your mouth, or you will catch an insect,¡± Willow advices while she is groping my belly, but her strange behaviour couldn''t be further away from what bothers me right now. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Just confirming, yep, it''s in there. I knew he took one from the vault.¡± ¡°In there!?¡± I squeak, slapping her hand away. Then I feel for myself, pushing my fingers in, and sure enough, there is something hard inside my belly. What''s that!? Am I pregnant again!? This situation feels so much worse than rape! ¡°A dragon''s mana-core. It makes it easier to control mana, but it''s also a weakness.¡± She sighs. ¡°Well, you just have to get used to it. Being Ascathon''s minion comes with the price of being a lab-rat.¡± Seeing my distress, she pats my shoulder. ¡°Hey, don''t worry. All will be fine in the end.¡± I point at the bony ridges on my temples. ¡°That''s not going to be fine! Will I turn into some kind of lizard!?¡± Now that I am on the lookout, I also notice that my fingernails are a little thicker than I remember them to be. ¡°Am I getting claws!?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± She stops my worst assumptions with an open palm. ¡°I am sure that''s the extent of the changes. ¡°Don''t smile like that!¡± I squeal. ¡°You aren''t the one who was experimented on.¡± ¡°Heeeey...¡± Hands open, she gestures at herself. ¡°Do I look like any species you have ever seen? Milky-white eyes without pupils, silver skin, and a rack that makes it impossible to look away.¡± She squeezes her plentyful and lets go, with an annoyingly bouncy result. My eyes involuntarily follow the bounciness, and I just have to admit that I am envious. She smirks. ¡°Do you want to feel them up? There are the cores of two metal elementals in there. And would you believe me if I told you that I was a fairy before this? People change. That''s the price we pay for power and experience.¡± Willow has mana-cores inside her breasts!? Isn''t that like stuffing one''s bra with straw? ¡°That''s cheating!¡± Feeling wobbly, I sit down in the sand. ¡°I honestly don''t know how to feel about this.¡± The older woman ruffles my hair. ¡°You are young. You will adapt...¡± ¡°... or die,¡± she adds after a moment of consideration. Chapter 6 ***The World*** ***King Luxley*** ¡°My kingdom is falling apart, old man, and all you can tell me is that you don''t know what''s going on?¡± I rave from atop my throne, hopefully sounding as mad as I am. ¡°My family held this kingdom together for two hundred years and I am not going to be the last king of Sur! Give me a proper explanation! How can a strong kingdom slide to the edge of a civil war in a matter of weeks!¡± Reginald, my most trusted advisor and the court''s mage bows deeply. ¡°I am very sorry that I can''t offer you a better explanation, my king. I shared all of my reliable findings in my report.¡± I shake my head. ¡°That report reads like a child''s story, or the diary of a madman. How am I supposed to believe that the gods are suddenly real and that prayers work!? It''s been centuries since the fall of the Mirai Empire and their necromantic empress. They called her a goddess, but I am pretty sure that she was just an exceptional necromancer.¡± ¡°There are stories of her appearing wherever she wished to.¡± The old mage sighs and clasps his hands in front of him. He almost looks defeated. ¡°I am very sorry, but in all my years I haven''t experienced anything like this. I wouldn''t have believed it myself, hadn''t I stood witness to the appearance of such a deity, even if it was just a minor one. All I can tell you is that the gods are real. ¡°Apparently, the rules of the world as we know it have changed. Magical power and strength are no longer the final solutions. Every random commoner may mutter a prayer, and if spoken with enough conviction, he or she can summon powers beyond our ken. It''s not so much about having the power yourself, begging for it is enough. By searching through the testimonies of eyewitnesses, I narrowed it down to the point that I can say that emotional distress is helpful in summoning these beings.¡± He spreads his hands, helpless. ¡°I have tried my magic against one of these gods, Nazareth, a minor deity according to his own words, but he just laughed at me. The worst thing was that I felt it. He was so far beyond me, I couldn''t even scratch him had I trained my skills for another lifetime. ¡°And it''s incorrect to say that all the gods are suddenly real. There seem to be one or two dozen of them at the most. Whatever the world went through to change the rules, it didn''t awaken all the gods.¡± Two dozen beings who are strong enough to laugh in Reginald''s face? The man might be old, a withered bag of raw leather, but I would never underestimate his magical abilities. If these gods are indeed that powerful, then they may be capable of tearing the world apart. ¡°There is nothing we can do about them?¡± I ask. Reginald closes his eyes and shakes his head. ¡°Someone changed the rules of the world and we have to learn to live with it. From what Nazareth said, I assume that the gods themselves aren''t happy with this development.¡± ¡°How!?¡± I ask, almost begging him. ¡°I can''t rule a country in which every peasant has the ability to wish away the tax-collector or to escape prison. What do I do if someone manages to send one of these gods after me?¡± ¡°Luckily, it isn''t quite that easy,¡± Reginald answers thoughtfully. ¡°Something compels the gods to answer our prayers, but they have their own goals and personalities. The word of them is spreading, we can''t change that. But the people are also slowly becoming aware that summoning a god can backfire as much as it can save you.¡± ¡°Is that because you chose a minor deity for your summoning experiment?¡± I ask. He shakes his head again and wanders to the throne room''s large window front, looking outside. ¡°I studied the reports, and I chose Nazareth because he was the god who was the least likely to react badly to a prayer. Out of a hundred testimonies, he only once cursed the one who brought him into our world. Compared to that, calling upon something like Ascathon will almost assuredly get you killed. It''s much like calling a mythical djinn for a wish with that one. You may state your wish with as much detail as you want, the result will always be bad.¡± I lean back in my chair. ¡°That doesn''t make it better. Should we just run away and hide then? Crawl deep into some cave and hope that nobody harbours a grudge strong enough to sic an unstoppable entity on us? I already forbade the citizens to call upon the gods, but clearly, it isn''t as easy as that. One can''t forbid a dying man to mutter a prayer of hope.¡± Reginald looks thoughtful and licks his lips in consideration. ¡°There is one possibility, but I am not sure if it will work.¡± ¡°Tell me.¡± I wave my hand towards the window. ¡°Look outside. Truly look at what my country is turning into. My city is burning. The capital! How can it get any worse?¡± The old man furrows his forehead, studying the scene. The people are on the streets, rioting. Columns of smoke are rising into the horizon, marking the burning slums. Finally, he decides to speak. ¡°The rules have changed, my king. This is a different world from the one we are used to. But if the rules are different, then maybe it''s not a matter of them, but of us.¡± I tilt my head, not understanding. Reginald clarifies himself, ¡°If we can''t do something about the new rules, then we have to adapt to them. Maybe it''s as easy as to choose a patron for ourselves.¡± ¡°A patron?¡± He nods. ¡°If we can''t stop the gods, then our only choice is to get the protection of one, is it not?¡± Trying to get that thought into my head, I slowly nod. ¡°But which one? Is it as easy as to start praying to the god of my choosing?¡± The old man shrugs. ¡°That''s why I didn''t want to share the idea. It''s just a theory. But a list of all the gods and their ideologies is in my report.¡± ***The Crystal City*** ***Ascathon*** ¡°What are you reading?¡± Marigold steps closer, trying to see the cover of the book in my hands. Looking up, I study him and survey the other deities in Studio 7. There are currently two groups present and both of them hold a respectful distance from me. The place became something like a meeting area for everyone who got caught up in Tjenemit''s experiment. It''s a place where the others tend to share information and bitch about their bad luck. My own reason for being here is information. Hopefully, I can listen in on something interesting regarding my current situation. I show him the cover. Normally, I would try to give away as little as possible, but I am relatively sure that Marigold is not a friend of the Council. The two of us aren''t the best of buddies, but I know him well enough. I am also just trying to understand my situation, something I can''t be blamed for. And if in a day or two Tjenemit shows up to reprimand me for my choice of reading material, I know who is the snitch.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Better to know my enemies before I try something for real. ¡°One hundred and one ways to have fun with a succubus... without losing your soul,¡± he reads, baffled. ¡°I knew that you are into the kinky stuff, but is it really wise to play around with a thing like that? Travelling to one of the infernal dimensions can be dangerous, even for a god.¡± ¡°Oh, don''t worry. The book-cover is just there to trick anyone who might be a little too interested in what I am up to, like Tjenemit. But you are my fellow inmate, so you can know,¡± I whisper, trying to sound conspiratorial. ¡°So you don''t want to bang a succubus?¡± The half-orc sounds a little disappointed. I never knew that he had a fetish like that... but that''s something I can easily help with. ¡°I already did! Who do you think is the author of Succubus 101?¡± I shake my head. ¡°Marigold, if you want advice on that front, then I can suggest a nice castle on the Plane of Pleasures. The ruler is a succubus queen with forty-one daughters. Believe me, one night there and you are cured of all worldly desires.¡± ¡°Really!? There is a dimension like that!?¡± His voice raises an octave, but then he reigns in his excitement. ¡°I err... don''t think that I would be able to deal with that much attention. But back to the topic at hand. What are you really reading?¡± ¡°World Enchantments for Dummies, by Jahwe.¡± I carefully reveal the true cover to him. ¡°I must admit that I never concerned myself with world enchantments, or how to break them. I really have to start from scratch and I found out that there are so many things you can do with world enchantments. I might have found a topic that keeps me interested for another decade or two.¡± Marigold''s expression turns concerned and he looks back at the other deities. ¡°You shouldn''t break Tjenemit''s experiment. I doubt that he will be pleased,¡± the half-orc whispers. ¡°Nobody said that I''ll break his little experiment,¡± I clarify, but that doesn''t mean that I don''t want to know how I can break it ¨C should the need arise. ¡°By the way, have you ever read this book? This Jahwe is a real vain bastard. He is into all that omnipotence crap, watching mortals suffer while laughing his ass off. And he made this whole heaven and hell thing on his Earth, pulling the souls of mortals into separate dimensions, just so that he can judge how they lived their lives, just for shit and giggles. The two of us would probably get along just fine.¡± ¡°Why would any god want to do that?¡± Marigold asks with an expression of genuine bewilderment. ¡°Doesn''t he have more interesting stuff to do? Like, godly matters?¡± I shrug. ¡°I don''t know. Maybe it''s what gets him off?¡± ¡°Anyway, let''s change the topic.¡± I wave my hand and close the book. ¡°How are you guys doing?¡± Marigold lets his head hang. ¡°Same as always. It''s so humiliating to be summoned like some minor familiar to do some mortal''s bidding.¡± ¡°Ever tried just killing them?¡± I ask. ¡°Works great for me as a stress relief.¡± Marigold spreads his hands and allows them to flop to his sides in a gesture of exasperation. ¡°A few times. I have to guide the animalistic races on the warpath and some of them simply don''t get the hint without cracking a head or two. Especially the orks, I hate orks.¡± ¡°But you are an ork,¡± I point out. He looks at me. ¡°Half-ork,¡± I correct myself. ¡°That''s the problem,¡± he affirms. Pulling a face, I try to imagine how it must feel like to be the deity for a group of racist bullies who loot, pillage and rape their path through the world''s history. I had a few dealings of my own with the world''s tribes and I quickly learned that working through a third party is the only way to avoid most of the troubles which occur with that race. In my days as the necromantic bane, I even supported the tribes in order to weaken my enemies. It worked, but in the end I had to admit that other solutions may have been better in the long run. The orks as a race are prideful enough to defy even gods. It goes without saying that defying me wasn¡¯t their best decision in the end, but I had to exterminate them with extreme prejudice, and that meant nuking them till the soil glowed ¨C without giving a shit about bystanders. ¡°Yeah, I think I get your point,¡± I answer after considering his situation. ¡°Maybe you should celebrate a culling or two. The orks tend to listen to those who burned down one or two of their villages. Oh, I know!¡± I raise my book and open the passage I was just reading. ¡°This spell here automatically calls down rocks and lava on any who refuse to pray to you¡­ or no¡­ this one! An unending flood that drowns everything in the vicinity.¡± I consider it for a moment. ¡°Or better not that last one. I am all in for mass murder, but that spell isn¡¯t localized to a town or a village. It gets everything, animals included. Man, Jahwe was a real asshole now that I think about it. Not even I walk around and drown poor, helpless animals. He is a god, so he really could have come up with a better solution.¡± Marigold clears his throat. ¡°Yeah, well I suppose I¡¯ll go and take a look at what my brother is doing.¡± ¡°Nazareth? Where is the little imp?¡± I survey the room, noticing for the first time that Marigold¡¯s better half is missing. They never told me the story of how one of the brothers became a half-orc and the other a gnome. Are they brothers in the sense of a ritual, like blood-brothers? Best friends? Bros? Or is their relationship on the warmer side of business? Then again, they could also have been real brothers at some point and then they reincarnated into new bodies. It¡¯s really hard to tell who drew the worse card should that be the case. Being a gnome or an orc would be one of the few cases in which I would consider suicide in earnest. No wonder Marigold perked up at my mention of succubi. ¡°Don¡¯t know. He was teleported away by the world enchantment before you arrived,¡± Marigold interrupts my silent musings. Feeling bad for him, I materialize a book and a business card with details on how to reach the Plane of Pleasures. ¡°Take that, and mention my name when you are there. That will lower the chances that they will suck you dry.¡± Marigold takes the book and stores it away in his own pocket dimension. After a brief glance at the business card which shows the golden letters ¡°P. o. P.¡± in elaborate calligraphy, the card quickly follows the book. ¡°I really have to go now.¡± Grinning, I slap him on the shoulder. ¡°Have fun.¡± Then I watch him disappear in a flash of light and a few sparks. The web of energy that makes up the pathways glows for a few moments before the lights fade out and I am left to my own devices. Looking at the other deities in the room, I don¡¯t feel like socializing too much, so I take a pathway back to my lair. I appear in the long corridor which doubles as an entrance hall. Since it¡¯s long and wide enough, it may as well be counted as its own room. Distant sounds from the living room quickly guide me to where Karin is busily taking notes in some textbook while Willow is playing tutor with a second version of the book, pointing out certain passages. The both of them are in blue sports suits, sitting on the ground while working on a knee-high oaken table. Normally, it wouldn¡¯t be comfortable to sit on the marble floor, but I installed floor heating throughout the whole facility which ensures a comfortable temperature. I smile. ¡°Hi, girls. I am back.¡± Karin gasps when she sees me and jumps to her feet. Before Willow can stop her, she is up and over the table, coming to a halt right in front of me. ¡°Change me back!¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Why not!?¡± She points at her temples. ¡°Do you see that!? Horns! And my eyes! I look like some freakish Kamera!¡± ¡°Chimera, child,¡± Willow corrects the girl while getting up herself. ¡°It¡¯s called a chimera, a conglomeration of different creatures.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care what it¡¯s called,¡± Karin replies. I tilt my head, studying her. ¡°The horns are cute and the eyes look interesting. I don¡¯t get what the problem is.¡± Walking around the girl, I take a glance at the textbooks before I sit down on the nearby couch, enjoying the comfort of my home. The living room is a square-shaped space of ten by ten metres with marble flooring and oaken furniture with turquoise padding. She follows me. ¡°You are lying. I look like some stitched together hatched-job!¡± Well, she isn¡¯t completely wrong about that. On both occasions when I gave her power-ups, I just took what was available at the moment. There was no planning or deeper goal behind my actions. ¡°You look cute. No immortal would ever comment on your unique looks, so just chill,¡± I murmur, sinking into the mattress. ¡°Or do you want me to give you a tail? I am good with those.¡± ¡°Tail!?¡± she squeaks. ¡°Please don¡¯t include her into your strange fetishes, master,¡± Willow steps forward and sits down next to me, linking arms. ¡°How did it go? Are you finally ready to explain what¡¯s going on?¡± I sigh. ¡°Fine, but I have to warn you. It will take a while.¡± ¡°Before that,¡± Karin points at the two of us. ¡°What¡¯s the exact relationship between you two, and are there any others coming to this facility?¡± ¡°Silly, I already told you that I am in his service,¡± Willow answers and points down at the floor. ¡°Why don¡¯t you sit down and listen carefully while the adults talk. You might get some answers to your questions, and then we can resume our attempts at filling that bottomless hole you call an education.¡± Karin groans and looks at the textbooks with desperation in her eyes. ¡°Why don¡¯t you put her into the neural learning machine? It should be much quicker than teaching her the basics the old-fashioned way,¡± I suggest. ¡°There is a machine like that!?¡± The girl perks up and glares at her tutor. ¡°What he didn¡¯t mention, is that it feels like someone stabbed a hot fork into your brain and is turning it around,¡± Willow informs Karin. Which quickly ends in a change of heart for the unwilling student. ¡°Never mind, we aren¡¯t going to do that.¡± And then her accusing glare turns to me. ¡°Just for the future, you should mention side-effects.¡± ¡°He never bothers mentioning those.¡± Willow looks down at herself and picks at her snow-white hair. I look up at the ceiling, slowly feeling fed up. ¡°Can I give you the update on our situation now? Or do you prefer to keep bickering? In that case, I would make myself something to eat until you are done.¡± ¡°I am sorry, master,¡± Willow apologizes. ¡°Please tell us what''s going on. You have been strangely absent recently. I began to worry.¡± Chapter 7 ***The World*** ***King Luxley*** ¡°Traitorous bastards!¡± I squeal as I run away down the palace''s corridors, followed by a mob of rebellious beggars. Two of the palace guards are overwhelmed as they try to put themselves between me and the attackers who stormed the palace just minutes ago. My men are well trained and have the best equipment, but even though their enemies have no armour and are only equipped with clubs and improvised weapons, the guards stand no chance against the attackers'' superior numbers. This morning, my world was still whole. It had a few cracks at the edges, thanks to the appearance of the gods, but my kingdom was holding out much better than many others. Quite a few countries, including a direct neighbour of ours, had crumbled under the chaos caused by wishes coming true and unstoppable beings creating havoc. And now it was happening to me! Some random fool from the street with less brain than a pig had blamed his lot in life on me. And now a god had brought down the gates to my castle, letting in a mob of uncivilized dissidents! The entity was even helping them against my guards! A guy in shining armour took down my court mage as if he was nothing more than a bug! Then he systematically attacked the castle''s choke-points, ensuring that the mob from the street had free reign. I only got a short glimpse at the guy, but judging by the reports I received it must be Myrm. Wasn''t Myrm supposed to be a god of light and order? Why would he side with people who seek to spread chaos and anarchy? I always ruled my kingdom in the best interests of my people. There is no slavery, no overly burdening taxes, and I do my best to keep the nobles under control by ensuring that the law stands even above the right of birth. Of course, there are elements of society who can''t take care of themselves and end up in debt, no matter how benevolent the government is. But that can hardly be blamed on me? Who am I to take away from those who take care of themselves and strengthen our economy, just to give it to those who end up wasting my good will? It''s not like we don''t have government projects which give a chance to those who live in poor conditions. So why is this damned god taking down my castle bit by bit? A flash of light and sparks from around a corner in front of me force me to stop my hasty escape down the corridor. Flailing my arms like a lunatic, I take a side-corridor to avoid the entity who tried to cut off my escape route. Behind me, the howling peasants are on my heels, but I am gaining on them, thanks to the fact that I know my castle like the back of my hand. Stumbling, I arrive at a stairway and descend into the deeper levels of the castle. ¡°There is only one hope left.¡± Following my advisor''s suggestion, I tried praying to all the known gods, hoping to get the protection of at least one of them. But nobody answered my plea. The howling of my pursuers grows distant, and for a moment I hope against hope that they took a wrong turn and that I lost them. But when I look back, I can see the flickering of torches in the stairway above me. ¡°He must have gone down there!¡± ¡°Right into the castle''s dungeon? That serves us fine, there should be no way out of there.¡± ¡°Send men to cover the other entrances! We have to get him before the army is able to react.¡± Ignoring the voices above me, I concentrate on descending the moist stairs and reach the lowest level of the castle. Fifty feet beneath the earth, the place is always cold and wet with a slight aroma of aged cellar in the air. There, I arrive at a T-section and take the corridor to my left, in the direction which was previously barred by the stupid god. Passing another stairway, I enter a narrow corridor which looks like it hasn''t been used in many years. Isn''t Myrm aware that killing me will drop the country into chaos? By blindly helping the dissidents, he is starting a rebellion that will bring down the last strong government in this region. Without an heir, the nobles will throw themselves at the chance to gain control over the country. And by doing so, they will tear it apart. I arrive at my destination, a godforsaken part of the castle''s dungeon which hasn''t been visited in years. Dust and dirt are stirred up as I lean my shoulder against an old part of the crumbling stonework that makes up the walls. The hidden door cracks open, and the dirt of decades falls onto my head as I enter the family''s secret place of worship. I didn''t visit it even once since my grandfather died and with him the tradition. Only now I realize what a fool I was back then, following in my father''s footsteps, abandoning the old ways of our family. We should have preserved our knowledge and our magic, instead of sacrificing it to the altar of progression. Stepping inside, I fall to my knees in front of the stone altar. The relic is covered with a crust of what looks like brittle wax, but I know only too well that it''s layers of blood, accumulated by centuries of worship. On a little cushion on top of the altar is a skull, adorned with runes of gold and silver. The walls to my left and to my right are hidden by the stacked skulls and bones of my ancestors. Generations of my family are lying in this crypt, and to my knowledge, I am the last living descendant. I always hated this place because it made me feel like I am being judged, looked down upon by those who came before me. ¡°Revered ancestors, a direct descendant of your line begs for your help. Please, save my kingdom!¡± But the most sincere plea I spoke since my birth remains unanswered. The lumbering steps of a person in heavy armour make me flinch. Maybe I should have closed the hidden door, but is there even a hope to escape a god? Would it have made a difference had I known the ancient rites to call upon the dead? Still and on my knees, I turn around to face Myrm in his shining armour. His mere presence weighs on me, like the earth itself is trying to pull me down. ¡°Seems like you are at the end of your road, king.¡± Myrm steps into the room, but stops upon seeing me, or was it the altar? Something made him hesitate. The entity surveys the room ever so slowly before his attention lands on something behind me. A heavy hand falls on my shoulder and I gasp in shock, almost feeling my soul leave my body. Enabled by the physical contact, I can feel something dig deep into my mind, taking the information it wants as if I am nothing more than a shelf of books. Myrm actually takes a step back. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Looking around and making sure that you don¡¯t screw up one of my new permanent homes. May I return the question and ask what you are doing here?¡± an authoritative voice asks from right behind me. ¡°Isn''t it obvious?¡± Myrm gestures at me. ¡°I follow the call of my worshippers, helping them to punish the wicked.¡±Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. The hand tightens on my shoulder. ¡°Well, not today, because he is one of mine. I don''t feel like giving him to you.¡± Myrm chuckles. ¡°What makes you think that I care about what you think is yours? A worshipper of mine wanted to bring down the corrupt government which was responsible for his misery and the bad living conditions of countless others. It''s my responsibility as their god to ensure that their lives get better, so just step aside and let me finish this!¡± ¡°Aren''t you getting a little too carried away?¡± A man clothed in a black robe steps past me, pushing me back towards the altar. Unfazed by Myrm, he confronts him directly. ¡°You are on the wrong side, Myrm. Haven''t you learned anything about this world in the last weeks? This kingdom is one of the last bastions of law in this region. Bring it down and this world''s civilisation may as well dissolve into another century of civil war instead of a decade.¡± Myrm bangs his fist onto the breastplate of his shining armour and gestures at the room. ¡°And I should just ignore what I''ve seen here? This is a dark place, an evil place. Someone made blood sacrifices in here! And those bones...¡± The man in black shakes his head, looking almost bemused. ¡°It''s always funny to see a new god getting carried away. You always have to keep in mind that we gods may be all-powerful, but we aren''t all-knowing. Have you even talked to those who caused you to go on this rampage? How are you sure that they aren''t some crazed fanatics?¡± ¡°Even if they are, they are still my worshippers. There''s nothing I can do about it.¡± Myrm tries to push the other man out of the way, but the dark figure doesn''t move. ¡°I have to insist on you stepping out of the way. Or have you forgotten Tjenemit''s instructions? We aren''t allowed to fight in any form or way, and I was here first!¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± The dark figure looks around the room. ¡°I would see the situation in an entirely different light. Confronted by Tjenemit, I would say that you attacked one of my temples-¡± ¡°This isn''t a temple!¡± Myrm interrupts. ¡°This is a god-damn castle and you know it.¡± The dark man spreads his hands. ¡°Then what is this place? You call it a place of sacrifice. I call it a place of worship. A place which is still occupied by one of my distant descendants, as diluted as his blood may be. The bones in this hall belong to his ancestors. The Mirai have always governed their people from their places of power. Religion and government were always one for the necromantic priests.¡± He lowers his voice. ¡°I repeat, aren''t you the one who is directly attacking one of my temples?¡± Myrm steps into the dark one''s personal space, but the cloaked figure doesn''t move. ¡°We will bring this up in front of Tjenemit and let him decide.¡± Then, with a flash of light, Myrm is gone. ¡°Phew!¡± The man turns around and throws back his hood, giving me a good look at his pale skin and black hair, unique characteristics of the pure-blooded Mirai. ¡°Negotiating with that fellow is always such a pain in the ass. Do you know that he killed a group of my paladins, just to spite me?¡± Stepping closer, he kneels down to get on eye-level with me. My muscles lock up in fear as I get a good look at his eyes, unnatural orbs of pitch black darkness. I avert my eyes to look at the ground. ¡°I am yours to command, Ascathon.¡± ¡°Ha!¡± The god claps his hands. ¡°I got summoned by a mortal, a king no less, and he offers himself to do my bidding! Well played. You are precious! Do you know that you are the first mortal who didn''t want something right after calling upon me?¡± Saving me was more than enough. Now just go away without killing me! I am smarter than to voice my thoughts. Instead, I keep my eyes glued to the floor, too afraid to request anything from the dark god. My adviser gathered detailed data on all the awakened entities, and the god of chaos and magic sounded like the one a sane king would want to have the least interaction with. But I have to say something. ¡°I am sorry for taking up your time. There are surely far more important matters for a god to attend to.¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± Ascathon claps me onto the shoulder. ¡°What are you talking about? I am sure I can spare a few more minutes for you. And don''t deny that you need my help. I''ve looked into your mind and seen the situation.¡± Stretching, he cracks with his fingers and wriggles them. ¡°Let''s see... I hope I am not too old to teach you a few spells. Man, my people truly forgot a lot over the centuries. To think that you can''t even animate a minor zombie.¡± ¡°What? What do you intend to do?¡± I shudder. Necromancy in my kingdom!? Impossible! The god puts an arm beneath my shoulder and drags me to my feet without any effort. ¡°We are going out there, and then we will use those useless worshippers of the light as training material. You might even get a few loyal servants out of it.¡± ¡°I- I- I-¡± I can''t kill people to turn them into zombies! ¡°They tried to kill you. Fair is fair. But instead of dying, they can bolster your ranks. And once they are undead, their most urgent problem ¨C food ¨C will be no longer an issue. You can have them feast on their comrades, or on trash. They won''t complain.¡± He starts dragging me towards the door. ¡°Turning the useless into undead is a really economical solution that made the Mirai Empire great. Imagine, all this vast and unused workforce in your kingdom is just waiting to be put to good use. Instead of wasting their time with smouldering inside their own fumes, they could be put to a task!¡± ***The World*** ***Karin*** ¡°My head hurts!¡± I lie down on the sofa and rub my temples. ¡°Why did he do that? I said that I was fine with learning the normal way.¡± Willow returns from the kitchen and hands me a bag of ice and some pills. ¡°To be honest, he was right that your education was woefully lacking for your age. And he didn''t even give you the full program, just what''s expected of a child of your age.¡± I whine as her words trigger some flag within my mind and knowledge just appears as if I always had it. ¡°Then, why does this knowledge tell me that Advanced Mathematics III is a university level class for a master''s degree?¡± Willow winces. ¡°Oh, that... so I was right when I thought that he spun up the dial a little too high on that one. No wonder that you are wasted, even a day later. Just stay down on the couch and rest.¡± There is actually another reason why I am not feeling any better since Ascathon tried the infernal learning machine on me. Even though I was told to sleep the pain off, I couldn''t because of the noise. ¡°I am wasted because I couldn''t sleep!¡± I complain, blushing. ¡°Someone next door kept screaming. Harder! Faster! Pinch them!¡± Does pinching actually feel good? ¡°I thought you and Ascathon aren''t in that kind of relationship?¡± ¡°Oh, child. There are two sorts of immortals. Those who are eternal prudes, and those who have nothing against a little fun when the urge strikes us. Ascathon and I don''t brag about our misadventures, but we go for it from time to time.¡± She grins evilly. ¡°Sorry for being a screamer, but he is really good when he is worked up.¡± ¡°No, thanks,¡± I answer quickly. Since my time as a slave, I could do well without ever again being with a man. ¡°So, uh, you two have no children?¡± Willow sighs and touches her cheek, looking at me with a sad expression. ¡°Of course we had children over the centuries. With different partners in fact.¡± I suck in a sharp breath at the mere suggestion, but a sharp sting right behind my eyes forces me to moan in pain right afterwards. Willow shakes her head and places the pack of ice on my forehead. ¡°Just take the pills and rest. And don''t let your education get in the way of rationality. Previously, you were a peasant with a life-expectancy of a few decades at most. Now you will live for centuries, maybe millenia. You will fall in love, get children, and a few centuries later you may separate from your partner because you grew distant. Maybe you will find solace in the arms of another. No matter what you may think now, eternity is a long time.¡± ¡±But...¡± What she suggested feels wrong, but who am I to judge? It''s not like my mother managed to keep father with her much longer than it took him to get her pregnant. ¡°Girl, let me give you a good advice. I know that you won''t take it, but I will still give it to you. Right now you are still a mortal, but should your soul ever manage to make the transition to an immortal one, never get children, and never fall in love with a mortal.¡± ¡°Why?¡± I moan. ¡°Because all that lies down that path is pain and loss. Everyone, no matter their strength, dies at some point. It may happen in a battle, or simply due to unluckiness in an accident. Some may even grow tired of life and choose to end it on their own terms. ¡°But while you will return and remember each and every one of them, they will sink into the blissful abyss of nothingness. Their souls may reincarnate, but they will have forgotten everything about you.¡± She gestures for me to finally take the pills, and I follow her advice. ¡°You may as well be a stranger to them, even if you find them in their next life. We have lost quite a few friends and children that way. And one other thing. The multiverse doesn''t care how powerful you are. Your children''s soul will always be a random one. It''s very unlikely that they will ever ascend. You don''t even want to consider the other possibility. That some immortal happens to reincarnate inside your child and that you are faced with some creepy person inside the body of your offspring. ¡°You have to accept that our path is a lonely one and that if you happen to make the mistake of becoming attached to a mortal, you will most likely survive them. We are cursed to walk the path of immortality, forever alone.¡± I try to think on it, but the pain makes it almost impossible. ¡°But isn''t it better to love what little I can, even if the time is limited? And what if I fall in love with another immortal?¡± ¡°If you really find someone who wants to walk the path of immortality with you, then you can count yourself lucky.¡± Willow looks down on me, and for some reason, she looks sad. ¡°That''s why I said that you wouldn''t listen. None of the new ones do. It takes a few centuries, experiencing loss after loss after loss, but eventually, you will understand my warning. It''s just sad that your heart will already be cold and bitter by that point.¡± Chapter 8 ***The World*** ***Ascathon*** I stop myself just before I leave king Luxley''s family tomb with the goal of spreading a little mayhem among the mortals. Wouldn''t it be a waste of my time if I had to teach this lesson twice? Once I had the thought, I no longer can ignore it. Turning around, I wave a hand at the king, casting a little prank spell to root him to the ground. ¡°Actually, wait here, I''ll be right back!¡± Using a pathway, I home in right towards Willow and Karin, appearing inside the living room of my secret hideout. Karin is wasting time by lying around on the sofa and Willow is reading a book. Clapping my hands, I gather their attention. ¡°No fooling around in the middle of the day! It''s lesson time.¡± ¡°Nooo...¡± Karin groans, but I grab her arm with one hand while touching Willow''s knee with the other, abducting the both of them. We appear right where I left Luxley who is fervently trying to pull his feet away from the ground. His efforts are to no avail since my hex is strong enough to hold even a dragon. ¡°What are you doing?¡± I ask him while Karin drops to the ground and Willow places her firm butt right next to our pupil. ¡°No- Nothing!¡± The king rights himself, trying to look composed - but failing miserably. ¡°I just brought in a few more students, so that I don''t have to do this twice,¡± I explain and wave a hand, releasing him. ¡°I hope you weren''t trying to run. It''s dangerous for a weakling like yourself to be out there alone.¡± Of course, he was trying to run. The both of us know it, but I am willing to give him a little leeway. ¡°I would never refuse the divine attention of a god,¡± Luxley answers quickly, maybe too quickly. Groaning, Karin rolls around and gets to her feet. ¡°You said that you wouldn''t teach me anything until I managed to learn the basics.¡± Willow gets up, dusting herself off. ¡°Ascathon! I hope this won''t become a habit. I am not the one who is caught in this strange world enchantment. Random teleportations are supposed to be your problem.¡± Raising an eyebrow, I glare at the pretty lady who chose a tight,blue dress which makes her look almost as if she is naked. ¡°Are you sure that I am the only one who is caught inside the enchantment? Have you ever tried praying to me?¡± Willow raspberries with her cute lips and raises a finger to stop me. ¡°First, I would never pray to you! Second, you already forced me to take care of Karin. Do you always load off your illegitimate children on your female friends? And third-¡± She turns her attention to king Luxley, allowing her voice to turn husky. ¡°Who is this pretty fellow? Have you ever tried doing it with an elemental?¡± Luxley pales. ¡°No. I would never with a mons... mo... m... erm...¡± His eyes wander quickly back and forth between Karin and Willow, without a doubt smitten by their unique beauty. ¡°Thank you for the offer... but my office... doesn''t allow me... to... erm... live as freely as others.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Willow pouts. I give him a thumbs up and whisper, ¡°Nice save. At least your diplomatic skills are better than your ability to rule a kingdom.¡± Then I point at the door. ¡°Let''s go and save Luxley''s kingdom!¡± ¡°You really don''t have to!¡± Luxley waves his hands but is ignored by the lot of us. ¡°I thought you were going to teach us something?¡± Karin grumbles. ¡°Of course!¡± Strolling outside the tomb, I start the lesson, impressed that Karin isn''t intimidated by the presence of a king. But then again, in her rural village kings weren''t an everyday occurrence. ¡°And I will use all the scum inside this palace...¡± I cough. ¡°Shrine! To give you a few examples of magic and philosophy!¡± Taking the lead, I head down a corridor towards the nearest sources of energy. ¡°There are a few things you have to know about magic, which includes all its forms. The most important one is that there is no ''evil'' magic, just as there are no ''evil'' weapons. For example, Necromancy might not be pretty, but it''s a tool to be used. You have to understand that only a person can be evil.¡± I turn around, facing Luxley and Karin who are the only ones listening. Willow is picking her nails, clearly not paying any attention to the lesson. Good minions are so hard to find nowadays. I still remember the time when Willow was a fresh employee. Her work ethics certainly suffered over the centuries. Sighing, I let the matter go since she already knows what I am about to share. We leave the side-corridor which led to the tomb and enter a larger hallway. It seems like this area was used a little more frequently, but it is still dirty and smells of old cellar. The two dissidents who I sensedbeforehand notice us right away. The one to the left points at us and screams, ¡°There he is! Get them!¡± They run towards us, their dirty clothes dangling from their bodies like rags. Not wanting to be touched by the filthy mortals I raise a hand, pointing it lazily at the left irritation. A little flex of uncontrolled force-magic is enough and the man''s body rips apart into a thousand pieces, his bones breaking like old wood and splintering in all directions. Within an instant, the corridor is painted red in blood and slick with gore. ¡°Damn...¡± I sigh. ¡°That was a little too much power. Mortals are just too fragile.¡± The second dissident tries to stop his rapid charge, screaming in horror upon realizing that the remains which cover the previously dusty hallway ¨C and himself ¨C belong to his former comrade. This time, I do my best to control my power as I catch the man, lifting him off the ground. When he doesn''t turn into red mush I chortle, pleased with my ability to hold back. It''s not easy for an ascended being to show that much restraint. When you are used to channeling rivers of magic from an ocean of power, you tend to forget how it feels like to take just a bucket of power, or a droplet, like in this case. ¡°My mistake. The first test subject got a little messed up, but we can scrape him off the walls and use what''s left for a flesh golem. This one is fairly intact, so we can try a simple zombification.¡± I try to speak as clearly as possible to be heard despite the bone-chilling screams of the man. Shaking the beggar I caught with a flex of my magic, I bash his head against the wall, splittingit open like an egg. ¡°But first a little philosophy regarding my new religion. It''s just basic sense, but everyone has to start somewhere. If someone attacks you, you react with extreme prejudice. You kill them, then you kill their friends and their families, including any people they know, just to be sure.¡± I point over my shoulder at Luxley without looking back. ¡°You, my friend, may be a king, but you are also a big wimp. Your kingdom should''ve never gotten into a state in which your authority could be questioned. But don''t worry, we will rectify that. ¡°You see, there are several ways to make use of something useless, like corpses. Many worlds would be better off if all that dead flesh wouldn''t be allowed to go to waste.¡± I wave my hand at the dead body. ¡°There are several ways to raise the dead.¡± I demonstrate the easiest by casting a simple reanimation spell. Green light surrounds the body, and he twitches rather ominously, a pained moan escaping his throat. ¡°The most basic spell is a simple Animate Flesh, which takes control of a dead body''s nerves and animates its muscles, therefore creating what the uneducated would call a zombie. Thanks to the spell, their nerve-centre regains some of its lowest functions. This leaves you with a creature which is reduced to its most basic instincts. It''s also unable to replenish its own power, and as soon as the supplied energy from the spell runs out, it will return to being a corpse. Theoretically, I could also create an animated skeleton with this spell. But it wouldn''t last long and be a waste of energy, since the spell would have to make up for all the non-existent muscles. Always remember, it''s the most energy efficient to use a fresh corpse. All those stories of decayed zombies are just a myth. The fresher they are, the better. Even the old Mirai knew that. That''s why they were so skilled at preserving and repairing corpses.¡± Pointing at the now writhing and moaning body which is still held in place by my force magic, I casually form a rather large spell formation. ¡°This second one is a little trickier, and I don''t expect you to pick it up immediately. But that''s why we are going to train until you get it right. Once a body dies, you have a few minutes before...¡± I stop, searching for the right term. In the end, I decide to simplify things, since Luxley is present. Going into the details of quantum-mechanics and the metaphysical nature of the multiverse would probably be a little too much, even for Karin. ¡°It pains me to over-simplify things, but let''s just say that this man''s soul still has a tether to his body. And by rejoining his soul with his flesh, I can turn him into a reanimated servant. Always make sure to include a way to control someone who you bring back this way. They still have most of the same memories and motivations they had while they were still alive. ¡°If you apply an altered form of healing magic, you can even take care of some cosmetic issues.¡± With another wave, I restore the man to his former self and he gasps as the wound on his head closes and the dent in his skull is smoothed out. Letting go of my force magic, I allow him to drop to the floor. ¡°Just stay there and wait for orders.¡± The new servant obviously tries to rebel against the geas I placed in his mind, but there is no way for him to break it. ¡°It will take a little studying, but once you have those spells under control, I''ll teach you a way to create an infectious version of this magic. There are a few drawbacks which function as a safety mechanism, like a limited lifetime for any infected. But if you anchor the spells yourself afterwards, that can be remedied should you want to create an army of servants quickly.¡± I point down the corridor. ¡°Go and hunt your comrades. Kill half of them and bring us the other half alive.¡± Yowling in terror of his own actions, the newly created servant skitters off on all fours. I just hope anyone who encounters my little creation doesn''t realize that the screams aren''t meant to intimidate the victim. I suppose it can''t be helped, so I stretch my arms and flex my fingers to loosen up. ¡°Right! The flesh golem is next. It''s always beneficial to have something up your sleeve if the body is damaged beyond repair.¡± ¡°Ahem.¡± Willow clears her throat and I turn around, miffed that my willingness to give a live-presentation was interrupted. It''s not often that you get lessons in Necromancy from a soul-mage. But seeing my pupils, I understand why Willow felt the need to interrupt me. Luxley is lying flat on his back, his eyes turned upwards in their sockets, so that there is only the white visible. Karin also doesn''t look like she is well, but at least she didn''t lose consciousness.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡°When did he pass out?¡± I ask. ¡°Right after you reanimated the beggar,¡± Willow replies helpfully. ¡°Are you sure that he is good necromancer material?¡± I huff. ¡°He just has to learn if he wants to stay in my favour. No matter his upbringing, he has the proper heritage and I''ll be damned if one of my distant descendants is unable to perform such simple magic!¡± Wisely, I don''t add that I only decided to take Luxley''s side in order to piss off Myrm. After all, a god''s motivations have to be at least a little hard to understand. There would be no way that people would worship me if they knew that I am just as vain and emotionally driven as any random mortal from the street. ¡°Excuse me,¡± Karin raises her hand, shaking. ¡°Yes?¡± I ask, feeling generous towards my prot¨¦g¨¦ and wondering why she is behaving so formal. Not that I don''t like being paid the proper respect, but I never indoctrinated the girl to do so. ¡°Isn''t bringing back their soul and placing a ''geas'' on them just as bad as slavery?¡± She looks at me as if I am the evil one here, then in the direction the zombie went. ¡°It sounds even worse than slavery.¡± ¡°Karin, you have to understand that there are certain actions that get you punished sooner or later.¡± I raise a finger. ¡°Like being a dick, or attacking someone far stronger than yourself. I thought you understood that there is nothing evil in this world when you burned down that village with the power I gave you.¡± ¡°But I didn''t enslave anyone. I just punished them,¡± Karin complains. I shake my head. ¡°You could have done anything to them, girl. You were perfectly within your rights. They enslaved you, killed your mother, and raped you. Don''t allow those who did that to you to put their morals and values on you. As soon as they started threatening your existence, any social rules couldn''t be applied any longer. Social rules, laws, morals, those concepts exist to make it easier for people to live with each other. As soon as they refused to accept you as one of them, and demoted you to a slave, a thing that could be killed at their whim, you no longer had to obey their norms. Why should you restrict yourself to their morals if they aren''t willing to extend the same favour to you?¡± She looks at Willow. ¡°I thought he is against slavery.¡± Willow shakes her head, using the tip of her slender shoe to draw circles on the dusty ground. ¡°Yeah... he is kind of hypocritical that way. To some degree, he follows a moral code of his own, but if you happen to belong to a certain group of people, those morals go straight out the window.¡± She looks at Karin and whispers, ¡°Just don''t question it, or he will try to teach you how the world works... according to him.¡± I cross my arms in front of my chest. ¡°What do you mean with, ''according to me''?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± she replies quickly. ¡°Why don''t you continue the lesson. If we spend all day down here, your reanimated minion might cause a zombie plague.¡± I wave my hand dismissively. ¡°Pah! I got that little issue under control a long time ago. But you are right. I can demonstrate the Flesh Golem at any time. Would you be so nice and carry the king while I instruct our young student in the arts of magic? I suppose we have to start with the basics first. Like drawing power and shaping it.¡± Willow gasps. ¡°You wouldn''t! Why should I, a lady, carry him around while you get to play teacher?¡± I snort. ¡°I think the both of us know that you are no lady. May I remind you of last night? A lady would never-¡± ¡°Ascathon!¡± she quickly cuts me off. ¡°Karin isn''t old enough for that.¡± I look at the girl. She just rolls her eyes. ¡°Oh, please. Didn''t you just confirm that I already had the misfortune of being introduced to this stuff? You can hardly shock me at this point.¡± ¡°Actually...¡± I take a moment to considerKarin''s situation. ¡°...she is right. You are one of the toughest kids I''ve ever met, Karin, but there are things you aren''t prepared for.¡± Turning back to Willow, I settle the matter with her. ¡°And you are going to carry him. You hit on him, so you carry him.¡± ¡°Me hitting on him wasn''t the reason why he blacked out!¡± Willow complains. ¡°And we aren''t in that kind of relationship, so you carry him,¡± I reaffirm and start walking down the corridor to find a few more test subjects. ¡°Actually, I know I already asked this question, but what''s your relationship?¡± Karin asks. ¡°Friends with benefits!¡± Willow answers quickly before I can state my own version. Looking back, I see that she is carrying Luxley, so I refrain from correcting her. It has been a few hundred years since she tried to kill me, so I suppose that giving her a little slack is okay. ***The Crystal City*** ***Seria*** ¡°I am telling you, Myrm, just let it go! This isn''t worth fighting over,¡± I repeat myself for theumpteenth time, but Myrm doesn''t get it. Instead, she keeps insisting on bringing the matter up with Tjenemit. ¡°I can''t believe that none of you are willing to stop him! What he is doing is just wrong!¡± Myrm screams, her rage not subsiding. Ever since she appeared in Studio 7 after her encounter with Ascathon, she threw a temper tantrum of epic proportions. Nazareth, the only deity who the deranged Myrm is willing to listen to, joins in. ¡°Listen, we understand that you don''t like what he is doing, but you are projecting your rage onto the wrong person.¡± ¡°How can he be the wrong person!?¡± Myrm hammers her fist onto the table, making Nazareth flinch. ¡°Nobody forces him to do the things he does!¡± Nazareth raises both hands and talks very quietly. ¡°Okay... you want to bring the matter up with Tjenemit, then bring it up with Tjenemit. But ultimately, the Council is responsible for what''s happening and none of us want the Council''s attention. If not Ascathon, then Tjenemit will force another psycho to join the club. As long as Tjenemit wishes to go through with this experiment, there will be no outcome that''s acceptable to you.¡± ¡°Then they just have to give us someone who can be reasoned with!¡± Myrm screams. Leaning forward, I whisper, ¡°Get yourself under control! Ascathon may not be my favourite person in the multiverse right now, but at least he can be reasoned with if you don''t set him off!¡± Myrm shakes her head, her helmet clinking. ¡°I just don''t understand why all of you are so afraid of him.¡± Nazareth slams his flat hand onto the table. ¡°Now listen! You are new here, just a few decades old. That''s not much more than being a mere infant in our circles. We-¡± Unfortunately, that''s exactly the moment when Tjenemit decides to make an appearance. ¡°You requested my presence in a matter of utter urgency?¡± I slap my own forehead. How utterly idiotic can Myrm be? Did she really call for a Council member directly!? We will all be lucky if Tjenemit doesn''t make us disappear. Myrm, not heeding our advice, turns to face the ancient deity. ¡°Finally! You need to reign in Ascathon! He is going nuts onour planet!¡± Tjenemit furrows his forehead. ¡°Are you telling me that you can''t deal with him?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± I interject and stand up. ¡°Our Myrm is just new at the business. After getting a little bit of experience, she will be up to it in no time. It just so happens that with Ascathon and Myrm, two very strong personalities are grating against each other. The fact that they are often directly pitched against each other doesn''t help.¡± Wringing my hands, I try to find a diplomatic solution to this mess, hoping that the Council member won''t react in a drastic manner. ¡°Maybe it would be enough to tweak the world enchantment a little bit, so that two opposing deities aren''t summoned into the same place at the same time?¡± Nazareth nods with fervour. ¡°That''s a great idea! After all, our true purpose is finding people who have the potential to ascend without the Council''s help. Those who could become a threat to the ongoing peace. Isn''t it highly inefficient for two of your agents to be summoned to the same place.¡± ¡°Hmmm...¡± Tjenemit scratches his chin. ¡°What you are saying has merit. I''ll speak to the other Council members about what can be done. We are always short on reliable hands, so this inefficiency in our system really isn''t necessary if it doesn''t have to be.¡± He looks at the ceiling, considering it. ¡°That doesn''t change the problem with Ascathon!¡± Myrm interjects, unfortunately. ¡°About that.¡± Tjenemit circles his finger. ¡°I would like to hear his perspective in order to understand the actual problem.¡± There is a flash of light, and our dark-robed god of chaos appears out of nowhere. With one hand in the air, his finger raised, it looks like he was about to lecture somebody. I suck in a sharp breath, praying. ¡°Life and Death, give me strength.¡± ¡°What''s going on?¡± Ascathon turns in a circle, trying to understand why he is here. ¡°You are about to get an ass whooping!¡± Myrm proclaims loudly. ¡°That''s what''s about to happen.¡± Ascathon ignores Myrm and turns to face Tjenemit instead. ¡°Explanation!¡± A moment passes until the god of chaos decides to add, ¡°...Please,¡± as an afterthought. Tjenemit shrugs. ¡°That''s what I am trying to find out. Myrm said that you were overly unruly. Would you please give me a summary of what you have been doing on your assigned planet?¡± Ascathon''s expression suddenly becomes very guarded and he starts picking his words very carefully. ¡°Well, what I am supposed to do?¡± Then he proceeds to give Tjenemit a very clinical summary of all his actions so far. The Council member turns on Myrm. ¡°I don''t see your problem. Ascathon is just, doing what we want him to do. He is representing the dark side of things so that no possible candidates can slip past our attention.¡± Myrm seems stunned for a moment, and then she explodes. ¡°He is killing innocent people with his actions left and right for no good reason! If you are unwilling to show him the error of his ways, then I will!¡± Ascathon raspberries, amused. ¡°Please! What can you do!? I''ve seen you struggling with a simple healing spell. It was pathetic!¡± Before I can stop her, Myrm is next to Ascathon, her hand coming down with a karate-chop on her unprepared adversary. A hastily erected mana-shield breaks with the sound of cracking glass, and then there is a ¨C ''crack'' ¨C as the bones in Ascathon''s neck yield to the brutal attack. The god of chaos falls straight onto his back and twitches for two seconds before he lies still. With the ceasing of his erratic spasms, the room falls into complete and utter silence. I gape at the scene, not believing that Myrm just did that. Attacking another god while his aura is down is a serious breach of etiquette. Normally, a god''s fully released aura protects them from any random attack. Breaking through a god''s aura requires large amounts of power, which is the main reason why gods shouldn''t fight directly with each other. It''s also why gods normally don''t run around with their auras released. Not only is it a defensive measure, but also required to break through another god''s aura. Having one''s aura released is a threatening move in of itself. Myrm just broke several social rules of the Crystal City by attacking another god who had his aura down. This may even cause severe repercussions, not to mention that killing another immortal without making sure that he or she can''t retaliate once they reincarnate, is a seriously brain-dead move! ¡°See!?¡± Myrm places her fists on her hips, striking a pose. ¡°Nothing to be afraid of, idiots. Just like any other mage. You brain them, and then you dance a jig on top of their corpse.¡± Before either Tjenemit or I can find a proper response, Nazareth voices his opinion with loud fervour. ¡°Fool! You just-¡± In that very moment, someone kicks in the door to Studio 7, and a black-haired beauty strolls into the room like a queen to abanquet. Surveying her audience, she smiles brilliantly, the incarnation of seduction and femininity. ¡°Am I late?¡± she purrs with a haughty voice that sends a shiver down my spine. ¡°This is so wrong,¡± I mumble to myself. ¡°So very wrong.¡± My stomach twists at the sight of her, especially since I know exactly who just re-entered the room. Maybe I should warn Myrm? But something tells me that warning her would makethe situation even worse. ¡°Who are you?¡± Myrm asks, turning to face the newcomer. ¡°Oh,¡± the beauty with porcelain skin smacks her red lips. ¡°You must be new.¡± Rolling her hips, she approaches Myrm. ¡°All the older gods know me as Nova, but that probably doesn''t mean much to you.¡± She stops in front of the god of order. ¡°But! You can also call me the Necromantic Bane.¡± Myrm tilts her head in confusion. ¡°Like-¡± Before Myrm can finish, Nova launches a perfectly executed kick against her opponent''s groin. With a metal-denting impact, Myrm is launched up into the air until she is at the perfect height for the spell-charged fist of Nova''s to punch into ¨C and through ¨C Myrm''s belly, spraying blood all over the wall and Tjenemit. The force of the impact transfers through the armour to the rest of Myrm''s body and she is flung away. Having been struck beneath her centre of gravity, Myrm somersaults forwards while flying backwards until she hits the far wall like a fly would a wind-shield. Screeching like a fury, Nova is on top of her victim in an instant, pummelling Myrm with her bare fists, denting the helmet of her adversary with each blow. By now it''s obvious that Myrm didn''t get up her guard in time, and that if we don''t do something immediately, she will be the one who dies next. Jumping to my feet, I charge Nova and grab her left hand as she tries digging her fingers into the visor of Myrm''s helmet. Tjenemit is also on her, and together, we pull the screeching fury off of Myrm''s battered remains. ¡°Get a hold of yourself!¡± Tjenemit commands. ¡°Let me kill that asshole!¡± Nova cries! ¡°I''ll make him my bitch for all eternity and then some! Hurensohn! Huditz! §ß§Ö§ã§ä§à?§ñ§ë§Ú§Û §é§Ö§Ý§à§Ó§Ö?§Ü! Let me scratch the soul out of that body and eat it!¡± Tjenemit shoves Nova back, away from Myrm. ¡°What did I tell you guys about fighting each other!¡± And then he whispers. ¡°I will only say this once. Only because you didn''t start it. And only because you and Myrm are useful individuals! Back off now! There will be no fighting and no second chance.¡± The muscles of Nova''s jaw work as she fights with the decision of whether to attack or to back down. At last, I let out a breath when she turns around and picks up Ascathon''s... her... his other body. Man... I''ll never get used to this. Carrying her other body over her right shoulder in an undignified manner, she turns around. ¡°I''ll be off to repair this body. In the future, please refrain from calling me to meetings which get me killed. And get that wild animal under control! I don''t have many suitable spare-bodies lying around.¡± Then, with a flash of light and a few sparks, she is gone. Tjenemit coughs. ¡°That female version of him is hot. She should just admit that she is better suited to being a woman.¡± Then he finally processes Nova''s parting words. ¡°Wait... does that mean that he has more than two bodies?¡± ¡°I don''t want to know,¡± I whine, trying to banish the thought. ¡°Could you help me here with Myrm?¡± Nazareth''s voice draws my attention, and I turn around to find him doing his best to lend first-aid to Myrm with his healing magic. Myrm coughs, splattering a torrent of blood through her visor. Sighing, I approach them. ¡°We need to get that helmet off.¡± Tjenemitshakes his head.¡°I''ll be going then, but teach that young one how things work in the Crystal City. Myrm is new, so I will give her one last chance. Make sure that it isn''t wasted.¡± Chapter 9 ***The Crystal City*** ***Seria*** *Slap!* ¡°Good morning!¡± *Slap!* ¡°Rise and shine!¡± *Slap!* ¡°Dawn has broken, Myrm!¡± I slap her another time, ignoring the fact that Myrm¡¯s eyes are already open. Some people would call me vain for doing so, but that last slap was for my own sake. Stupid Myrm, she should have just listened to me! ¡°Wha- what happened?¡± Myrm sits up, inspecting her damaged armour and the ruined helmet next to her. There is still an imprint in the metal, shaped like a delicate female hand. We also had to take off her chest-plate, since the metal was dented inwards, making it impossible to heal her properly. I volunteered a simple, white shirt from my own clothes to cover her up in the meantime. ¡°Where is everyone? And where is that bitch!?¡± She reaches up, inspecting her face for damage and feeling the strands of her short, straw-coloured hair. Her elven ears poke out from beneath an elaborately braided hairdo. If it weren¡¯t for my efforts, her face would still look like a mashed piece of meat, but now it¡¯s back to its elvish beauty. Her cheekbones are no longer rearranged into a horrid copy of the Hunchback of Notre Dame. The sharp angles of her face punctuate the image of a martial artist, giving Myrm¡¯s features a special beauty which can be respected not only for female charm but also for health and athleticism. A real shame that she is hiding behind that helmet and armour all of the time. Since she took on the planet¡¯s local god of order¡¯s identity, she stuck to the role like no other. I admit that by impersonating the image the locals had of their god of light, she has an easier time finding followers, but that¡¯s not something I wanted her to do. My plan was for her to get together with Ascathon and make him a little more pliable towards my plans. But I clearly made a mistake. Thanks to Tjenemit, their introduction went all wrong and like two combustible chemicals, they went up in flames, and not the lovey-dovey way. The worst thing is that I can¡¯t risk telling them the truth. At least not now. Their current personalities aren¡¯t on the best terms with me, and who knows what they might do if they learn of my end-goal? If push comes to shove, they might even end up fighting for the wrong side, and that¡¯s something I have to avoid at all costs. Having to fight them would be¡­ bad. That¡¯s what I get for carefully guiding Myrm back to the path of godhood. I painfully selected the places of her reincarnations, making sure that the circumstances and locations of her various lives would ensure a quick ascendency. At least as quick as it can be. I still had to choose parts of the multiverse where time flows differently in order to accelerate her growth. That allowed her to achieve what normally takes millennia within mere centuries of subjective time. Not to mention how difficult it was to snatch away her soul from beneath Ascathon¡¯s watchful eyes. After a few decades, their relationship had gone down an unacceptable path, so I had to intervene in order to achieve my ultimate goal. ¡°Seria?¡± Myrm looks up at me after finally realizing that Studio 7 is empty, except for the two of us. I sigh. ¡°You fucked up!¡± ¡°Wha-¡± ¡°No!¡± I raise a finger, hopefully looking as angry as I am. ¡°You were very lucky today. I dropped more than enough hints about the Council, yet you go and draw Tjenemit¡¯s attention! We were just lucky that he was more amused by this farce than anything else. For the last time, the Council members are dangerous. ¡°Things aren¡¯t as they seem. I know that the public propaganda machine says that the Council is managing the ascendancy of new gods for the sake of all, but you have to understand that everything in the Crystal City is about control. Fuck up, look like someone who is more trouble than necessary, and Tjenemit will end you. Permanently!¡± Drawing a deep breath, I continue my rant before Myrm can speak up. ¡°Turning Ascathon into an enemy also wasn¡¯t the smartest move! Haven¡¯t we warned you that he is a soul-mage? He is capable of playing around with things that even a god doesn¡¯t want meddled with. Souls!¡± ¡°But you also know soul-magic,¡± Myrm interrupts like a petulant child. ¡°Aren¡¯t you-¡± ¡°And he knows even more!¡± I probably shouldn¡¯t tell her that what I do know, I learned from him. That could raise a few questions I would rather not answer. ¡°I am a taught dabbler, while he is a natural genius in the field. If you want to fight him, then you can do it on your own. I may not like him, but I certainly won¡¯t throw myself between the two of you. That pretty lady who gave you the smack-down of the millennium was another body of his. When you killed him, he just switched to a different body. I don¡¯t even know how many bodies he has.¡± ¡°I-¡± ¡°And just so you know, you made yourself an enemy! Ascathon isn¡¯t the type of person who forgives and forgets. Unless you manage to reincarnate him often enough for him to forget about you assassinating him, he will harbour a grudge for centuries until he finds a way to pay you back! I had to pull him off of you or he would have taken your soul. And if Tjenemit hadn¡¯t intervened, Ascathon wouldn¡¯t have backed down. I am sure Tjenemit won¡¯t do that again if the two of you get to blows.¡± Myrm sets her jaw in defiance, telling me that I didn¡¯t get through that thick skull of hers. Picking up her ruined helmet and the damaged parts of her armour, she gets to her feet. Then she bows to me, maybe in a little too formal manner. ¡°Thank you for healing me and for stopping Ascathon. I¡¯ll now go and find someone who can repair my armour¡­ and I also have to apologize to Tjenemit.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± I warn her. ¡°In fact. Don¡¯t seek any contact with any of the Council members until you''ve had time to learn what¡¯s going on within the Crystal City. Just let it be and don¡¯t draw any more attention.¡± Myrm presses her lips together. ¡°It would help me a lot if you just told me what¡¯s going on.¡± I shake my head. ¡°You are too young to help. Once you have a few centuries of experience, you may be able to help me. But right now, the best way to help everyone is to keep your head down. Just follow the advice of those older than you. Go back to the world and develop your powers without drawing any attention.¡± I don¡¯t know whether Myrm will follow my advice or not. Without taking the risk of telling her too much, I can just hope for the best. Of course, I could involve Myrm in the plan, but she is too smart for that. Once she gets a glimpse of the whole, she would piece together that there is more to my actions than it seems. One question would lead to another, and everything might come apart before I am ready.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. A proper explanation might also trigger some of her dormant memories, and only the universe knows what she might do then. We hold eye contact for a long moment and finally Myrm nods. She turns away and uses a pathway to some unknown destination. I remain in Studio 7, watching the pathway¡¯s energies fade. These ley-lines of power which allow the gods to travel instantly throughout the whole multiverse are essential to my plan. A small smirk steals itself onto my face as I imagine the Council¡¯s reactions to the final stages of my plan. ***The World*** ***Karin*** ¡°You are back!¡± Having heard the familiar flash of electricity from outside the living room, I dash into the central hallway of Ascathon¡¯s secret base. There, I stop dead, faced with an otherworldly beauty who is carrying Ascathon on her back. After five hours of hunting dissidents and giving us personal training in Luxley¡¯s castle, Ascathon was abruptly teleported away, leaving us alone with the disillusioned King Luxley who had regained his consciousness. Not wanting to risk any more time out alone in the world, Willow rounded me up and used some special artefact to teleport us back to the hideout, leaving Luxley alone to deal with his problems. The king didn¡¯t look too happy about his situation, although thanks to Ascathon he had an army of necromantic beings at his beck and call by then. In addition, Ascathon had given him detailed instructions to seek out the assistance of the Order of Chaos. So I think that Luxley must be fine, even if we left him out in the cold. Willow follows me out of the living room, immediately recognizing the beauty. ¡°Nova! What happened to your other body?¡± That¡¯s when I recognize the woman from the tube, Ascathon¡¯s other body. I was about to say something really stupid to the stranger regarding her carrying around Ascathon, so Willow kind of saved me there. ¡°The idiot killed my body!¡± Nova complains. ¡°Attacked for no reason at all!¡± ¡°Which idiot?¡± Willow¡¯s expression turns wary. ¡°Did it come to blows with Seria?¡± ¡°Not with Seria. Myrm, that bastard!¡± Nova shakes her fist. ¡°He summoned me to a meeting with Tjenemit and when things didn¡¯t go his way, he attacked, apparently to prove a point.¡± Willow lets out the breath she held, making it clear that she wouldn¡¯t have been happy about a fight between Ascathon and this Seria person. ¡°I assume that you didn¡¯t let the matter rest. Do we have to run?¡± ¡°Yes and no,¡± Nova grumbles, turning to walk down the hallway towards her laboratory. ¡°I went back immediately and fucked up Myrm pretty good. Sadly, Seria and Tjenemit stopped me from finishing the job. They should take care of their own matters, and not interfere with my battles. I was the one who was attacked, so the least they could have done was to stand aside.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell us that Tjenemit forbade any fighting?¡± Willow asks as we reach the lab. ¡°I suppose that he doesn¡¯t want to search for new job applicants.¡± We reach the same operating table on which I woke up after I killed myself. Nova snorts and slams her body down on the table, then proceeds to interact with some devices which are now ¨C after I got a session inside the neural learning machine ¨C a little less mythical to me. I still don¡¯t know exactly how everything works, but at least the mystical element is gone since I know now that everything is based on magical and physical laws. The medical scanner is in her hand and she proceeds by injecting Ascathon¡¯s body with some regenerative nanites. I wince when she bends his head back into a normal position, causing the undesirable noise of bones grating against each other. When she is done, she notices my attention and turns to face me. ¡°Is there something you need?¡± ¡°I, ah...¡± I try to quickly find an appropriate answer, but my brain shorts out. What should I tell her? What¡¯s the proper answer in a situation like this? I suppose her treating her other body is an intimate situation ¨C his other. Do I use ''her'' or ''his''? I am confused. This is so unexpected. I never expected that I would have to face her in a situation like this. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I could hear a fuse sizzle and finally *pop*. ¡°I just thought that you are so beautiful. Why don¡¯t use this body all the time? Not that Ascathon is unpleasant to have around, but having only women here somehow makes me feel more at ease,¡± I blurt out and my eyes widen when I realize what I just said. Nova¡¯s mouth opens and closes, clearly lost for words. Willow¡¯s snickering from behind me makes the awkward situation even worse and then she drops the ultimate bomb. ¡°I think our little girl here has a mommy-complex for beautiful women. Didn¡¯t you notice how doe-eyed she is since seeing you in this body.¡± Nova forces herself to smile as she looks at me, but I can tell that her smile doesn¡¯t reach her eyes. ¡°I am sorry, but I prefer my male persona. Over the centuries I¡¯ve learned to deal with being either gender. It comes with time and having to deal with multiple reincarnations. That doesn¡¯t change that at my core I prefer to be a man.¡± ¡°Ah, okay.¡± Damn me and my mouth. How do I save this conversation? Oh, right! ¡°How did you even get to have two bodies? Going by your earlier explanation, I thought that Nova is dead?¡± Nova wriggles her hand in a so-so manner. ¡°Willow can explain to you who and what the Council is, but the short story is that I wanted to get away from them. They have this whole control-shindig going on. Their usual mode of operation is to detect the awakening of new gods, thanks to the excessive mana outburst that usually comes with it. ¡°They then summon you to the Crystal City, a place only for gods, and give you the whole theatricals of how ¡®they¡¯ decided to elevate you to godhood. But all their summoning circle really does is to teleport the new god to them. You also get tagged with a sort of metaphysical homing beacon which allows them to find you. ¡°Usually, the new god is then sent back out into the multiverse until he or she gets used to their new state of being. They then slowly reel the useful ones back into the folds of the Crystal City and the Council. Unfortunately for them, I realized that they were toying with me. Something isn¡¯t right with the Council and over the centuries I learned that some gods disappear from time to time. They just vanish, soul and all.¡± ¡°You mentioned something about lost friends.¡± I nod. ¡°But what does that have to do with you having two bodies?¡± ¡°I had a theory. The only way their homing device can work is to sense a soul¡¯s ¨C I am making this easier than it actually is ¨C specific quantum signature. My plan was to kill myself, but not to go through the usual reincarnation process. Instead, I attempted to change my soul¡¯s signature while I was in a disembodied state. Sadly, it didn¡¯t work out as I originally planned.¡± ¡°That¡¯s when he/she became even more nuts than she already was,¡± Willow whispers from behind me. ¡°Before that, she was just a psychotic bitch, but now he is a gender-confused psychotic bitch with a split personality and anger management issues.¡± Nova presses her lips together, glaring Willow. The silver woman shrugs, looking a little guilty. ¡°What? It¡¯s the truth.¡± ¡°I explained several times that a soul ¨C per definition ¨C has no gender! What you call a soul is just an abstract structure of energies that rearrange themselves according to a person¡¯s experiences in life. They are energies. No gender! Maybe I should send you through a few reincarnation processes just to teach you. Come to think of it, you had a much too easy life over the last few centuries. When was the last time you died?¡± Willow clears her throat. ¡°A couple of centuries, master.¡± I decide that interrupting them now might be a good idea. Before I become witness to Willow¡¯s death and resurrection¡­ I am getting way too used to this. ¡°Ahem, regarding your experiment, I assume that something went wrong?¡± ¡°Yes and no,¡± Nova answers, still glaring at Willow. ¡°I managed to disconnect my consciousness from this body.¡± She points at herself. ¡°But I didn¡¯t manage to change my soul¡¯s signature.¡± ¡°When I found myself in Ascathon¡¯s body, I realized that my initial plan failed. Apparently, it¡¯s impossible to influence a soul¡¯s signature to the extent I intended. What happened, though, is that I accidentally attuned two bodies to my soul. I can now switch back and forth without my soul suffering the shock of losing its tether to the material universe.¡± ¡°It¡¯s actually pretty neat,¡± Willow interjects. ¡°It means that he has one free death as long as he keeps both of the bodies alive. That¡¯s why he always keeps Nova stored in that tube over there.¡± She waves her hand in the direction of the apparatus that held Nova¡¯s body. ¡°It¡¯s a machine from an advanced world that was developed for coma-patients. It ensures that there is no muscle degradation or other ill side effects of long-term sleep.¡± ¡°I think I understand. Thanks for explaining.¡± I smile. ¡°The more I learn, the more I doubt if it¡¯s wise to become an immortal.¡± ¡°Hahaha.¡± Willow ruffles my hair. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! In time, we will turn you to the dark side.¡± Chapter 10 ***The World*** ***Ascathon*** Opening my eyes, I reach for my neck and carefully try to massage the strained muscles which feel like I slept in a wrong position for a whole night. When there is no instant reaction of gruesome pain, I sit up, circling my head to relax the musculature. It¡¯s unpleasant, but it has to be done. ¡°Man, having your neck broken really twinges. Haven¡¯t felt something that uncomfortable for a long time,¡± I complain to myself. Lowering my guard to the point that someone like Myrm could just strike me dead was really lazy of me. At least it was a wake-up call without long-term consequences. ¡°Having your neck broken just twinges?¡± Karin asks with a forlorn expression on her face, clearly not happy that I changed back to my male persona. She turns, looking back in the direction where my Nova-body is sleeping inside the Cryo-tube. ¡°Hah!¡± I swing my legs off the operating table and get to my feet. ¡°Girl, you have no idea what manner of deaths I experienced over my various lifetimes. Especially when I was just a fledgling immortal and couldn¡¯t back up my ego with the skills I have nowadays.¡± I sigh, remembering the old times without any desire to return. Back then, every day was a struggle, and most of the time there were others who told me what to do with my life. ¡°People must have killed you left and right,¡± Willow joins in, nodding to show her approval of the assessment. I glare at her. She circles her hand, elaborating, ¡°I mean, you are really not a people-person. I am only going by what I know about your life on this world, but from the point you got freed from being a slave it took you less than a year until half the governments in the world wanted to kill you.¡± ¡°You also were a slave once upon a time?¡± Karin asks, then she furrows her forehead. ¡°How does a powerful immortal get turned into a slave?¡± I clear my throat. ¡°Let¡¯s just say that I was unlucky enough to be born into the occupation. And back then, there was something that¡¯s called a slave-collar. It forces the one who wears it to obey every whim and command of their owner. They pretty much wipe out your free will.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just disgusting!¡± Karin cries out. ¡°I am glad that the slavers in my old village didn¡¯t have those. Life would have been so much worse.¡± I raise an eyebrow at that and Karin shrugs. ¡°I mean, if you have your free will, you can at least take some little revenge, like spitting into your owner¡¯s food, or stealing some more to eat.¡± ¡°The collars were actually pretty common back then,¡± Willow informs Karin. ¡°In the Empire, their use was so widely spread that you could distinguish between two classes, free people and slaves.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Willow points at me. ¡°He happened¡­ or rather, back then he was Nova. The Necromantic Bane ended the Eternal War and wiped out most of the larger governments. Then Nova proceeded to persecute anyone and everyone who was in possession of slave-collars, or the knowledge of how to make one. It was the single, largest manhunt in the history of our world. When Nova started it, I didn¡¯t believe it possible, but eventually she really managed to wipe out any and all knowledge that might lead to the creation of such a collar.¡± ¡°Is that why everyone despises her as the Necromantic Bane?¡± Karin asks. ¡°If they were so common, then Nova¡¯s actions must have been felt throughout all levels of society.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t give a shit,¡± I clarify. ¡°Back then, this world had the highest density of assholes I ever encountered. Half of the continent was openly practising slavery on a horrendous scale, while the other half used that fact to wage an unending war in which they burned their undesirables. And then they all objected to outlawing any knowledge on mind-control techniques. As if I was taking away their favourite toy. If you ask me, they got what they deserved.¡± ¡°I told you that he is not a people-person,¡± Willow interjects, twirling a strand of her silver hair between her fingers. ¡°I did them a favour!¡± I complain. ¡°And now history paints me as the villain.¡± ¡°He is kind of sore on the subject,¡± Willow elaborates in a good-natured manner. ¡°My rule should be remembered as a golden age,¡± I rant, working myself into a rage. Didn¡¯t I bring a millennium of peace and education to this world? And it took these savages less than a century to destroy everything I built! ¡°Well, you tended to kill off anyone who had a different opinion from you,¡± Willow points out. ¡°Or you just turned them into undead and had them work for you against their will.¡± ¡°What I did was for the good of the world and the people. The ones who opposed me called themselves freedom-fighters! But they just used that as a facade to paint themselves as the good ones. In reality, they just wanted to return to their old ways. To a world where the strong prey on the weak.¡± I have to make this clear to Karin, or she might get the wrong picture of history. ¡°I am sure that ¡®all¡¯ the orks in the north-eastern regions deserved having nukes thrown on them until the soil glowed in the night,¡± Willow points out. Karin gasps. ¡°You are responsible for the Wastelands?¡± ¡°And for the Great Divide. That huge crater in the centre of the continent, the one that¡¯s still glowing today,¡± Willow adds. I round on my servant. ¡°Quit telling her just snippets of the whole story! It makes me look bad!¡± ¡°But you are so good at being the bad guy. You are probably the single, largest mass-murderer in our world¡¯s history. That¡¯s something to be proud of. I, as a former assassin, must know,¡± the Elemental replies half-heartedly. Before I can lunge forward to strangle her, Karin raises her hand. ¡°Please don¡¯t start fighting over things that happened a thousand years ago. I was just interested in learning what really happened, but it¡¯s clearly not a story that can be told in a few words.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± I sigh. ¡°A history of a millennium can¡¯t be told in just a few words.¡± I turn, gesturing Willow to take over Karin¡¯s education. ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell the kid what happened ¨C without leaving anything out. But don¡¯t forget the rest of her education over it.¡± ¡°Typical man! The woman has to do the work while you run off and-¡± Willow¡¯s complaint is cut off as I use a pathway to escape what would¡¯ve surely turned into a tirade. Even if she is my minion and has to do what I say, a good overlord has to know when to let his subordinates nag. I appear high above the world and loosen the tight control over my aura, trying to relax as I drift in the upper stratosphere, almost at the border to space and protected by nothing but the pure power flowing through my being. From time to time I just have to let go and this is the only place I can do so. Doing so, I look down on the single, large continent which makes up eighty percent of the world¡¯s landmass. The rest are some small islands, the largest of them the pirate islands in the north-east, and the former trading centre of the Consortium in the north-west. Both political powers are long lost in the history of time. I suddenly realize that I know next to nothing about the current political state of the world. All I do know, I gained by taking short glimpses into the minds of random worshippers who made the mistake of summoning me. The most reliable information I got was from Luxley. But even if his kingdom is a stabilizing factor on a big part of the main-continent¡¯s southern coast, it is still just a small piece of the puzzle. Since my time as the Necromantic Bane, the world¡¯s governments became much more localized. The fear of another dictator was ingrained so deeply into most leadership groups that they didn¡¯t dare to rebuild governments on the same scale. Or rather, they couldn¡¯t.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. As soon as some local warlord transpires to take control of neighbouring regions, others rise in fear of history repeating itself. It¡¯s the reason why the world has trouble shaking off the memory of my rule. I grumble, looking down on the world. If the Necromantic Bane is still something that¡¯s feared to such a degree, then it¡¯s to be expected that any public actions of my followers will cause an immediate reaction. Whether they want to or not, those who remember the truth will flock to my banner. On the same account, there will be those who arrange themselves against me. Myrm will surely be one of them. The crackling of someone using a pathway draws my attention, and Seria appears next to me. ¡°Could you tone it down a bit?¡± She gestures with her hand, indicating that I should switch something off. She herself has her aura partly released and is resisting the pressure of my power with ease. ¡°Tone down what?¡± I ask, feigning ignorance. ¡°Your aura.¡± She gestures at the planet beneath us. ¡°The mortals are going stir-crazy: ¡®Oh, we are all doomed! The red star is shining again, promising the return of chaos and war and death!¡¯ ¡± She throws her hands dramatically up in the air. ¡°They are turning me crazy.¡± ¡°They are saying that?¡± I ask, cheering up. ¡°That¡¯s actually pretty nice. I didn¡¯t know that my relaxation sessions have such an effect on the planet.¡± ¡°They aren¡¯t exactly a star-faring culture, and ominous red lights appearing above their heads force the religious zealots out of their hidey-holes.¡± She gestures in a shooing motion at me. ¡°So, could you turn it down?¡± Rolling my eyes, I gather my energies and pack them away, shutting them tightly within me until there is just enough left to keep me alive in this hostile environment. ¡°Happy?¡± She nods. ¡°Better.¡± Seria is already in the process of turning away, apparently with the intention of immediate departure, when she turns back to face me. ¡°Come to think of it. Do you have any idea where Marigold is?¡± ¡°Marigold?¡± I ask. ¡°No. Why should I know? Shouldn¡¯t you be able to find him easily with your infamous tracking skills?¡± She purses her lips. ¡°Only if a member of the Council gives me his soul¡¯s signature. And I don¡¯t want to ask them for it, possibly drawing their attention.¡± ¡°I see.¡± When I don¡¯t show any sign of giving up more information, she continues. ¡°It¡¯s just that Nazareth and Marigold normally stick together like identical twins. But recently Marigold was absent for long periods of time, and nobody has seen him for days.¡± I blink. ¡°Just a few days? What are you so worried about? I frequently see no other god for months.¡± ¡°Not everyone is as antisocial as you, so are you absolutely sure that you don¡¯t know where he could be?¡± She crosses her arms in front of her chest, looking at me accusingly. ¡°It¡¯s just strange that you were the last person who he was seen talking to.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± I scratch the stubbles on my chin. ¡°I certainly did nothing to him. We just made a little small-talk about the current situation.¡± Then I remember. ¡°Ah! That¡¯s right! I gave him a little tip.¡± ¡°A tip?¡± ¡°Yes, well. It¡¯s a vacation resort of sorts, nothing to worry about.¡± I wave my hand dismissively. ¡°If he went there, then he is fine. Just give him a little time. He will show up eventually.¡± ¡°Eventually?¡± Her eyes narrow. ¡°Now I do worry. Where exactly is this vacation resort? We will get Nazareth and search for him.¡± ¡°No, really. Just give him some time. I am sure he is fine. Trust me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it! We are going there, and you will show us the way.¡± She gestures for me to stay put as if I am some kind of dog. ¡°Wait right there. I¡¯ll go and get Nazareth.¡± She vanishes, taking one of the pathways. Either my reaction was simply too slow, or I was too dumbfounded to get the fuck away from there. In any case, before I managed to come up with the proper reaction of simply teleporting away, Seria reappeared with a disoriented Nazareth in tow. ¡°We are ready.¡± She shoos me on with a gesture. ¡°Just lead the way and we follow.¡± ¡°Seria, I know that we aren¡¯t on the best of terms, but Marigold really isn¡¯t at risk if he followed my advice. He will have a good time, and then he will show up again,¡± I try to explain without giving away too much. For some reason, I really don¡¯t want to lead Seria to a place like the Plains of Pleasure. Unfortunately, Nazarath chooses to intervene at that moment. ¡°If Marigold is fine, then it should be no problem if you lead us there for us to check. Once we know for sure that he isn¡¯t there, we at least won¡¯t waste our time by searching other places.¡± Somehow I can¡¯t dispute that logic¡­ and if Marigold turns out to be the latest victim of gods disappearing, then I don¡¯t want to find myself connected to the following investigation. That would be a hassle. ¡°Fine!¡± I turn, searching the sky for the necessary pathway, allowing my instincts as an ascended being to pick out the one right choice among uncountable billions of possibilities. Then I reach out with my mind, following the pathway through space, time, and dimensions. We appear on a flat, grassy landscape with lush vegetation sprinkled across gently rising and falling hills. It would be a perfectly fine scenery, if it weren¡¯t for the fact that the vegetation presented itself in tones of blue and pink, with a red sky with no sun overhead. Seria¡¯s and Nazareth¡¯s eyes immediately fixate on the castle in front of us, its gates looming open, presenting themselves like a maw to swallow any visitor whole. Above the gate, the letters -P.o.P. - are inscribed in pink letters on the castle''sobsidian stone. ¡°Ahh,¡± I sigh, remembering some fond memories. ¡°This place didn¡¯t change at all.¡± I gesture for my companions to follow. ¡°Come. And remember, these are the infernal planes of lust and pleasure. Most of the beings here are demons and rank on the lower scale of minor deities.¡± ¡°Which means?¡± Nazareth asks, looking offended. ¡°That you would probably have problems fighting them off, but Seria and I are above their weight level. Although, if a few dozen of them gang up on us we should probably run,¡± I explain, guiding them towards the gate. ¡°I thought this place isn¡¯t dangerous?¡± Seria asks, but before I can reply she gasps upon passing a large plant right next to the path. ¡°What the fuck!?¡± I stop, inspecting the plant. It¡¯s a large pot-like thing with a leaf as a lid, and as I watch, the outlines of a screaming face become visible as the occupant of thecarnivorous plant presses his head against the wall. ¡°What!?¡± Ignoring the scene, I quickly search our surroundings for the real threat. Nazareth points at the plant. ¡°There is someone inside it!¡± Returning my attention shortly to the plant, I giveNazareth ¡®the look¡¯. ¡°Well, duh¡­ we are on the plains of pleasure, guys. Did you miss the ¡®infernal¡¯ in the description? You find everything in this place. From benign lovemaking to S&M and Vore, your fantasies will be fulfilled. The guy in there is probably having the time of his life.¡± They look at me. ¡°Oh, please don¡¯t tell me that you two are complete virgins. Just think of this place as the kinky kind. Now let¡¯s go. This dimension is running on a one to twentytimescale compared to the one we just left. It means that every day in this place costs me twenty days to further my ¡®evil¡¯ plans in the world.¡± I take the lead, aiming without error for the open gate. ¡°Now, where is the gatekeeper?¡± Stepping past the threshold, I search for a succubus. Normally, there is always one of the girls guarding the place, demanding and entrance-fee for partaking in the pleasures the castle offers. When I find the gate strangely unguarded, I take a look into the guardroom, from where I hear pained moans, although it could also be frompleasure. The entrance is embedded to the left in the castle¡¯s stupidly thick walls, right behind the gate. The room itself is rather spartan with just a table and a few chairs. On top of the table is a man, although there isn¡¯t much more than skin and bones left. He almost looks like a really dried up zombie, one that was summoned incorrectly. Kneeling above him is a red-skinned girl with flaming red hair. Her nicely shaped butt is high in the air while she is fingering herself, her demon tail curling in pleasure while she deep-throats her lucky victim¡¯s member with skilled expertise. Purring happily, she bobs her head with vigour while the man moans in pleasure and pain at the same time. ¡°I would recognize that heart-shaped butt anywhere in the multiverse,¡± I announce myself. ¡°If it isn¡¯t the lovely Felicia! How are your mother and your sisters?¡± With a wet slurp, the succubus lets go of the man¡¯s organ and turns around. Her dilated pupils focus on me as she licks her luscious lips. Then she recognizes me and squeals, jumping off the table, she charges me and gives me a hug, ignoring the fact that she is completely naked. ¡°Ascathon! It has been so long since you showed your face. Mom will surely be happy to hear from you!¡± To my dismay, she kisses me on both cheeks, thankfully avoiding the lips¡­ I have to wash later. Looking behind me, she notices Seria and Nazareth and purrs with a wicked grin. ¡°More guests?¡± ¡°Yeah, not really. We can¡¯t stay for long since we are just checking on a friend. A half-orc, huge guy, and a god. Have you seen him?¡± I pat Felicia''s head and smile jovially, avoiding the cute little horns on her forehead which are sharper than they look. She wriggles. ¡°Maybe? I think Mom invited him into her tower?¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s fine.¡± I smile. ¡°Like I said, we are just checking since his friends are worried.¡± ¡°¡­elp¡­ heelp¡­¡± the living corpse on the table moans,interrupting our reunion. ¡°The Imaam promised me that I would haveseventy-two virgins in Jannah if I just killed the infidels! As al-Ghazali ¡­¡± the man keeps on babbling something incomprehensible, clearly lost within his delusions. Yeah, well. Doing it with a succubus isn''t that healthy for those with feeble minds. I doubt that he will get past Felicia if he already looks like this from a mere blowjob. In any case, there are still forty sisters to go through. ¡°A friend?¡± I ask, raising an eyebrow. ¡°A snack.¡± Felicia glides back to the table, and I notice that the man¡¯s pole didn¡¯t flag while we were talking. ¡°Sis brought him over for me as dinner. Playing gate-guardian is just too boring.¡± She climbs back onto the table, throwing a leg over the man, mounting him reverse cowgirl style. ¡°I think she snatched him from some version of earth.¡± Without caring about the audience, Felicia impales herself on ¡®the snack¡¯ and starts gyrating her hips. ¡°Just¡­¡± She moans lustfully as a pentagram starts glowing right above her groin. ¡°¡­go on. You know the way.¡± Still smiling, I turn around and usher Seria and Nazareth out of the guardroom. ¡°We will be going then.¡± Ignoring both ofmy companions'' glares, I lead the way deeper into the castle. Chapter 11 ***The World*** ***Ascathon*** ¡°What the hell is this place?¡± Seria whispers as soon as she catches up to me after leaving the guardroom. ¡°It¡¯s Castle P.o.P., owned by Mistress Ashley and her forty-one daughters,¡± I explain. ¡°A while ago I reincarnated in this dimension, and since I became a god I remembered and now I am paying visits from time to time. But the time dilation between this dimension and the one we call home makes it a real hassle.¡± Seria gasps. ¡°You reincarnated in a place like this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not as bad as it sounds. The people here are really powerful and their bodies are essentially immortal. Some of them can even open gateways to other dimensions, but they lack the spark of godhood that allows them to use the pathways for travel. I think it has something to do with the fact that this dimension is really mana-rich,¡± I explain, waving greetings to a naked succubus girl who passes us. ¡°Hi, Isabel, it has been a long time since we saw each other.¡± ¡°Ascathon! Are you visiting Mom? Make sure to pass by my room before you run off again.¡± The girl blows me a kiss, which seems to annoy Seria, and then Isabel continues on with a little more spring in her step than before. I guide my comrades down the main corridor towards Ashley¡¯s part of the castle while I proceed with my explanation. ¡°I reincarnated in this world as a random warrior-demon and had a little fun doing the things demons do. You know, being summoned by stupid mortals, fighting, and robbing. The culture of this place is really violent. If you aren¡¯t strong enough to defend what¡¯s yours, you may as well give it away before someone takes your stuff.¡± ¡°That sounds really unpleasant!¡± But then Seria reconsiders her initial reaction and mumbles, ¡°This place actually seems like it was made for you.¡± ¡°Ah, the demons in this dimension are actually less violent than the people in our world. At least they don¡¯t pretend to be on the good side. The really awful ones are poisoned or assassinated pretty quickly once they make themselves too many enemies. In any case, I happened to sell my services to a local demon-lord. This castle belonged to him, including Ashley and her daughters who he kept as his personal harem.¡± I am still a little appalled at having so many wives, but succubi can apparently choose if they want to get a child. So, according to my knowledge, there was never an incident. I wave my hand. ¡°Things happened, and one night at a party I got really drunk. It was after a large battle with a neighbouring demon clan. When it came to the distribution of the spoils I had an argument with the bastard.¡± Sighing, I continue, ¡°He tried to cheat me of what I was owed and one thing led to another. Before I knew it, he was dead.¡± Wincing at the memory, I wave a hand as we pass a room full with succubi who are busy fucking various visitors of the castle. Not caring for the scene, I walk past without much interest while Nazareth¡¯s eyes almost bug out of his head. ¡°That was kind of unfortunate for me, because according to demonic law what you kill is yours. If I hadn¡¯t been so drunk and a little more lucid, I surely would have just beat him to a pulp. But killing him meant that the damned castle suddenly belonged to me, including forty-two succubi.¡± Nazareth gasps behind us and mutters, ¡°Just die¡­ lucky bastard¡­ I could spew blood¡­¡± Ignoring him, I continue, ¡°Yeah, you see, having forty-two females of any species is kind of stressful. The day has only so many minutes, and if you go without any sleep at all, that¡¯s just a little more than half an hour for each of them. Succubi are by nature crazed sex-machines and pleasing all of them was almost impossible. ¡°Normally, I am the one-partner kind of guy, so taking care of so many wives was a real eye-opener for me.¡± I pat my chest where I have my special amulet resting against my skin. ¡°The creation of my special Endurance Amulet was an act of pure desperation. I was actually glad when I bit the dust a few hundred years later, which was actually a pretty decent age for a demon male in charge of a whole succubus harem. Normally, the lucky demon men who take a succubus as a wife last only a few decades before their wifey gets a little too excited and drains them empty by accident.¡± I think apart from taking this castle, I got next to nothing done during that particular reincarnation. ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem to stop you from remembering all of their names...¡± Seria grumbles, displeased with something. I''ll probably never understand that woman. ¡°It¡¯s only basic courtesy to remember a woman¡¯s name if she is willing to give you a blowjob,¡± I point out and wave towards a succubus who is lying on her back in the middle of the corridor, a blue-skinned demon male on top of her. One might think that the guy is in charge, but his glazed and empty eyes tell another story as he works like a robot to satisfy his partner. She winks back at me and we continue onwards. Finally, we arrive at Ashley¡¯s tower at the end of the main corridor. A wide, winding staircase leads up into the central structure of the tower and as a good guide, I decide to warn my friends of the central pillar which supports the center of the winding staircase. Sinuous sculptures of naked succubi are raking themselves all over the pillar¡¯s surface, holding the skeletons of dead lovers in their arms. ¡°Just don¡¯t look at the sculptures for too long. Succubi are a type of mental vampire, and everything they make has an effect on the unwary. Whether unwanted or not, even just looking at their art can be dangerous.¡± Nazareth finally decides that he has seen enough. ¡°You sent my brother into a dangerous place like this!? What kind of insane moron are you that...¡± Unfortunately for him, he doesn¡¯t heed my warning as he begins his tirade. His eyes wander astray and he suddenly stops following us as his words fade out unintelligibly with his eyes glued to the sculpture of a girl who seemingly stretches out her hand to the unwary passer-by. The life-sized statue seemingly kisses anyone who might walk by and it draws Nazareth in like a magnet. Grumbling in annoyance at being ignored, I stop and watch the stupid, little gnome. I watch and wait for a bad awakening for him upon touching the sculpture, refusing to help after having gone out of my way to issue a warning. Normally, even if Nazarath is just a minor deity, he should have enough life experience to take care of his own safety. Seria also stops and turns around when she notices my watchful eyes. She catches Nazareth just in time before he manages to plant his lips on the sculpture like some inexperienced teenager. To wake him up, she cuffs him on the head with all the necessary force. ¡°Tch!¡± I hiss involuntarily, disappointed at having been denied a funny spectacle. ¡°Ow!¡± ¡°Come on!¡± Seria turns back to face me while holding Nazareth at the back of his neck. ¡°What was that? Would you really have just watched him getting hurt?¡± I purse my lips. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t have been hurt¡­ not much at least.¡± ¡°Wha¡­ what would have happened?¡± Nazareth asks, only now slowly realizing what he was about to do. ¡°Ahem, you would have been stuck?¡± I glance at the sculpture out of the corner of my eye, a technique I mastered over decades of walking up and down these stairs. If you don¡¯t look at the art directly the brainwashing effect can¡¯t enter the mind. ¡°You would have been stuck.¡± ¡°Stuck!?¡± ¡°Yeah, like¡­ you know¡­ if you put your lips to something really cold. The spell on the sculpture would have invaded your internal magic and used it to keep you in place. Nevaeh, that¡¯s the creator of this sculpture, would have sensed that someone stepped into her trap and paid you a visit.¡± I grin. ¡°And then you would have become a very lucky gnome.¡±Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Nazareth¡¯s accusing look turns to Seria, and the goddess narrows her eyes at me. ¡°Why do you know what would have happened and who the statue belongs to?¡± Clearing my throat, I choose not to answer that question. Do I really have to share the story of how I had to learn the hard way to keep my lecherous eyes in check? How I tried for three weeks to leave or enter Ashley¡¯s quarters in a dignified manner without crawling in or out the windows of the tower? Without being plucked off the pillar like a ripe fruit by a madly giggling succubus? ¡°He should just be glad that he didn¡¯t fall for one of the other sculptures along the pillar. That one is relatively benign,¡± I point out. Seria looks at Nazareth, and the gnome promptly falls for my trap by inspecting the pillar again. His eyes wander to a sculpture of a girl whose butt is stretched out invitingly towards the staircase, including a hole that seems just the right size. Chuckling evilly, I watch as the gnome¡¯s pupils dilate again, but Seria interrupts the fun by hitting Nazareth even harder, almost braining him. ¡°Just get us out of here!¡± She gestures with her hand, pulling Nazareth with her like a sack of potatoes. Turning, I take the last few steps to the third level. For some reason, I get a little emotional over Nazareth¡¯s fear for his brother and decide to relieve him of his concerns. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about your brother. Succubi can drain power when they have sex, but Marigold is a strong god. He could probably go back and forth through all the castle¡¯s inhabitants without losing so much as ten percent of his mana pool. And as a god, he has access to practically infinite power. The girls will exhaust him, but they won¡¯t be able to drain him to the point of killing him even if he blacks out. If they aren¡¯t intentionally trying to do so, and no succubus truly tries to kill a partner if they aren¡¯t threatened.¡± It just happens by accident with the weaklings. An evolutionary way of ensuring the survival of the fittest in demon society. We step onto the third level, Ashley¡¯s personal space. The whole floor is a single, large room with various devices used to please customers. And just as I told them, Marigold seems to be fine. ¡°There he is, right on the central stage. I told you that there is no reason to worry.¡± Although, I suppose that Marigold didn¡¯t want us to find him in this particular situation. The half-orc is kneeling on the ground with his hands stretched out to either side and fixated to two poles. He has two violet succubi to both sides of him, showering him with kisses while they rub their bodies against him. A third girl is kneeling doggy-style in front of him, squealing happily as she pushes her bottom back and forth against his hips, impaling herself with just as much enthusiasm as any succubus shows who happens to come across an endless mana-bottle. The three girls look very similar, so I recognize them as the triplets, Claire, Jada and Danielle. Marigold himself is gagged with a toy, a plastic ball, and there are black silken blindfolds covering his eyes. Behind him is Ashley with a whip in her hand and dressed in a tight-fitting leather outfit, going full dominatrix style on her customer. The red-skinned succubus matriarch of the castle doesn¡¯t look a single day older than her daughters, who seemingly range all around their twenties. Not that this would mean much. Succubi are shape-shifters, so they can look how they want. And I can certify that they are far from being innocent schoolgirls, should they choose to take such a shape. Her long, auburn hair waves wildly as she takes a swing at Marigold¡¯s ass with her whip, causing him to lunge forward involuntarily just as Claire bounces back with her hips. Together, the four succubi are executing a perfect team-performance to get as much as they can out of their happy victim. Then Ashley notices us and drops her whip. ¡°Ascathon!¡± She takes two steps, kicking off two ridiculously high heels. Squealing like a child who had her favourite toy returned, she covers the twenty metres between us and leaps at my chest, forcing me to hug her by supporting her ass for her not to fall off. With her legs wrapped around my hips, she rubs her face against my chest. ¡°My favourite boy-toy is paying me a visit! Why didn¡¯t you announce yourself? I would have prepared a ¡®verrry¡¯ special welcome with all the girls instead of servicing your friend all day long.¡± ¡°Ahem, it¡¯s nice to see you too, Ashley. Sorry, but this visit was kind of unplanned, so don¡¯t fret over it.¡± I gesture at my two charges. ¡°It¡¯s just that Marigold¡¯s friends were worried. He apparently failed to inform them of his misadventure and with everything that¡¯s going on in our world, they wouldn¡¯t leave me in peace until I brought them here.¡± ¡°Ashley?¡± Marigold asks and stops the movements of his hips, still blindfolded. One of the succubus sisters took out his gag. ¡°Do we have more friends joining the fun?¡± Claire growls, not appreciating Marigold¡¯s lacking enthusiasm and one of he sisters pushes him from behind, urging him to go on. ¡°Just a few visitors. No reason to stop,¡± Ashley calls back. Waving his fists in a futile gesture, Nazareth chooses that moment to explode. ¡°No reason!? I¡¯ll give you no reason! Traitor!¡± His face turning red with anger, the gnome stomps forward. ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who had an elemental crisis and suggested for us to try something different? But while I went ahead and reincarnated, you got cold feet you green shitfuck! ¡°And to add insult to injury, you run off to this paradise without telling me a single word! Do you know how much action I got since I switched races!? None! Thanks to you! And then you go to this place without telling me a single word! What did I ever do to you for hating me that much?¡± Marigold¡¯s expression turns horrified. ¡°Bro!?¡± Sensing the opportune moment for maximum revelation, the succubus on his left, Jada, decides to pull down his blindfold. Marigold looks at his brother, then notices that Seria is also watching him with raised eyebrows, and finally his accusing eyes centre on me. It¡¯s as if he is saying, ¡®All of this was a trap, wasn¡¯t it?¡¯ ¡°I- ah- I- can explain. I was just testing!¡± He tries to pull out of Claire, but somehow he seems stuck. ¡°C- Claire? Could you let me go, please?¡± Trying again, it becomes clear that the succubus has him trapped. ¡°Nope,¡± the succubus replies instantly without an ounce of guilt. ¡°You are all mine.¡± ¡°Aw, don¡¯t fight.¡± Jada gets up from her place next to Marigold. ¡°Brothers shouldn¡¯t fight,¡± she blubbers in her bouncy, happy way, making it clear that she is simply the type of person who can''t stand discontent. Almost dancing, she glides over to Nazareth who steps back, but Jada scoops him up like a child, burying his face in her ample cleavage. ¡°This is a place of happy feelings, so don¡¯t spoil the mood.¡± One of her hands wanders a little lower than is decent, and she starts smiling. ¡°I think I¡¯ll keep the little man.¡± Seria facepalms, clearly not amused at the comical development for the two brothers. I have to smirk. It¡¯s not every day that you get to watch a half-orc who is trying in vain to pull out of his succubus-lover, causing her to squeal in enjoyment and clearly not willing to let go. While at the same time his gnome brother is almost smothered to death by the overexcited and admittedly a little dim-witted, if good-natured, sister of said succubus. Feeling a little left out, Danielle somehow managed to sneak up on Seria without anyone noticing that she even moved. Touching the goddess¡¯s butt and squeezing, Danielle smiles victoriously as Seria looks at Danielle from between her fingers. ¡°I am sorry, but I am not into other women,¡± Seria steps back from the outrageously gorgeous woman. ¡°And I am currently not in the mood.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Danielle asks, pointing at Seria¡¯s outrageous white dress made out of silk which barely hides anything. ¡°It screams that you want attention.¡± The succubus brings forth her tail and grabs it with both hands, shaping it into dildo-like appendage. ¡°If it¡¯s about the equipment, I can take care of that. Ah, or is it the appearance?¡± With a flash, Danielle turns into a blue-eyed, blonde hunk of a man, running a hand through long, wavy hair. That¡¯s when Seria purses her lips, seemingly considering the offer. Ashley pokes my cheek with a delicate finger. ¡°Are you really running off again so soon? We didn¡¯t get to talk properly for what feels like a decade. I don¡¯t even know what you are currently up to.¡± Before I can explain that I don¡¯t really have the time to stay, she teleports us away and I find myself landing in a soft bed, Ashley landing on top of me with a sneaky expression on her face. ¡°Do you remember this bedroom?¡± Looking around, I take in the white canopy bed and the frilly curtains in front of the window. While it''s all silk and extravagant, it''s still boringly plain for the plains of pleasure and lust. ¡°Ah, all too well,¡± I answer with mixed feelings, feeling really stupid for intending to refuse the beautiful succubus who is straddling me and trying to loosen my belt. ¡°It¡¯s just that I am currently very busy playing the evil deity in a world of mortals who ah-¡± Ashley takes me into her mouth, expertly shutting me up by bobbing her head and snaking a long tongue around it. ¡°May- maybe I can stay just one day.¡± Or two? There is no way of denying that Ashley is one of the best relaxation therapists I know of. ¡°It¡¯s just that there is a lot of work to do, building a new religion, killing off those who defy me...¡± Satisfied with my state of readiness and a little impatient herself, the succubus matriarch releases me and works her way with kisses further up my body until she is able to capture me inside her, somehow having gotten rid of her own leather pants. Slowly, she settles down all the way until she hits her sweet spot and gasps in pleasure. ¡°Mmm... you are mean. I can smell Felicia on you and you want to run off without paying me any attention.¡± Looking down on me, she slowly starts gyrating her hips with a calculating smile. ¡°An evil god? That job description sounds almost like the one of a demon lord. Say, would you happen to be in need of a few priestesses?¡± Lifting her hips almost all the way, she slams back home, forcing me to moan. ¡°That actually sounds like a good idea, but I would never involve you in something so dangerous...¡± ¡°Do you know how boring it is in my castle?¡± she asks. ¡°A little risk and adventure would actually go a long way to revitalise my sense of living. You know well enough that the greatest threat for a succubus is boredom.¡± Holding her hips to guide her movements, I consider the offer. Sensing my indecision, she pushes her breasts into my face. ¡°Ah, and there would, of course, be added benefits!¡± I try my best to think while I let her do all the work. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because the blood is currently draining from my brain, but you could be right. A few succubi would be a nice addition to my plans.¡± Chapter 12 ***The World*** ***Karin*** ¡°She is such a cute child. No wonder that you adopted her, Ascathon,¡± the succubus lady gushes while she pulls at my cheeks, coming entirely too close to my face with her own. ¡°Those little horns of hers are just too cute and the mismatched eyes give her a certain charm. I can also tell that she will grow up to become a true beauty.¡± Ascathon huffs, ¡°I hope so. That mana core which I stuffed into her wasn¡¯t easy to get. There are just a handful of dragon-elders with godhood status in the multiverse.¡± In an attempt to judge her character, I take in the demon who Ascathon just introduced as Ashley, a dear friend of his. I have never met a demon, but all the stories I heard about them tell bad tales. So it''s quite surprising that Ashley and her daughters seem like genuinely nice people. Her auburn hair is long and there is a crest of obsidian-black horns emerging from her temples, crowning her head like a tiara. The plain, black dress she is wearing would actually be decent for any occasion, if it wasn¡¯t for the extremely low neckline. If it can even be called a neckline. The front of the dress is cut so deep that it goes down to the point of revealingAshley''s navel, yet it somehow stays snug to her body. Not entirely sold on the design, I inspect the woman¡¯s bust, expecting her cleavage to free itself and spill out at any moment. After a month of mysterious absence, our benefactor reappeared through a red rift in space and instructed Willow and me to greet the new helpers. Now there are demons spilling out of it, carrying crates and supplies. Mostly naked, very sexy demons and according to Ascathon all of them are demi-gods. A being that isn¡¯t quite a god because it lacks the ability to use the pathways, but who is strong enough to challenge a lesser deity. My eyes involuntarily wander between the strange succubus lady and the large, red portal that opened out of nowhere inside our hidden base. ¡°Don¡¯t spoil her too much, Ashley. She still has a lot to learn before she is ready to help me. She is also a strong candidate for true godhood status, and you don¡¯t achieve that by being coddled,¡± Ascathon replies from next to the barely dressed woman. ¡°I would never do such a thing. Did you forget that I raised all forty-one of my children to the status of demi-gods? It took a few thousand years, but I am confident in my skills at parenting.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to know which dark rituals you used to achieve that feat,¡± Ascathon mumbles. Ignoring him, Ashley returns her attention to me. ¡°Say, child, would you like to learn a few things from me? I might be able to teach you how to become a first-class succubus.¡± Willow steps in, resting her hand protectively on my shoulder. ¡°I think we have her education covered. And she had certain experiences that didn¡¯t leave her with the best of impressions of men.¡± Ashley waves a hand dismissively. ¡°Even more reason to learn a few things about self-defence. I like the child. She looks more like a demon than an actual human and if Ascathon didn¡¯t misinform me, then techniques that would, as an example, allow her to change her appearance, might be very useful.¡± I look down at my hands and touch the horny ridge on my left temple. Turning, I look up at Willow. ¡°You know, a glamour to change my appearance actually sounds pretty useful if Ascathon wants me to go out into the world once I am strong enough.¡± It¡¯s probably a mistake to put too much trust ina god of chaos, or any of his allies, but I am already firmly committed to this path. ¡°Thanks for thinking about my feelings, Willow. I don¡¯t exactly want to go all the way and become a succubus. But I think that I don¡¯t have the luxury to refuse if someone is willing to teach me something as useful as shapeshifting,¡± I voice my thoughts. Willow smiles and rubs my back, comforting me. ¡°If you are alright with it.¡± Ashley raises her hand to cover her mouth, chuckling. ¡°Oh, child. You are a delight. Succubus shape-shifting spells are way more potent than a mere Glamour. Those paltry illusions are kid¡¯s games for elves and lesser fae. What we do is real.¡± Ascathon claps his hands together to gain our attention. ¡°Yes, yes. Now that introductions are made, and we know that we are all friends, I would like to know what I missed out on while I spent two days in another dimension. These time dilations between different realities are annoying, so I hope that Myrm didn¡¯t topple Luxley¡¯s kingdom while I was gone. ¡°I also expect that the stupid world enchantment will soon start teleporting me around randomly to make up for lost time. I was wondering why it¡¯s possible to run off to a different time-continuum without being teleported every five minutes. There must be some bug in the system that only cares about actually perceived time. In any case, it means that I don¡¯t have time to waste.¡± ¡°Nothing too bad,¡± Willow informs him with a slight bow. ¡°Things tend to be really peaceful while you aren¡¯t around.¡± Ashley chuckles at that. ¡°Your Order of Chaos made contact with Luxley, and together they are reforming his kingdom. With the servants, you left him. I am afraid that he didn¡¯t quite pick up everything you taught him about necromancy, so you will have to visit a few more times to make the knowledge stick.¡± Willow purses her lips, considering how to continue. ¡°The neighbouring political powers are eyeing his actions with great interest, but it¡¯s too early to say if their reaction will be a declaration of war. Even with your long absence, you shouldn¡¯t forget that the mortals of this world don¡¯t have access to ways of sharing information quickly. Messages travel slowly, even with airships it takes days or even weeks to exchange notes over long distances.¡± Ascathon nods. ¡°Something we have to rectify as soon as possible. If I am forced to endure the squabbles of mortals again and again, then I may as well spend my time educating them. Let them despair with knowledge that¡¯s beyond their ability to wield.¡± Ashley purrs and looks worshipfully at Ascathon. ¡°Oh, lord. That¡¯s so evil that I think I am actually getting wet. To condemn their feeble minds by forcing knowledge upon them which they are unable to wield. Let them glimpse truths that will shatter their will to exist. That¡¯s brilliant!¡± He nods and strikes a pose. ¡°We will force this world to-¡± A flash of light and he is gone. Just like that. After a moment of silence, Ashley blinks, searching the nearby surroundings for our lord and master. ¡°Where did he go?¡± I don¡¯t bother to comment on the scene, not in the least surprised by his sudden disappearance. It isn¡¯t as if I didn¡¯t experience his unplanned departures often enough. Willow sighs wistfully. ¡°I suppose he told you about this stupid world enchantment. It abducts him at the most inconvenient of times.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Ashley studies the spot where Ascathon stood just moments ago. Then she turns to Willow, forming a ring with her index finger and her thumb, poking the other index finger through it in a gesture so ancient that even a caveman would have understood it. ¡°What about when he is busy?¡± ¡°Even then.¡± Willow scratches the back of her neck. ¡°You can¡¯t believe how dissatisfying it is when that happens right before you¡­ you know¡­¡± The elemental looks at me and then at the succubus. The two of them share a silent moment of self-pity, holding eye-contact to convey that this is a matter best kept between adults. ¡°You know,¡± I grumble, more than a little annoyed at my exclusion. ¡°You don¡¯t have to try talking in riddles. I am perfectly capable of understanding the hints.¡± I may have had bad experiences in this field, but like Ascathon mentioned, I am tough. The last thing I would do is to withdraw into a shell of denial and self-pity. Those who wrong me will burn, it¡¯s as easy as that. Ashley actually looks ashamed. ¡°I am sorry. I am not aware of this world¡¯s customs. There are many places in the multiverse where you would be considered too young to be included in such matters. But I appreciate that you know how it works. That makes your training so much easier.¡±Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. I am beginning to think that getting training lessons from a succubus is a really bad idea. ¡°I won¡¯t have to sleep with men for you to teach me things?¡± Ashley tilts her head. ¡°Not necessarily¡­ do you prefer girls?¡± Even worse! ¡°Ahem, if possible, can we do without the sex part?¡± The succubus wriggles as if she is mortified. ¡°No! Impossible! For a cute girl like you to abandon the best part of a relationship! Sacrilege! But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll convert you to the delight pleasures of the body. You will learn to appreciate yourself and that body of yours!¡± ¡°Ahem!¡± Willow clears her throat and puts a hand on top of my head. ¡°She is just fourteen. Maybe you should wait with the indecent stuff until shecan be counted as an adult.¡± Ashley furrows her forehead. ¡°When is a girl counted as an adult in this world?¡± Well, depending on status and education, the peasant folk marry off their children at the age of twelve, fifteen at most. But sensing the chance to save myself awkward instructions from the succubus, I decide to go with the age the neural learning machine drilled into me as basic knowledge. And counting on Ashley¡¯s ignorance of this world¡¯s culture, I can probably add a few years to make sure she is done teaching me before she tries the lewd stuff. ¡°Twenty,¡± I answer confidently. ¡°Hum,¡± The succubus lady nods appreciatively. ¡°Then we will start with the basics and wait with the more energy-intensive teachings until then.¡± She turns away, clapping her hands to hurry on the other succubi. ¡°Get going, girls. You know how much energy it takes to keep these portals open.¡± Walking away, she keeps encouraging the other demons. Once she is far enough away, I turn to face Willow. ¡°Why do I feel like I just made a huge mistake? More importantly, why did she just take me at face-value? I expected her to verify the age with you!¡± Willow closes her eyes and rubs the bridge of her nose. ¡°I up until today only knew Ashley from hearsay. But from the few times when Ascathon mentioned her, I know that she is several thousand years old. That¡¯s old, even for a succubus matriarch. To her, you are nothing more than a freshly born neophyte. You could have probably told her that you have to wait until you are two hundred, and she wouldn¡¯t have batted an eyelid.¡± Then she sucks in her lips, wetting them while she considers if she should go all the way and inform me of the full extent of my mistake. ¡°And demonic magic is complicated. Hard to learn and very power intensive. Even if Ashley wants to teach you just the basic transformations, it will possibly take years, more likely decades until you are ready.¡± I feel my face turning expressionless as I realize how badly I sold myself beneath market value. How could I have known that Ashley just offered to invest years of her time in me!? I would have expected a few weeks for learning the spells. A few months at most! ¡°So I am fucked? Can I still refuse?¡± ¡°Quite literally and no. I wouldn''t dare to refuse tutelage from someone like her. I can teach you, but I''m no magical genius like Ascathon, or a demon with millennia of experience,¡± Willow confirms and pats me on my back. ¡°But hey, she is right at one thing.¡± I look up to the elemental. ¡°It would be a real waste for you to not explore your sexuality. I can understand that you want to take a break after an experience like yours, but otherwise you would be really missing out on something.¡± ***The World*** ***Ascathon*** ¡°You really came!¡± Drawing in a deep breath, I let it out slowly and lower my hand, feeling distraught at having my great scene ruined. ¡°This is exactly what I feared would happen. Well, it could be worse. At least it isn¡¯t a battlefield.¡± Surveying my surroundings, I take in the small laboratory which could equally belong to an alchemist and a man who researches the arcane arts. I recognize some of the machines for what they are, but others remain a mystery without instructions or a look at their innards. What immediately strikes me as strange is the fact that all of them seem to be top-notch for this world¡¯s knowledge about technology and magic. This must be some country¡¯s sponsored laboratory, since I can¡¯t imagine that a private researcher would ever have access to this stuff. Finally, I return my attention to the scrawny man, a beastkin who has seen better days. His brown fur is unkempt and only a step away from the point where I would call him filthy. He clearly hasn¡¯t taken care of himself as he looks at me with worship in his eyes. ¡°What do you want? Do you not realize who I am? You are in deep shit for summoning me, old man.¡± The man who looks to be in his forties claps his hands together, interlacing his fingers. ¡°I am researcher Zono, and I know very well who you are and what risk I am taking by calling upon you. But I have made a great discovery which will probably reshape how this world thinks about magic. Well, not so much a discovery, as a realization. And I simply have to know if I am on the right track or if I am wasting my time! All my colleagues call me an idiot for even suggesting such a thing.¡± I involuntarily furrow my forehead. ¡°No aspiration for power? No hatred for an enemy? No intention to strike down your foes? Just the simple wish to know and understand?¡± That¡¯s new, but I guess that I¡¯ll find out about his motives soon enough. ¡°Exactly! I just have to know, and you are the only god that represents knowledge in the magic arts!¡± He squirms a little, apparently getting second thoughts if it was really such a good idea to call upon me. ¡°Go on,¡± I urge him on when it becomes clear that he is waiting for my approval. He turns, quickly hurrying over to a machine. It¡¯s a large box with a metal rod extending from its top and entering a sphere made out of glass. The man flips a switch and the device comes to life, emitting sparks of mana into the sphere, saturating the gas within and animating it to glow with a faint blue light. ¡°I am researching the effects of different spells on the mind, hoping to create an entirely new spell system from the one we have. One that allows a deeper understanding on what ¡®casting magic¡¯ actually is.¡± He looks at me and turns a dial that changes the type of themagic which is induced into the system. ¡°In class, there are always students who shine with certain spells, while others struggle to cast even a single Light-Orb. By studying the apparent affinities of my students, I realized that I can categorize magic by creating the spell matrix inside a certain atmosphere. A healing spell, for example, would always cause the sphere to glow white, while a warmth enchantment turns it red. So am I actually looking at different kinds of mana? My question would only be, am I on the right track?¡± His question is just too general!¡°You do realize that you just asked me to explain the world to you?¡± I grumble, displeased at the nature of his request. There doesn¡¯t seem to be any maliciousness involved, and I see no immediate way of turning the situation to a bad outcome for him. ¡°So I am on the right track?¡± he asks. I consider my answer. The guy stumbled onto the very same system the gods use to categorize their affinities. It¡¯s a simplified way to explain our abilities, though those who are able to think a few steps further would be able to glean great insight into the nature of magic from this simple starting point. Giving him this information wouldn¡¯t benefit me in any way or discourage him from summoning me again. On the other hand, maybe showing him the futility of his research goal would discourage him. Once he realizes that he can invest his entire life in this endeavour without even scratching the surface¡­ In any case, it¡¯s not like the stupid world enchantment gives me any choice. Better to waste my time with him in this not so unpleasant environment. ¡°You are wrong. Mana is just a form of energy, and energy is just that, no matter its form. Casting a spell is the ability to shape those energies towards a desired outcome. ¡°You incidentally created a device that helps you to show the wavelength of light that¡¯s emitted by various magics. Normally, only spells with a great amount of power would make this so obvious.¡± I touch the device, making sure that I won¡¯t destroy anything by pulling out the metal rod. Then I do so, holding it like a wand. ¡°How a person shapes a spell is influenced by their state of mind. The more powerful your affinity, the easier it is for you to shape spells that naturally follow a path that feels natural to you. The more your mind synchronizes with the spells, the easier casting will become.¡± Slowly, I channel different spell formations through the rod into the sphere, causing it to light up in different colours. ¡°Most refer to these affinities as the colour-wheel of magic. Or a five-star pentagram. But all this colour wheel really does is to describe the human mind. There is no actual ''blue mana''.¡± So I guide him through the basics of the colour wheel. ¡°White is associated to Energy, Order, and Life. Just as you realized yourself, these grand aspects can be watered down to countless sub-categories like healing, resistance, protection, and strategy. Many magicians find themselves having an easier time casting spells from their preferred Aspect or neighbouring ones. ¡°Blue magic features Intelligence, Technology and Illusion. It covers things like sorceries that concern the mind and manipulation of power, or enchanting artefacts. You may find that people who favour blue magics are very logical and maybe emotionally cold. ¡°Black magic revolves around Death, Decay, and Darkness. The necromantic arts are at home in this aspect, but so are spells that create magical plagues. One who wishes to resurrect the dead won¡¯t get around using this aspect. ¡°Red magic is Chaos, Impulse, and Fury. The spells in this field are usually of the fiery and fast kind, aimed at causing damage and destruction. ¡°Green magic is Nature and Strength. It focuses on empowering people and, as an example, summoning strong elementals. Growth and regeneration naturally involve nature. As does internal magic which strengthens the body.¡± I hand the rod back to the man. ¡°Is that the answer you were looking for?¡± ¡°Ye-, yes. Strangely enough, it almost sounds like the variousAspects the gods represent,¡± he replies. ¡°It does becausewe gods were chosen according to the colour wheel. I can cast spells of all aspects, but I heavily favourBlack, Blue, and Red, as they are represented in this system. White and Green magics don¡¯t come as easily to me. On the same account, there are very few people who are versed in just one of the five fields. You will also only rarely find someone who has his main-affinities in opposing colours. Like Black and White, or Red and Blue.¡± Feeling like I¡¯ve done enough for this Archimedes of magic, I raise aneyebrow. ¡°I¡¯ll be going then.¡± ¡°Th- thanks for not killing me! Wow, I have to find a few students who will continue my work in the future. It feels like there is so much more to uncover about the aspects!¡± Turning away, the man walks out of the lab, mumbling to himself. Really!? He realizes that he won¡¯t ever finish his work, and all that comes to his mind is to find someone who will continue after he is gone!? ¡°I am really not a people-person. It feels like I am getting old. To misjudge someone like that¡­¡± Shaking my head, I take a pathway to visit Luxley. Chapter 13 ***The Crystal City*** ***Seria*** I watch Myrm as she notes down her plans for the world¡¯s future. After seeing Ascathon¡¯s progress with converting his first country to his faith, she decided in her usual competitive manner that it would be bad to lack behind. As a direct result, she is now trying her hardest to get herself established in the world by indoctrinating the church of light and any countries which have a strong connection to that particular religious group. It¡¯s questionable whether she realizes where her actions are leading the world as a whole. I for myself can already predict that this course won¡¯t lead us into a bright and happy future. As a result, I will probably have to change my plans and be flexible. After a while of staring at her, I allow my eyes to wander through Myrm¡¯s office. It¡¯s empty, except for a few folders on her desk and a large plant in the left corner of the room which Myrm used as a hatstand to store her new, shiny helmet. I was a little surprised when I found out that Myrm¡¯s office is just a storey beneath mine and uncomfortably close to Ascathon¡¯s. After their initial meeting, I really do hope that they don¡¯t run across each other on the corridor. But that¡¯s not what surprised me the most. It¡¯s the fact that Tjenemit considers Myrm ¨C a newcomer ¨C worthy enough to give her an office in the Crystal City¡¯s administration complex. Which is a grouping of large buildings with several floors, housing everything the Council needs to keep the rest of the multiverse in check. What did Myrm do to warrant such aspecial treatment? Normally, it takes centuries for even talented gods to be acknowledged. She ascended just a few decades ago and only came to the Council¡¯s attention within the last year. Something must have happened which I wasn''t told about. I would have preferred it if she stayed completely beneath their radar, but what¡¯s done is done. Having her work for the Council is better than to have her hunted down and taken care of. At last, Myrm puts down her pen and focuses her attention on me. ¡°Did you only pay me a visit in order to watch me work?¡± ¡°Not exactly,¡± I reply nonchalantly and invite myself to sit down in the visitor¡¯s chair, facing her. Smiling, I swing one bare leg over the other while tugging and twirling a lock of my blonde hair, careful to correct the hem of my blue dress. I just acquired it, and it would be a shame if itwere to get any wrinkles so soon. Most of this posturing is aimed at teasing Myrm, who seems to have abandoned all femininity in this particular reincarnation. Most of that is my own fault for messing with her mind. Dad always said that I should work on my soul magic, or I would someday mess something up that I wasn¡¯t able to fix. That¡¯s what I get for not listening to him. I just hope that I''ll get another chance. Done with setting myself up, I explain the reason for my presence, ¡°I actually want to consult you regarding two projects I am working on. Up until now, I spent a great deal of my time on gathering resources for my plan. It feels like I am ready to leave the planning phase in another few centuries, hopefully going for actual execution.¡± ¡°So long?¡± Myrm furrows her forehead. ¡°I knew that you are one of the oldest gods, but to learn that you are also patient enough to plan something that takes centuries is somewhat frightening. It sounds like you are planning something huge. Are you sure that I can be of any help?¡± Actually, my plans span over millennia, but that¡¯s not important for this discussion. The less she knows, the less risk I take. One wrong word and she might remember something I don¡¯t want her to. I wave her off. ¡°Oh, please. I just want a few directions. Give me your best advice and I will be happy, especially since I have next to no expertise in the field. You see, I want to create my own world-¡± ¡°Create your own world!?¡± Myrm exclaims with more than a little shock in her voice. ¡°Yes, if I could please describe the problem to you without being interrupted?¡± I try to steer us back on course. ¡°Many gods create their own worlds. I¡¯ve inquired about various methods of going about such a task, but none of them strike me as easy to accomplish for someone with my set of skills. I am new to this and I don¡¯t want to involve other parties.¡± ¡°So am I,¡± Myrm replies. ¡°But if you really don¡¯t want to involve others, then it will be hard. Very hard in fact. Even for someone who can move planets with a thought. What do you plan to do about the normal reincarnation cycle? Even if you create a planet for yourself, with your own population of mortals, it would take just a few generations until more immortals or even gods are reincarnated on this world.¡± Who says that the planet¡¯s population will consist of mortals? Mortals won¡¯t help me to reshape the multiverse. ¡°Yes. I know that it will be hard. Don¡¯t worry about the reincarnation problem. I think that I have a solution for that. It¡¯s not perfect, but satisfying in my eyes. There still will be quite a few obstacles in my path, but I heard that you have quite some experience with biology and medicine.¡± She narrows her eyes. ¡°You did?¡± Oops. Have I said too much? ¡°Yeah, I think you mentioned it once? Anyway, I don¡¯t want to do everything from the ground up, so I thought about taking some dead rock, putting it into the right distance to some sun, and throwing random organisms onto the new world. Would that work? Someone mentioned that I would need a lot of luck to succeed that way, but I don¡¯t care if I fail the first few times.¡± Myrm purses her lips. ¡°Probably not. At least not if you are unwilling to wait for several million years for the introduced microorganisms to evolve into higher life-forms. You would have to ensure that the organisms you let free are sturdy enough to survive the environment. Just dumping random stuff onto a dead world will result in nothing more than a giant mess of rotting bio-matter.¡± ¡°Ah, so how should I do it then?¡± I ask. She leans back in her chair, considering the issue. ¡°The least you would have to do would be to pick out suitable lifeforms for your world¡¯s ecosystem, make sure that there is enough water and gases in the environment to ensure a working biosphere. If you would get yourself a gene-splicer, that would make things much easier. If there is something you want to have on your world, you just have to strengthen the specimen with something that has no issues surviving in a hostile environment.¡± She launches into a long and detailed explanation of how she would try it without having detailed knowledge on biology. Time passes, and before I know it I am being fed several possible scenarios with an at least decent chance of success. Hmm. The one I like the most is making use of a virus. So I would probably have to splice most of what I want to have on my world with demon-genes? They are the sturdiest creatures I know of. If there would be a ranking ladder for survivalists, demons would even beat cockroaches. Adding other races like beastkin might also give them the necessary boost for survival in a hostile environment. Come to think of it, wouldn¡¯t it be much easier to pay some technologically advanced culture to do the work for me? I could have them devise a short-lived virus that does the work for me, so that I can pick the specimen I want without worrying too much. I said that I don¡¯t want any other parties involved, but that only meant that I don¡¯t want to reveal the location of the planet. Who would ever find out if I went to a technologically advanced part of the multiverse and paid the mortals there to engineer a suitable virus? The mortal world changes from moment to moment from a god¡¯s point of view. Our timescale is simply too different from theirs. I can store the virus until my plans come to fruition. By the time I actually go to the execution phase, the mortals who created the virus will be long gone and any proof will have vanished in the currents of time. No indication that I am up to something, no questions.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. I take a deep breath to calm myself for the next questions. ¡°That sounds like good advice. Now¡­ regarding some relationship issues I have.¡± Myrm isn¡¯t allowed to realize that I actually want information on her. ¡°Relationship issues?¡± She raises both eyebrows, looking intrigued. ¡°You are acting really strange today. I am probably the lastperson you should consult regarding relationship troubles. I am single, and will probably always be one.¡± Trying to sound embarrassed, I clear my throat. ¡°Just give me a different perspective. I myself seem to be eternally alone.¡± I am so desperate, I even fuck a random succubus to get rid of the itch. Truly pathetic! ¡°There are two people with opposing affinities who have a really bad time with each other, but they already showed me that they work really well together. I want to help them because they were such a nice couple while it worked out between them. The problem is that anything I try to do seems to make it worse. Even with all my years, I am at my wit''s end. And believe me, I tried everything! From dates, to romance, to hunting expeditions...¡± ¡°Opposing affinities? And they work well with each other?¡± Myrm asks, sounding not convinced. ¡°Are you sure that they have opposing affinities? That would be like throwing fire and ice into the same pot. It sounds unlikely that it will ever work out.¡± I shrug. ¡°But I¡¯ve seen them with my own eyes. They are like fire and ice, that¡¯s true, but they complement each other. It¡¯s just that they currently seem to be having a domestic quarrel.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t believe you. Maybe you just missed something obvious? I can only say that I haven¡¯t ever seen two people falling in love without some common interest,¡± Myrm explains. ¡°Are you sure that they really have nothing in common?¡± Scratching my chin, I consider it. Hopefully, I won¡¯t give too much away by mentioning this tiny detail. ¡°It could be that they are overlapping a tiny bit in the blue sector. To a degree, they are both scholars, though they pursue different fields.¡± Ascathon prefers red, black and blue magic, while Myrm sticks to her proven body strengthening techniques, utilizing green, white and blue magic. Her internal mana manipulation makes it really hard for her to cast and control external magic, but that is a small price to pay for what she can do with all her power released. She turns into an almost invincible fighter. A superwoman with the ability to punch and obliterate a mountain with a single swing of her fist. Myrm shrugs. ¡°Then there you have it. While they worked in harmony with each other, they probably shared a goal or had a common enemy. People with a blue affinity are often very rational and tend to put logic before their feelings. Just create a situation that allows them no other logical choice than to join forces. Once they are forced to spend time with each other, things will naturally run their course if you are right and they indeed complete each other.¡± She smiles, happy about her witty advice. I feel my own expression freeze up. ¡°Are you telling me that putting them into a nice, romantic environment had just the opposite effect of what I wanted to achieve? That I should have thrown them into a war-zone, with an enemy that didn¡¯t care about either of their lives?¡± ¡°For sure.¡± Myrm huffs. ¡°In a peaceful environment, they would have talked to each other and realized that their opinions and goals are diametrically opposed, which would have automatically ruled out the other side as a partner. They would have spoken a few words and deemed the other side unfit for further consideration. The only way for two such individuals to work together is to have a goal they can agree on.¡± ¡°Botheration!¡± Could it really be that easy? ***The World*** ***Ascathon*** ¡°Ah!¡± I strike Luxley¡¯s hand with my educational pointer, a long piece of sturdy reed. He flinches and his spell collapses without activating. ¡°What did I tell you about activating the second layer of the spell matrix too early?¡± I ask. He rubs his hand, where a red mark is forming which soon will definitely turn into a bruise. ¡°That it¡¯s really, really bad,¡± he answers like a petulant child, his eyes wandering through the throne room and to his adviser, an old man who is apparently supposed to be something like a court-mage. I follow Luxley¡¯s eyes, glaring at the old man who is currently slacking around and doing nothing. When he notices my attention, he quickly returns to his cleaning duties with a mop and a bucket, taking care of Luxley¡¯s failed attempts at resurrecting a corpse. Some of the king¡¯s earliest attempts at spell-casting weren¡¯t pretty, but he is improving. In fact, he may be a natural genius at necromancy. Even if it didn¡¯t seem like it was intentional, but Luxley bungled his Reanimation spell and came up with an accidental version of Corpse Explosion. ¡°Why don¡¯t you teach him?¡± Luxley points at the old man. ¡°He is my court-mage. That¡¯s why I hired him.¡± Pursing my lips, I study the elder who shrinks in on himself when my attention lands on him. As I understood it, he got a pretty thorough beating from Myrm when he tried to stop the god of order from taking down the castle. I turn back to Luxley. ¡°Is he supposed to be king? Or you?¡± ¡°I am the king!¡± Luxley sputters. ¡°How can you even question that?¡± ¡°Oh, good!¡± I whack him with my reed. ¡°Because it seemed for a moment like the king of a growing nation didn¡¯t want to train his magic, and through it, his mind.¡± I whack him again. ¡°It sounded like you intended to rule this country with nothing more than your right of birth and the help of your loyal subjects.¡± ¡°J- just stop it!¡± The king jumps back, narrowly avoiding a third whacking. I wonder whether he is getting too used to me. He certainly never tried to avoid punishment before. Pointing a finger at him, I zap Luxley with a little lightning bolt. ¡°Ow!¡± He jumps. ¡°Why are you so adamant about me learning magic? I am a ruler! My job is to rule the kingdom, not casting spells.¡± Tapping my pointer against my chin, I consider the question. ¡°It¡¯s because knowledge is power and power is needed to rule a nation. Magic requires knowledge to be used properly. If I put you in charge of my followers, I want you to be a powerful ruler.¡± Luxley takes a deep breath. ¡°Ah!¡± Waving my stick at him, I stop him from interrupting me. ¡°You, Luxley. Right now, you are worse than vermin. You sit in your castle and at the first sign of attack, you have to run away from your own subjects. Up until now you just wielded power, you didn¡¯t have it. And someone who just wields power isn¡¯t much more than a brute with too many muscles. ¡°The ancient Mirai understood that. The necromantic priests invested most of their time in study and improving themselves. They had others supervise the nation according to their wishes. And in the rare instances in which they had to leave their studies, they had the power to lay down the law. You are really talented, Luxley. I don¡¯t know how it happened, but somehow your family lost all their heritage and just look where it brought you before I arrived.¡± ¡°I am nothing more than a pawn to you,¡± he grumbles. ¡°Yes,¡± I nod. ¡°A useful pawn who would do very well in staying useful. So, how about we continue with the lessons?¡± I watch Luxley as he tries another reanimation. Come to think of it, I haven¡¯t taken account of Karin¡¯s growth in a while. Maybe I should organize a little field trip for her to practice her skills. Somewhere off-planet where she isn¡¯t at risk of being found by an over-eager Council member. I nod when Luxley manages to revive another corpse without creating a big mess. Surprisingly, he also manages to give it some basic commands. It gives me hope that he might actually be able to pull off a full resurrection, soul included, with a reasonable amount of training. It isn¡¯t like Luxley is stupid. He had more education than any other citizen in his country. Just not the right kind. Seeing that he has the spell under control, I instruct him to continue training with the other bodies and walk over to the so-called adviser. ¡°You.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± He stops scrubbing the floor. ¡°You are still in charge of the kingdom¡¯s information network, right?¡± I ask. He nods. ¡°Tell me what¡¯s going on in the world. Think of it as if I have been absent for the last month,¡± I instruct in a brisk voice. The old man furrows his forehead in confusion but complies. ¡°Your Order of Chaos is spreading your teachings through the kingdom, though some of these reformations will take time to accomplish. Many of the surrounding countries joined us without much of a fuss, as their religious followers acknowledged our leadership thanks to the Order. And the fact that you seem to be very persuasive when you appear in front of their royalty in person. ¡°There are rumours that an opposition to our coalition is forming in the northern hemisphere. They apparently worship Myrm, though no reliable information managed to get past the Great Blight in the centre of the continent. Apart from a few airships, there is little trade and traffic over such long distances. All the information we get is second-hand reports.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Maybe I''ll be forced to take actions faster than I want to.¡°Thanks for the update, please, go on with your cleaning duties.¡± ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± Chapter 14 ***The World*** ***Ascathon*** ¡°Satellite network going online,¡± I mumble as I adjust the brightness of the holographic globe at the control station. A week¡¯s worth of labour was enough to set up a network of spy satellites, bought from an advanced part of the multiverse and advertised as the perfect do-it-yourself product. Satisfied with the brightness and sharpness of the projection, I give an appreciative nod. After all, I want to know what¡¯s going on in the world. So, setting my laboratory up as a spy-network is the logical thing to do. Scratching my ass, I watch the slowly spinning globe at the ceiling of my bat-cave, illuminating the whole space with a faint, blue light. ¡°Gods, why does he have to do that all the time? It''s such a turn-off,¡± Willow mumbles behind me. ¡°I don''t know, but I noticed that he never did it while he was his female version,¡± Karin replies with all the wisdom and observation powers of a child. Turning around, I glare at the both of them. ¡°I can scratch my ass, or my nut-sack, whenever I want as long as I am a man! It''s socially acceptable for the male gender.¡± ¡°Not really...¡± Willow mumbles silently. ¡°I want to know who taught you social behaviour.¡± ¡°Aah,¡± I groan. ¡°Just get on with it. Why are you two here? Is there some new development I have to know about?¡± ¡°It''s your turn teaching Karin,¡± Willow explains stoically. ¡°Over the last two weeks Ashley had her fingers on her, and before that, I spent a month tutoring the girl.¡± ¡°You know very well that I don''t have much time. In any case, I would be a bad tutor because I get teleported around at irregular intervals,¡± I answer in an expert attempt to weasel my way out of taking responsibility. ¡°You can at least do a little tutoring with the time you have,¡± Willow replies and turns around, walking away and showing me without a doubt that it''s the end of the discussion. ¡°I hate it when she does that. A proper minion wouldn''t just turn her back on her lord and master,¡± I grumble, watching her departure. ¡°I am just too soft on her.¡± ¡°Yeah. You are one of those people with a hard shell and a soft core,¡± Karin confirms. ¡°It''s not that. It''s just that I can''t be mad at her forever,¡± I muse. ¡°And, you know, that nice, shapely butt is a real prize to hold onto when she bends forward. You can feel your fingers sink into the flesh and pum-¡± ¡°Ah! Nanana!¡± Karin covers her ears. ¡°Let''s not go there!¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Turning my attention back to the girl, I order her to give me an overview of what she learned from Ashley and Willow while I continue my work on another project. After confirming with Karin, I realize that the girl-child picked up an impressive set of skills from both her tutors, so I only teach her one specialised form of magic which should round out her skill-set, Blood Magic. Once I am sure that she has the basics down, I decide to concentrate on overall theory. But a few days later, soon after the start of our regular lessons, she suddenly seems reluctant to learn the dry theory of how to shape a spell matrix. ¡°This is so boring! Just numbers and formulas. Why don¡¯t you teach me another spell instead?¡± ¡°Karin. Do you know how a battle with magic is fought?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She breathes in to answer. ¡°Wait!¡± I raise my hand. ¡°Let me rephrase that. Have you ever watched a magical duel? If not, then I might take you somewhere where you can learn when you are ready. I¡¯ve thought about taking you to a real-life practice environment anyway.¡± I chew on my lower lip as I consider the following explanation. ¡°Karin, when it comes to magic, pure power rarely decides a confrontation. Try to cast a spell.¡± She furrows her forehead and looks around the laboratory. Then she shrugs as if saying that it would be my fault if something gets damaged. Even as she raises her hands, shaping the spell matrix for a fireball, I gesture with my hand, sending out a thin tendril of shaped mana. The almost invisible line of energy impacts her unfinished spell-formation like a whip. Naturally, Karin loses control and her relatively simple spell falls apart before she even manages to summon a sizeable amount of energy. She tries again with another spell, and again and again. Each time, I intercept her flawlessly, not even allowing her to finish building the spell matrix which is necessary to shape energy into a spell. Finally, she gives up. ¡°What? Why? What? How!?¡± She shakes her little fists futilely, letting out her frustration with a scream. ¡°How are you doing that?¡± ¡°I know what you are trying to cast, so it¡¯s easy to interfere with your spells. Insert a little more power than necessary, adjust a variable or two, and the whole spell-matrix collapses.¡± I take a deep breath. ¡°Magical combat is all about predictability. I mean, it¡¯s okay to have a solid set of spells which you can cast in your sleep, but the more a person knows you, the easier it gets to stop you in your tracks. ¡°Blindly using spells that others created is never a good thing. We always start out by teaching new magicians an easy spell which allows them to push gathered energy away from them. That avoids injuries and mana burn. It also gives the new student the necessary training to control his or her magic. But it isn¡¯t the end of all things.¡± Turning away from my work, I make eye-contact with Karin. ¡°At the end of the day, you have to understand why a spell-matrix creates a certain effect. You have to adjust the spells we teach you to fit your style or come up with something completely new. Once you reach that level,¡± I raise a hand and conjure a fireball above my palm. ¡°You will be able to adjust a spell on the fly.¡± Without re-casting the spell-matrix, I change and reassemble it, turning the fireball into a little ball of lightning, and then shove it away from me towards Karin. But instead of lightning, she is hit by a little wave of telekinetic energy which sends her down to her butt. ¡°Once you can do that, it¡¯s much harder to counter your spell before you can cast it. Once your control and understanding are sufficient, I¡¯ll also teach you a way to hold the components of the spell matrix in position without actually assembling the spell. With that technique, the time-window for interference also shortens and you suffer less backlash if you get interrupted.¡± Unsurprisingly, the resilient girl gets to her feet and nods. ¡°I understand. Learn the basics, or I¡¯ll be just a brute who swings a gun around like a club, without understanding what he is holding.¡± I smile. ¡°That¡¯s a surprisingly fitting analogy.¡± Time flies by as I split my attention between the child and the new machine which I call a mana condenser. It''s as much intended to prove my theory regarding the blue mana crystals, as I am aiming at making full use of the theory, should it hold up to a real-world test. Merely recreating mana crystals would be much too boring. Even just enchanting them would be far from my true goals. If my theory is correct, then mana crystals are very much like a stable form of neutronium. They are pure energy, condensed to the point of taking physical form. Now for the golden question, how does someone manage to condense energy to such a degree? How is it possible for this power to reach a stable state in a normal environment?A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. So many questions which have yet to be answered. Well, that¡¯s why I need what I call a mana condenser. A device which isn¡¯t just able to create an incredibly dense form of energy, but also has the ability to direct this power so that I can shape the mana crystal according to my wishes. If I am right, then not only will I be able to create items which are naturally enchanted, but it should be possible to shape something like a computer core. This core would be like a seed that¡¯s able to tap into the energies around it and grow by itself. Maybe it''s even possible to tap into the energy which runs through the pathways. While having one eye on Karin as she trains a control technique which I taught her, I pick up one of the quartz crystals ¨C a clear, staff-like cylinder ¨C which I slowly grew over the course of weeks in a special machine, making sure that their molecular structure is perfect and that there are no impurities in the material. A few atoms of another element or a scratch would be enough to fracture the laser light which I intend to use in order to transmit energy within the crystal. As a result, the light wouldn¡¯t be transmitted perfectly, and even a small imperfection would cause the whole device to have a catastrophic meltdown. Slowly, ever so carefully, I lift the oversized excuse for a glass-fibre cable to insert it into its fixation. Slowly, slowly now. I don¡¯t want to spend another month with supervising the growth of another perfect crystal. Flash! Startled by the light, I flinch and the quartz slips out of my fingers. It impacts the blue, crystal floor first with one end, ¡®Clang!¡¯, then with the other, ¡®Clong!¡¯ Gasping and eyes wide, I bend down and pick up the important part. It didn¡¯t shatter, but one glimpse is enough to notice the fine fractures that run through the quartz, turning it utterly worthless for my endeavour. Screaming in impotent rage, I approach the nearest wall and bang the quartz-stick against it. ¡°Fucking shit! Three weeks! Three goddamn weeks of work! Curse the creators of the multiverse and all their descends. May they live in misery and thralldom for all their existence!¡± With each blow, the quartz shatters until I hold only a fist-sized piece. Clenching my teeth, I throw that also against the wall, shattering it to a thousand smithereens. ¡°Ahem!¡± Ever so slowly, I turn around, for the first time consciously acknowledging the room I am in. It¡¯s a large and luxurious office. A large window-front gives a perfect view of the skyline of the Crystal City. And sitting at the large office desk, carved from the bone of some humongous creature, then polished to look like marble, is Tjenemit. The Council member¡¯s eyes are on my feet, where I stand inside a sea of shards of quartz, messing up his office. Noticing a trash-bin, I laugh artificially and scoop up the shards as well as I can with a telekinesis spell. ¡°Hahaha. I am so sorry for my outbreak. Whew, we are lucky that you have no carpet in your office. That would be annoying to clean. Hope you understand. I am on an emotional edge since you involved me in this program. Being teleported to random worshippers isn¡¯t...¡± One moment! I look up, searching the room for any mortals. When I find none, I look at Tjenemit. ¡°No,¡± The Council-member replies coolly, one eye twitching in annoyance. ¡°I am not one of your worshippers.¡± He sighs and gets up. ¡°As it happens, I need your expertise. The multiverse knows, people like you should be silenced for good, but as it happens your unique abilities are just too useful.¡± I would also like to silence you. I would silence the whole fucking Council if it meant I would be left in peace. ¡°Okay...¡± I put the trash bin down. Seems like I get to live another day. ¡°What is it this time?¡± Tjenemit gets up and walks around his desk, then pushes some hidden button on the left wall next to the window front. With that, a previously perfectly hidden door opens. Clapping my hands, I giggle like a little child. ¡°Oh, that''s just perfect. Do you have more of this secret-agent stuff? Maybe disguised toys? You guys are aware that things like a secret door mean nothing to us gods? Why don''t we just use the pathways to go where you want us to?¡± Tjenemit leads the way into the small room behind the secret door and I follow him. The Council member looks at me without saying a word, then his eyes wander to the door of what turns out to be an elevator. It silently closes behind us. ¡°We are going down to the lower levels of the Crystal City. The tunnel system is protected, so there is no getting in or getting out.¡± ¡°You can cut off pathways?¡± I ask, astounded. I didn''t know that is possible. Even as I talk, I can feel my stomach rise as the elevator plummets with incredible speed, stopping mere seconds later with a force which would have brought a mortal to his knees. He grunts and steps through the opening door. ¡°It doesn''t block the pathways. It only blocks our ability to use them.¡± Figuring that I wouldn''t get a satisfying explanation anyway, I shut up and follow Tjenemit through a confusing network of tunnels which are intersecting each other at regular intervals. Somewhere far away, I can hear the thrumming of some mysterious machine. Come to think of it, I never got to see the Crystal City''s source of power. Maybe that''s it? From time to time we come across random personnel of this facility. Subconsciously, I tag them with random services they may or may not fulfill down here. Maintenance guy, crazy scientist, clean-up crew, bend-over secretary. My mind is still floating and I begin to worry about what may be my job down here. I am far from ready to take on the Council. What if Tjenemit took me down here to make me vanish like the others? What would happen to Willow, Karin and possibly Ashley and the others? Would they be brand-marked as rogue gods if they awakened on their own? Especially, with Willow, I had given my best to hold her at the brink of transcendence after Janice transcended to godhood and disappeared shortly afterwards. I swear that I''ll one day find out what''s happening to all those people. I still owe Janice for teaching me about soul-magic. At last, we arrive at a room which I immediately recognize as a medical bay when Tjenemit opens the door. There is something universal about medical installations throughout most of the known multiverse. From the colour, to the furniture, down to the smell. A woman is lying in the only bed, propped up with several pillows in a sitting position, her head is resting loosely against the pillow. Three people in white, two women, and a man, are tending to their patient with various machines. Tjenemit steps aside, allowing me to enter, then closes the door behind me. After paying short attention to the set of doctors, I concentrate on the patient. She looks very different from what I remember. The haughty and confident expression is gone and a long rope of drool is trickling down the corner of her mouth. Her empty eyes staring at nothing as she lies within the leather restraints which are meant to keep her from falling out of her bed. Her deep brown hair is hanging loosely, entangled into a wild mane which shows that her caretakers are not in the least concerned about their charge''s looks. Whatever happened to her, there isn''t much left of Eris, Goddess of Strife and Discord, Member of the Council of the Gods. Shoving past one of the doctors, I poke Eris''s cheekbone, causing her head to loll to the side like a doll''s. ¡°Wow. Something got her really good! What did you do to her? Lobotomy? She is a wreck! Is this what they call ''those who ascend high, fall deep''?¡± The medical man who I shoved aside returns the favour in order to get to a machine on Eris''s wrist, checking some result on a little screen. Meanwhile, one of the female doctors returns the patient''s head to a more comfortable position while giving me the evil eye. ¡°Eris had an accident while she was working on important Council business,¡± Tjenemit explains patiently. ¡°We want you to fix her.¡± ¡°Me?¡± I point a thumb at myself, probably looking as surprised as I truly am. I am not a doctor! ¡°Me sorry!¡± I continue mockingly. ¡°Me great Soul-Mage! Me not bother with mortal shell.¡± Clearing my throat I return to a normal tone when, judging by his expression, I realize that Tjenemit seems to be developing a temper. ¡°No, for real. Why would I be able to fix what your doctors can''t? And even if her body is beyond help, just finish her off and wait for her to reincarnate in a new body.¡± The doctor who I shoved earlier clears his throat and runs a hand through his long blonde hair while showing me a board with an illusory image of the patient''s body, everything showing up green. ¡°We would have done that if it would have helped. But according to everything we know about her body, she is completely fine. That body is healthy and the brain should be perfectly capable of operating within normal expectations. It''s safe to assume that even a reincarnation wouldn''t make a difference.¡± He looks at Tjenemit. ¡°Whatever the so-called accident did, it has nothing to do with her physical health. What was affected was her mind, her soul.¡± Standing there with crossed arms and drumming his fingers onto his elbow, Tjenemit takes over. ¡°That''s exactly why we are keeping us a pet Soul Mage.¡± He gestures at her. ¡°Do your best, Ascathon. And don''t even consider implanting some kind of Geas or Thrall in her mind. Don''t sift through her memories, just repair her. Prove that it''s worth keeping you around.¡± The doctor raises his terminal to his chest, smiling smugly. ¡°Don''t worry, Sir. All three of us are well versed in mind-magic. Even if this man is as good as you think he is, we will be able to notice any mind-altering effects. Or if he took a too deep look at her memories.¡± ¡°Goodies. You must''ve heard some really bad stuff about me if you think I would do such a horrid thing to someone who did me no harm,¡± I reply. I mean, of course, I definitely would do such a thing if I had the chance to turn a Council member into a loyal puppet. Who would waste such an opportunity!? Sadly enough, it''s probably too dangerous to risk such a thing if my work will most likely get checked by several independent parties. I have no idea about their skills and knowledge, so I would take a real gamble by playing with Eris''s mind. Discovery would mean that the whole Council would come down on me like a flock of carrion eaters. I am relatively sure that I would be able to deal with at least one of them, but what about the others? Not to mention that they command a sizeable number of gods and deities who suck up to them at each of their fingers. I sigh, trying to sound sad. ¡°You don''t believe me.¡± ¡°No,¡± one of the female physicians replies, a cute little thing with chocolate-brown skin and dark hair. ¡°You have enough of a reputation to give us reason to triple-check anyone you touch.¡± ¡°Quit talking, more working.¡± Tjenemit gestures at his comrade. ¡°Fix her.¡± Stepping closer, I place a hand on Eris''s forehead and close my eyes to concentrate on the patient''s soul. There is no resistance whatsoever when I send my energies deep into her very core. Speaking in understandable terms, what I find is a mostly empty castle with its gates shattered and wide open. It feels like someone plundered her treasure chest... or like something took a generous bite out of her very soul. I take my time judging the damage in an attempt to find out what caused it. But there is no indication. This is something I have never seen before. Slowly, I open my eyes and look at Tjenemit. ¡°What the hell happened to her? Her mind and soul look like something took a bite out of them. I know the results of mind to mind combat, but this is worse. It''s almost as if something tried to consume her memories, sucked them directly out of her very soul.¡± Tjenemit''s eyes narrow as he considers this. ¡°We don''t know what happened. Like I said, she was working on Council business and when we found her, she was in this state. There was nobody else in the room with her. Can you fix her?¡± I shrug. ¡°Maybe, but there wouldn''t be much meaning to it. I can try to repair what was broken, reconnect the soul with the body. Though, I can only guess at how things should be. There is substantial damage to her soul''s metaphysical connection to her physical body. At a first glance, I would say that all of her soul''s recent memories are forever gone. That''s for sure. And with recent, I mean the last few centuries. ¡°Even if I succeed, she would be a different person from the one you know. Her old memories will feel like they aren''t her own if I do this. It''s likely that she will behave like a child in the beginning,¡± I finish my explanation. Tjenemit furrows his forehead and looks down at the floor, deep in thought. Quite some time passes before he comes to a decision. ¡°Do it anyway. We will help her to get back to her feet. Her position as a Council Member was mostly representative anyway. Once she is ready to return to her role, she can retake her position.¡± How generous. He looks up, glaring at me and the doctors. ¡°What are you waiting for!?¡± ¡°Yes, my Lord and Master...¡± I mumble and turn back to the patient, wondering what happened to damage her soul to that extent. Chapter 15 ***The Crystal City*** ***Seria*** ¡°This is such a stupid idea, Seria. I don''t even know where to begin,¡± Nazareth complains while wringing his hands. ¡°And you too, Brother. How could you join her so willingly on such a dangerous endeavour?¡± The large half-orclooks down at his brother, seemingly considering the question in earnest. ¡°Hmm,¡± Marigold grumbles in a deep baritone. ¡°I won''t argue the point that we are taking a huge risk, but if Seria says that she needs backup, then I''ll help her. Sneaking into the centre of the Council''s power isn''t something that should be done alone. If anything goes wrong, then our increased numbers make it at least possible to call for help. Or to be a witness for each other. It¡¯s much harder to make us disappear when others know of our actions. At least the Council would no longer be able to pretend that they know nothing about the disappearances. Finally, this isn¡¯t something that concerns only Seria, but all of us.¡± ¡°I think that going with more people only makes it more likely for us to get caught!¡± Nazareth replies, unwilling to let the matter rest. Then he looks up and down the alley as if expecting one of the Council''s hunters to jump around the corner at any moment. Little does he know that I myself am forced to walk in the Council''s shadow. I am not proud of it, but it gives me the possibility to help those who deserve it. After checking out the godforsaken alley myself, I return my attention to the brothers. ¡°Listen, I will do this alone if you don''t want to risk it. I just asked you two for help because I am relatively sure that you aren''t in cahoots with the Council. It''s certainly not as if I can make any promises regarding your safety. In fact, should we get caught, I think it''s very likely that our friends will count us among the missing people.¡± ¡°Do you hear that?¡± Nazareth looks up to Marigold, then at me. ¡°What guarantee do we have that you aren''t working with the Council to pin something on us? It''s not like you aren''t known for dealing with them. In fact, everyone knows that you are on Tjenemit''s payroll.¡± Slowly, I raise an eyebrow. ¡°I won''t deny that I am working for the Council. It¡¯s unfortunate that they have their sights on me for various reasons, but that doesn''t mean that I like it. Believe me, if I saw a sensible way to weasel my way out of my circumstances, I would do it. But the Council has too many eyes and ears. Their propaganda machine is quite effective, and most who aren¡¯t directly involved with the Council members would never suspect a thing. And the ones who are, are too afraid to talk. I want to know what''s going on, just like you two and anyone else. It''s as much about my own safety as yours.¡± Tilting my hips slightly, I cross my arms in front of my chest and look down on the little gnome. ¡°And may I remind you that I helped you to find your brother? And now that I am asking for help you deny me?¡± ¡°Aaah...¡± Nazareth looks away, clearly embarrassed. ¡°This situation is different. My brother wasn''t in real danger and I just needed you to speak to Ascathon. It''s not like he takes me seriously. And stop doing that! Seriously, what''s with that black catsuit. You look ridiculous!¡± ¡°What!?¡± I look down at myself, uncrossing my arms to inspect the dark leathers. ¡°This is the closest I could find to burglar equipment. My usual gowns are quite unfit for this task. I told you two to dress appropiatly.¡± As far as appropriate goes. Nazareth chose some kind of grey robe which looks like a sack on his gnome-body. Marigold is in his usual brown leather armour. I swear, it''s as if some people never change their clothes. Either that or they have twenty identical sets at home. Marigold clears his throat. ¡°Please do that again.¡± ¡°What?¡± He looks at the floor. ¡°Pushing up your chest and then lett... ing... go... judging by your expression, I can see that you are opposed to the idea. So I''ll just shut my mouth and help you.¡± ¡°Perv!¡± Nazareth shakes his head. ¡°One would think that youhad enough after a week in that succubus brothel.¡± ¡°Can we return to the matter at hand, please?¡± I ask, exasperated. ¡°And don¡¯t worry, Marigold. I know that I am pretty, so you are allowed to look. Sadly, you just aren¡¯t my type, no offense.¡± If I had known that it would involve this much arguing, then I would have crawled down into the tunnel system on my own. ¡°I don''t even need you two to fight. I just want someone with me who is able to stand guard, should we find something that''s worth investigating.¡± ¡°Count me in,¡± Marigold announces helpfully, while his brother whines, ¡°We are all going to die. The Council will do us in. How do you even intend to enter the restricted area?¡± That''s right. The restricted area includes pretty much the whole Crystal City beneath street-level. There is a whole network of underground tunnels which may have functioned as a resource-allocation system in the past. Whoever created the Crystal City intended for it to last forever. In fact, aside from some recent additions to the city''s landscape, I am not aware that any of the original facilities need maintenance at all. ¡°The Crystal City is old. So old, that I am relatively sure that the Council didn''t build it. It may even pre-date the time of war which was brought to an end by the Council,¡± I explain patiently. ¡°So?¡± Nazareth asks, his forehead furrowed. ¡°I think pretty much everyone already came up with that theory on his or her own. There is no way that the Council wouldn¡¯t widen their influence if they knew how to handle mana crystals.¡± ¡°It also means that there are nooks and crannies all over the city which even the Council doesn''t know about. Abandoned sewers, hidden passageways, and old maintenance shafts.¡± I kneel down on the street, digging my fingers into a crevice between the cobblestones which pave the street. ¡°Someone must have thought in the past that cobblestones look nicer than the flat, crystal surfaces which cover most of the city. But in his eagerness, he also closed up the entrance to an old maintenance shaft which leads directly into one of the Council''s main-facilities.¡± Activating the ancient mechanism, I lift the cover. Whoever did the paving decided to leave the maintenance shaft accessible, while doing his hardest to hide its existence. Marigold lets out a sound of surprise. ¡°Gosh! How did you even find this?¡± ¡°I was around for a long time.¡± I wave my hand, holding the cover open. ¡°Let''s just say that I had incredible luck stumbling upon it.¡± And it was luck indeed. One night, I let myself go inside the inn around the corner. And with ''let go'' I mean that I was so drunk that I couldn''t walk anymore, let alone cast a spell to clean my blood from the alcohol. It was then when I was at my lowest, crawling through this street in an attempt to get anywhere where I could sleep out my hangover when I literally stumbled upon this. I still count myself lucky that I had the wits left to close up the shaft and tell nobody until I had the chance to explore it. ¡°Get in before someone sees us.¡± Marigold and Nazareth follow my order and once they are inside, I follow and close the shaft above me. Then we slowly descend downan old ladder in total darkness. The shaft itself is no more than a meter in width, but it soon widens when we enter a small room with a crystal core in the ceiling. ¡°By the gods! What is that?¡± Nazareth whispers. ¡°I feel the mana radiating off of it.¡± ¡°It''s something like a mana core, just that the creators made it out of mana crystal. That''s why the Council doesn''t want anyone down here. There are power-nodes like this one at regular intervals throughout the whole city. I think they are responsible for the power distribution for the outlets in the houses above.¡± Marigold shakes his head. ¡°I will never understand how the gods of the past could have built something like this and just vanished.¡± I shrug and point at a narrow tunnel to our left. It''s large enough to stand, but forces anyone who enters it to walk sideways. ¡°Who knows? Maybe the owners were defeated by another party and were dealt with in a permanent manner. That''s what we are here for. For all we know, the Council is using some ancient mechanism to imprison the people they dislike, and we can end all of their schemes by destroying their toy.¡±This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°You are grasping at straws,¡± Nazareth intones helpfully. ¡°And I must say that right now I am quite happy to be a gnome. These tunnels are just the right size for me. Are you sure that they are meant to be traversed by humans?¡± ¡°Who knows.¡± I tap at a pipe or power-line which follows the tunnel at the ceiling. ¡°I don¡¯t think that someone who has access to Crystal-Tech would have problems with sending some kind of drones, should something fail.¡± ¡°I have only one question,¡± Marigold says while making himself small by drawing-in his belly. Out of the three of us he has the most problems with the tunnel¡¯s size. ¡°Why did you choose this exact moment for this adventure? From what I understand, you knew about this entrance for a long time and you never used it.¡± That¡¯s actually a hard question. If I had to lay out the exact details, it would take days to share the entire story. So going with a half-truth might be the best course. ¡°I was very afraid of getting caught. And I have absolutely no idea if this facility holds the answers we seek.¡± ¡°So what changed?¡± Nazareth urges on. ¡°Eris vanished. You might have noticed that she was strangely absent from any public events in recent time. That¡¯s simply not her style as a goddess of discord. Someone like her needs to have an active involvement with the public in order to cause mischief.¡± Now several dozen metres down the tunnel, I duck into an intersection and move on. ¡°Finally, there is the point that I have a reliable source which told me that Eris entered this part of the underground network. In fact, many Council members do so on a regular basis. It¡¯s just that according to my source, Eris never emerged.¡± ¡°So we are still acting on a hunch,¡± Marigold mumbles. ¡°Well, I suppose it¡¯s better than to randomly search the restricted area. That would get us caught sooner or later for sure.¡± ¡°Silent now,¡± I warn them. ¡°We are approaching the active part of the facility and from there on out, we have to be watchful for surveillance systems.¡± ¡°I am good with counter-intelligence, so let me cast the spells,¡± Nazareth provides helpfully. It actually still takes us a few more minutes to arrive at the hatch which allows access to a deeper level. From there onwards, the tunnels widen and become easier to traverse. We proceed with the greatest care, halting often to check for any sign that we were found. Surprisingly, Nazareth turns out to be quite the competent counter-intelligence device. After a round of highly effective invisibility enchantments, which I couldn¡¯t have done any better, and privacy spells which are supposed to stop any sound, we proceed deeper into the facility. Soon, we encounter our first guard, but thankfully Nazareth¡¯s spells hold and the guard walks past us none the wiser while we press ourselves to the wall. A few steps further, we arrive at an intersection which helpfully provides a sign and a map with our current location. Nazareth points to the left. ¡°It says that the offices are that way.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± I reply and point in the other direction. ¡°And it says that the restricted area is that way.¡± ¡°A restricted area within something that¡¯s already a restricted area is never a good thing,¡± Marigold observes coldly. ¡°Yes, but we are on a time limit. Searching an office complex which surely includes staff isn¡¯t an easy thing to do at the best of times. How long will we be able to hide behind ourmagic? A restricted area sounds like it would be relatively easy to find something that the Council wants to hide.¡± Taking the tunnel to the right, I start walking. It doesn¡¯t take long to reach a security door. ¡°Somehow I expected that,¡± Marigold mumbles. ¡°Why should they leave something that¡¯s important completely unprotected?¡± ¡°Well, there is the strange thing that we can¡¯t use the pathways down here,¡± Nazareth mentions. ¡°We can¡¯t?¡± Marigold¡¯s face turns strained for a moment as he tries to reach out with his mind. ¡°We can¡¯t,¡± he confirms. ¡°I suppose releasing our aura and punching through the door would cause an immediate alarm,¡± Nazareth voices his thoughts. For a god, anything other than Mana Crystal may as well be a sheet of paper. Unfortunately, the gnome is right in assuming that ripping that sheet of paper would bring down security on us. ¡°No problem, guys.¡± Reaching into my pocket, I retrieve an automated decryption device. ¡°You notice that this door is made out of metal? It isn¡¯t original Crystal-Tech, so it should be possible to open it.¡± I plug the device which I got from a trusted specialist into the control panel next to the door. One curious thing about the Crystal City is that it is in some kind of lock-down mode. Nobody can open or close the original doors throughout the city, of which most were left open for some reason when the owners left. My trust in my source is confirmed moments later when the door slides open, revealing some kind of research area with offices, partitioned off by walls of glass. ¡°Whoa, who made that thing?¡± Nazareth ogles my decryption device with respect. ¡°I bet the Council doesn¡¯t play cheap on the security in here.¡± ¡°A trusted specialist, don¡¯t worry.¡± I pack the device away. ¡°He drives a hard bargain when giving away his work, but I have yet to encounter something that¡¯s beyond him when it comes to technology. We are lucky that he isn¡¯t on the Council¡¯s side.¡± With the way cleared, we enter the area and take a look around. The offices give off the impression of belonging to some kind of intelligence service, some charts on the walls linking various names and locations with each other. Ignoring the paperwork, I head straight ahead towards something like an observation window that allows a look into a larger room. Beyond the window is something like a hall, and in its centre is a floating crystal sphere. ¡°That looks interesting.¡± The two brothers join me and Nazareth points at a spot beneath the floating sphere. ¡°Ooh, that¡¯s not good. That golden skin, I know of only one god with that style.¡± Marigold nods. ¡°El Shaddai, leader of the Council. We should get out of here before he sees us.¡± ¡°But we still have nothing on them,¡± Nazareth whispers. ¡°What is he doing? Just staring at the sphere with raised hands? Looks almost as if he is worshipping it.¡± That¡¯s when I notice two black shapes moving towards the window. ¡°Watch out!¡± I pull Nazareth away from the window, just as the first shape breaks through. Marigold steps forward, a blade of lightning appearing in his hand. He strikes at the gaunt, vaguely humanoid thing, partly releasing his aura. A strike which should have cleaved his enemy in two. But the creature strikes out with a clawed hand, dispelling the half-orc¡¯s lightning blade and cutting through his aura as if it were nothing. Its claws rake across Marigold¡¯s chest as he kicks out in reflex, sending the thing flying back through the observation window in a high arc. Turning, he shoves us towards the exit. ¡°Run, those things aren¡¯t normal!¡± ¡°Haste!¡± Nazareth incants a spell, its effect surrounding all of us. Then he is gone, his feet sounding like the staccato of machinegun fire on the crystal floor. I follow, finding my movements much faster than normal, even without myself using internal magic to increase my abilities. ¡°Hungeerr...¡± ¡°Jooin usss...¡± A cold shudder runs down my spine as we flee back the way we came, hot pursuit right behind us and the facility¡¯s alarms going off. But no matter our speed, the second thing is right on our heels and catching up. ¡°What are those!?¡± Marigold asks as we run. ¡°Guardians?¡± ¡°They aren¡¯t normal!¡± Nazareth gasps. ¡°Just an indistinct mass of inky black and claws. I¡¯ve never seen something like it!¡± ¡°The other is right behind us and it¡¯s quick! We will never make it back through the service tunnels without releasing our auras completely!¡± Marigold observes after taking a look behind him. ¡°That thing didn¡¯t care about your aura earlier!¡± Nazareth throws back. ¡°Then we have to kill the one which is directly on our tails as quickly as possible and then escape before the second one or El Shaddai regain their wits. I got the one I kicked really good, so I doubt that it will be right behind the other one.¡± Marigold summons two lightning swords as he stops at the earlier junction with the signs. Cursing, I join him, summoning life and death magic into each palm. As much as I would like to keep running, he is right. These guardians don¡¯t seem to be very intelligent, because hunting down three gods must be beyond a single pursuer. In the next moment, the creature is on us and I release my own aura. Marigold slides to the side, evading the guardian¡¯s claws and slicing a lightning blade across its left thigh. The creature doesn¡¯t react to the successful blow and follows up with a kick, sending the half-orc flying against the wall and to the floor, ignoring his aura completely. Jumping in, I shoot the orb of death-magic at the creature and the orb of life-magic at Marigold. Totally unaffected, the guardian tanks my spell as if I just threw popcorn at it. Howling, it jumps at me and takes me down, passing through my aura like it wasn¡¯t there. As it raises its claws, I ask myself if I misjudged the thing¡¯s intelligence. Maybe it can take down three gods? That¡¯s when someone grabs the thing¡¯s arm, pulling it off of me like it was a toddler. Swinging the creature around in an arc, Ascathon slams it into the wall with a ¡®crunch¡¯. Not hesitating, he steps onto its shoulder-joint and pulls, ripping out the arm and spraying an inky substance all over the floor.Yet again, the thing proves its resistance to pain and skitters out from beneath his boot by twisting its joints around in an unnatural manner. Doing so, it propels itself off the floor and spinning in mid-air, the creature brings a clawed hand to bear on its enemy. Ascathon raisesanarm, expecting to block the attack with ease. But like with us, the creature strikes through his released aura and digs inky, black claws into his forearm. ¡°It¡¯s immune to magic!¡± I call out, getting back to my feet. Furrowing his forehead, Ascathon twists his arm out of the creature¡¯s grasp, shredding his own flesh in the process. He takes a hold of the thing¡¯s remaining arm and pushes it against the wall, the palm of his other hand against its chest. ¡°There is no such thing as immune to magic,¡± he grumbles as a brilliant red light appears from beneath his palm, painting the entire corridor in a red hue, combined with the sizzling of rending flesh. Screeching, the creature twists and writhes in an attempt to get away, even as its chest is shredded to pieces by an orb of chaotic, red energies. Moments later it¡¯s over and the thing¡¯s inky head falls to the ground together with its remaining arm. The lower torso slides to the floor and tilts to the side, spilling out a mass that could count for intestines. Even as the thing¡¯s remains start evaporating, the second guardian reaches us but stops at the corridor¡¯s corner upon seeing its companion¡¯s fate. It''s as if the spell in Ascathon''s hand gives it cause to pause, where nothing else we tried even fazed it. ¡°Ascended One!¡± Hissing, it blurs and retreats, leaving us none the wiser, except for this mysterious phrase. Unsummoning the malicious red orb, Ascathon turns to face us while casting healing magic on his shredded arm, observing its regeneration. ¡°And to think that I just repaired this body. So, care to explain what you three are doing down here?¡± ¡°We could ask you the same!¡± Nazareth replies. But the noise of running footsteps forces me to make this short. ¡°No time!¡± I rush over to Marigold and pull the groaning half-orcto his feet. ¡°Tell nobody that you encountered us down here, Ascathon! As much for us as for your own sake. Buy us some time.¡± Thankfully, the God of Chaos only furrows his forehead as I and my companions retreat while he remains standing at the junction. Chapter 16 ***The Crystal City*** ***Ascathon*** I don¡¯t have much time to think before Tjenemit and a group of nine guards arrive at the junction. Sporting his usual trim attire, Tjenemit looks all like a leader while the guards in their blue uniforms follow him like cute, little puppies. Just as expected, the Council member doesn¡¯t look pleased as his eyes sweep over the dissolving mess on the floor and my shredded arm. ¡°What happened here? I thought I told you not to leave the room!¡± ¡°Yes,¡± I reply. ¡°But there was this whole alarm thing going on, and I at least wanted to know whether I should make a run for it. No sense in dying for nothing if I just could have evacuated with everyone else. Then I heard noises from around the corner and, you know my curiosity, I just had to check.¡± I pat onto my chest, trying to look innocent. ¡°And who would have thought, there is this black, inky thing that could have come straight out of some bad horror movie, throwing itself at me. Of course, I had to defend myself, even ripped its arm off. But it kept coming. ¡°And colour me surprised when it struck straight through my aura as if it wasn¡¯t there. Almost took off my arm with its claws, see?¡± I hold up the healing arm which still shows signs of injury. ¡°That pissed me off, so I took it apart.¡± I gesture at the floor. ¡°Maybe we should bottle it up? Before it completely dissolves, whatever that stuff is.¡± Producing a vial from my pocket, I scoop up some of the goop and seal the vial with a stopper. ¡°It¡¯s just good that as someone who thinks of himself as a scientist I always carry something to gather materials. One never knows when such things come in handy.¡± Tjenemit plucks the vial out of my fingers. ¡°I will be taking that, thank you very much.¡± Thief! That¡¯s mine! I took it! Mine! But judging by his sour expression, I may be better advised to keep my mouth shut, so I forcefully suppress the instinct to jump him in order to exact righteous revenge for this blatant theft. ¡°Of course. You may want to know that there was a second one of the things down that way.¡± I point out the corridor in which the other monstrosity vanished. ¡°It seemed like it wasn¡¯t very keen on sharing the fate of its buddy. If I may suggest to hunt that thing down before it attacks another innocent passerby.¡± Tjenemit¡¯s eyes narrow and his expression loses all humour, if it can even be said that he had some to begin with. ¡°You said something about noises? What was the creature doing to draw your attention? Or was it simply making noise for the sake of it?¡± I shrug. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t see anyone when I arrived. But now that you mention it, it sounded like it was fighting somebody.¡± Seria and her companions must have more than enough of a head-start by now, so it¡¯s best to cover my own ass by being at least partially truthful. ¡°It seems kind of obvious that there must have been someone who stumbled upon the creature before me. Unless it was deranged enough to be fighting with itself. It didn¡¯t strike me as the most intelligent of beasts.¡± ¡°Enough! You have cost us enough time!¡± He turns around, indicating two of his man. ¡°You two, check out the corridor that leads to the service tunnels. The rest, go and check the restricted area for this second creature.¡± Turning back to me, he steps in close. ¡°If I find any indication that you were intentionally stalling for time by dishing out useless details, I¡¯ll-¡± ¡°Sorry!¡± Raising both hands a little too quickly, I splatter a few droplets of blood onto his perfect robe which is embroidered with countless symbols and fine artwork, showing off his wealth and power. It isn¡¯t as if any god would have problems getting himself an expensive outfit, but only very few actually go so far as to flaunt their wealth like that. ¡°You see, I was never that keen on any form of military service for exactly that reason. I am simply unable to give proper reports if I am high on adrenaline! It has nothing to do with you or any kind of ill will towards my superiors!¡± Instead of answering, Tjenemit looks down at the splatters of blood on his fine outfit. ¡°Ah, sorry. Just send me the bill,¡± I add hastily. Damn. As far as Council members go, Tjenemit is the calmest of them, but I am quickly using up all the composure he seems to have left. Thankfully, that¡¯s when we get interrupted by screams from down the corridor where the bulk of Tjenemit¡¯s guards went in search of the monster. Cursing, Tjenemit cuts reprimanding me short and follows the screams as quickly as possible without running. ¡°Come. I may use you as a meatshield to make up for your incompetence!¡± I don¡¯t reply, following the Council member like a cute little puppy. What we find around the corner and through a door that leads into something like an intelligence service¡¯s office isn¡¯t exactly pretty. Several of the glass walls which separate various working areas are broken and paper is strewn all over the floor. In the heat of battle, a large part of the office was already destroyed. The seven remaining guards who Tjenemit sent in order to deal with the monster found their prey, but it seems like they are unable to subdue it. One guard is lying on the floor with blood bubbling up from between his lips. The monster cleaved his chest open and exposed his innards for all the world to take a look. A second one is trying to stop the bleeding from a severed foot. The remaining five have the creature driven against a wall, circling it in a half-circle. But that¡¯s as much as they achieved, as none of them is really willing to close the distance and take on the thing. It¡¯s the first time that I get to take a really good look at the thing without being in mortal combat. The thing seems to consist as much of an inky substance, as of physical shadows. What makes it hard to describe apart from its general humanoid form and some distinct features are the writhing movements between its flesh and the permanent state of dissolving and recreation the thing seems to be caught in. The overall result is that the creature¡¯s outer edges seem to constantly blur and sharpen in unpredictable patterns. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Tjenemit barks. ¡°Just kill the cursed thing!¡± ¡°It¡¯s immune to magic, Sir!¡± One of the men calls out, using a conjured sword to slice a piece off the monster as it tries to strike out in order to maul another man. A third guard casts a ball of energy which hits the monster, but the spell seems like nothing more than a light-show on the creature¡¯s skin as the energy dissolves without effect. Sensing an opening, the creature jumps forward, breaking the circle of guards. It barrels into one of the men, throwing him onto his back and laying into him with its claws. The guard¡¯s aura pulses in an instinctive, defensive reaction and forces the other guards to step away. ¡°Multiverse! Save me from incompetent fools!¡± Tjenemit points a finger at the thing, casting a tiny spell formation. The spell matrix blazes into existence and channels a ray of pure energy through some kind of miniature gateway which makes it seem like a blaze of brilliant light erupts from his fingertip. Shielding my eyes, I watch as the ray of light stabs through the creature¡¯s chest. Tjenemit moves his finger upwards, splitting the creature from its chest up in two. Then his finger flicks here and there, dicing the thing to pieces within moments. Arms tumble to the ground and the torso falls away in pieces until there is nothing left to hold the legs together and they too fall away to the sides. Impressed, I eye his fingertip, wishing that he hadn¡¯t controlled the creation of his spell matrix so tightly. I would have wished to know the exact activation sequence he used to allow a powerful anti-shielding curse to hitch-hike a ride on a simple disintegration ray. Because that¡¯s what he must have used to strike through the thing¡¯s defences where his men failed. It seems like I went a little overboard when I killed my own opponent. Good to know that the things aren¡¯t truly immune to magic, and that effects which are designed to penetrate magical defences work.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. That¡¯s when a door in the room¡¯s far left corner opens and none other than El Shaddai, leader of the Council, enters the room. ¡°What¡¯s going on in here?¡± He is clad in an unassuming grey tunic, but everyone would recognise the leader of the Council immediately. There are very few who are daring enough to try to copy his looks. The bald head and the metallic, golden skin are like a trademark. I often wonder from where in the multiverse El Shaddai got his body. It could be that he is some form of elemental, like Willow. But nobody who saw Willow and El Shaddai next to each other would put them in the same category. Where Shaddai¡¯s features are like a chiselled statue, Willow is much more organic with slight imperfections. The leader of the Council has none of those, making him seem more like a golem than a living being. In an attempt to make myself as unnoticeable and inconsiderable as possible, I step slightly away and behind Tjenemit. Sure enough, Tjenemit steps forward to face El Shaddai, gaining his full attention. ¡°That¡¯s what I wanted to ask you. How did these things get in here?¡± Tjenemit points at the diced remains of the monster. El Shaddai looks at the dissolving remains of the creature. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s just me, but the Council member doesn¡¯t seem in the least surprised to find this thing inside one of his inner sanctums. Shouldn¡¯t someone whose security was just broken be less concerned with the presence of another Council member, and more with the unnatural invader on the floor? ¡°I don¡¯t know. I only know that someone broke the observation window while I was deep in trance, communing with the sphere.¡± He points out a shattered window at the wall. ¡°While I was meditating I didn¡¯t notice anything unusual. When I opened my eyes, I left the observation room because of the damage and found you here.¡± My eyes narrow involuntarily at that. Which sphere? An observation room? Is this somehow connected to how the Council manages to find any deity who tries to escape their attention? Sadly, that¡¯s when Tjenemit remembers my presence. ¡°I think you have been helpful enough.¡± Regally gesturing for his guards, he points towards the door. ¡°Someone, see to it that he returns to Eris and finishes his work. Don¡¯t leave him without supervision. Once he is done, make sure that he leaves the facility without further ado.¡± While the others take care of their wounded comrades, one of the uninjured men steps forward eagerly, sensing the chance to extract himself from his superior¡¯s presence. I don¡¯t challenge his wisdom in this course of action. Nodding at Tjenemit, I turn around and leave without saying a word. Then I head back to Eris¡¯s sickroom while the guard follows me dutifully. This gives me time to have a few thoughts about what I just experienced. The fact that there are strange creatures roaming the Council¡¯s facilities. That some Council members know nothing about these things, while others seem to be in the know. What about the sphere and this room which seemed like an intelligence service? It paints a currently incomprehensible picture. Up until now, I was under the impression that the Council is on the same course for most of their policies, but apparently, that¡¯s not the case. We arrive back at Eris''s sickroom and I spend the rest of the day with repairing what''s possible to repair and rebuilding the rest in hope that she would at least end up as a functioning person. Tampering with a human mind isn''t so easy and I end up guessing more often than not at which part belongs where. Finally, I finish my work with the trepidation that Eris will always be a little unhinged. Tired and worn out, I allow the guard to escort me outside the facility where fate decides to continue playing more games with me. As soon as I set my foot outside the door, a flash of light envelops me, the world enchantment doing its work. I appear in something like a large, damp cellar with over a dozen men and women in black robes chanting in some sort of ritual. What seems to be their leader is waving his hands in the air, trying to control the magic which is channelled from his followers through him and into the summoning circle beneath my feet. They all have hoods over their heads, hiding their faces. At this point, I can''t even muster the effort to be surprised. Tired of it all, I allow my eyes to wander through the room until I notice that the summoning circle was drawn with blood and that there are bodies of various ages dumped in a corner. It speaks to my tiredness that I am neither appalled by the summoning method, nor by the gruesome death cult who managed the feat. Tilting my head upwards, I let out a groan. ¡°Why do I always get the maniacs?¡± I ask the ceiling. Of course, there is no answer. A god has it tough when calling upon higher powers. ¡°Heed my command!¡± The cult-leader points a finger at me. ¡°Grant us eternal life!¡± As he pours more power into the circle, I feel a slight tingle in the back of my head which causes me to give the circle a little more attention. Sure enough, it isn''t just a mere conglomeration of useless symbols. This is definitely an attempt at influencing the target inside the circle against its will. ¡°Why isn''t he saying anything?¡± one of the followers asks. ¡°Maybe we did something wrong? What if he isn''t bound by the commandments?¡± another one voices his own doubt. At that, the crowd behind the leader starts stirring. If they heard about my reputation, then some of them surely can imagine what fate has in store for them. Sensing the growing panic, the leader raises his hand and gestures towards a cage which eluded my attention up until now. ¡°Get another blood sacrifice. We may need more power to influence the god.¡± One of the sect-members starts towards the cage which contains a sobbing woman with a child in her arms. ¡°I will grant your wish,¡± I announce, maybe a little too theatrical. But I am just too pissed off at this point. I am tired, my head hurts, I had to do as I was told the entire day, and now this stupid world enchantment whisks me away to who knows where into one of the most unpleasant environments I can imagine. At least my reverberating voice had the intended effect, causing complete silence within the room and drawing the full attention of all the cultists. Gesturing for the leader, I point in front of me on the floor. ¡°Come here and kneel down, so that I may enlighten you on my path.¡± Almost eagerly, the man with the red hood comes forward and falls to his knees. Now that he is close I can even see most of his face, not that I care about some guy''s mug. ¡°Open your mouth and hold out your tongue,¡± I incant in a religious manner. The man turns around to look at his followers, but his greed is stronger than his surprise about the strange command. Facing me, he opens his mouth and stretches out his tongue. Reaching out quickly, I grab the large muscle and rip it out of his throat. The natural result is a lot of screaming, followed by gurgling as the man drowns in his own blood due to the improperly executed amputation. Next, I teleport to the man at the cage and rip a metal bar out of the prison. While the crowd is still stunned, I swing the improvised weapon with enough force to make it swish through the air with a rather nice tone. The cultist''s jaw disintegrates in a spray of blood and bone. Then the hunt is on as I chase screaming cultists through the cellar, breaking bones and heads while taking great care in holding back my strength. After all, I want at least some of them to remember this. While bashing in a woman''s head, I notice that some are trying to get out through a heavy, locked door. So I choose them as my next targets, laughing about their stupidity as I rush towards them. Who locks himself inside a room with a monster? At some point in my hunt, I start humming, being reminded of playing chase with my friends during another reincarnation. It was a good one, but my parents from back then never liked it when we were playing that particular game. Suddenly, I remember parts of the song which was always sung while the game was played. ¡°Schwere Schritte auf den Stufen. Niemand h?rt uns, wenn wir rufen! Niemand h?rt uns, wenn wir schreien! ... Wer hat Angst vor''m schwarzen Mann? ... Wer hat Angst vor''m schwarzen Mann? L?sst du nachts die Lichter an? Und wenn er kommt, was tust du dann? Dann laufen wir, laufen wir davon! ... Wer hat Angst vor''m schwarzen Mann? Lass ihn niemals an dich ran! Doch wenn er kommt, was tun wir dann? Dann laufen wir, laufen wir davon! Lauf, lauf, lauf! Davon! Lauf, lauf, lauf! Davon!¡± Slowly, their screams wane as their numbers dwindle. Accordingly, my ire slowly subsides until I am the only one left standing. Huffing and puffing, I overlook the carnage until I notice that someone is watching me. Myrm is standing next to the cage with the sobbing woman and her child. Very slowly, without saying a word, he turns his head from left to right, inspecting the massacre. I can only imagine how I must have looked like chasing the cultists while humming a tune. ¡°What the ever loving shit are you doing?¡± he whispers. I drop the metal bar and try to correct my attire. Not that it matters, with blood and pieces of brain all over it. ¡°Nothing much. They tried to force me to do stuff with a poorly executed blood-ritual. I didn''t consent and decided to blow off some steam with the good old methods.¡± Walking over to the cultist leader who is writhing on the floor while holding his throat, I pick him up and cast a healing spell on him. ¡°I''ll take this one, you can have the rest.¡± Waving at Myrm, I take a pathway, pulling the cultist with me before the deity can complain. I still have a grudge with him, but now is neither the time nor the place for petty revenge. The captured ''treat'' and I appear on the central corridor in my secret base, where I drop the man like the piece of trash he is. ¡°Finally!¡± I sigh. ¡°Home sweet home.¡± Turning, I walk towards my private quarters, waving at passing succubus. ¡°Dia? Diana! That''s you right?¡± ¡°Yes, my lord. Today all bloody? I like the style!¡± Raising a hand, she starts nibbling on her thumb in anticipation. Then the grey-skinned and barely dressed beauty nods eagerly. ¡°It''s like in the good old days when you came back to the castle after another conquest. Should we have some fun?¡± ¡°Not right now. I am too tired.¡± ¡°Aw...¡± she pouts. Pointing back, I indicate the cultist who is looking around with wild eyes, trying to get his bearings after the miraculous healing. ¡°Say, Diana. You are up for some rough stuff, right?¡± I ask. ¡°Surrree,¡± she purrs. ¡°All of us are trained for all kinds of experiences. You know that.¡± ¡°Good! That guy was a really bad boy and deserves some punishment. You can have him, including his soul. Just make sure that he doesn''t die too early, or the world enchantment will fuck with me again,¡± I explain, already eager for sleep. ¡°You are too nice! To give me a personal present!¡± Not waiting for another second, she step-dances towards the cultist and pounces like a cat onto her prey. Too tired to care, I saunter off to my rooms to wash and head for my bed where I am soon joined by my purring pet. The ghost cat''s paws wander slowly over my body until it reaches its preferred spot. It circles once on top of my chest before it settles down for sleep. And then I am out like a light. Chapter 17 ***The World*** ***Karin*** ¡°No thanks, James,¡± I wave my hand diminutively, refusing the offered piece of ham from Ascathon¡¯s newest minion. The dried up husk of a man, a zombie, shrugs and shambles off with the plentiful plate of breakfast dishes while dragging his feet. I follow his jerky retreat, horrified that a thing like him can even move. Ascathon''s newly employed ''butler'' is nothing more than pale skin over a skeleton of bones. His pale lips and eyeballs retreated deep into his skull, turning him into a caricature of the human he once was. Had I encountered this creature before I was practically adopted by Ascathon and Willow, I would have thought of it as the personification of death itself. It doesn¡¯t help that someone gave him a complete butler¡¯s outfit. Of course, I know better by now. Apart from me, James is probably the least dangerous being in this room. ¡°Would you hand me the salt, dear,¡± Ashley asks from the other side of the table, pointing a delicate finger at the bottle with salt. ¡°And don''t be so cold to the new employee. He isn''t to blame for his current undead state. It''s what''s happens when Diana sucks you dry and a necromantic god decides to use the remains.¡± I shove the bottle of salt closer to Ashley, allowing it to slide over the table. The succubus smiles with her sinuous red lips and spices her scrambled egg with a generous amount. A strand of hair falls into her face as she opens her delicate lips to test the taste and she brushes it back, tugging it behind her tiara-like horns. Even though it''s early in the morning, the succubus matriarch looks like sex personified in her scandalous black dress. Contrary to that, Willow is more like me, her bed-hair an unruly mane. She also chose casual clothes, a blue t-shirt and white trousers, which she must have picked for comfort rather than looks. I purse my lips when I read the provocative ''Squeeze for milk.'' on the shirt and look down at myself, once more feeling diminished. Quickly, I slap my own cheek. Think cheerful thoughts! I am young! Still growing! Ashley, Ascathon, Willow and I met up in the kitchen area earlier this morning to enjoy breakfast together and to talk about the current state of affairs in order to coordinate our plans. Well, mostly to coordinate our plans with Ascathon. So far, the god took some steps to shape the world according to his wishes, but I''ll be damned if there was any organized intention behind his actions up until now. Willow tried to explain the affairs of the gods to me, but I still fail to grasp the greater picture. Even knowing the age of these people, I fail to understand how someone can become so indifferent to life. Or is it more that time and age made them apathetic towards the struggles of others? Will I become like them in a few hundred years? Will the lives of mortals be nothing more to me than what I feel towards insects right now? Still, I can''t stop myself from following the walking corpse with my eyes as he switches between tasks in the kitchen. Why does the living area have to be combined with a kitchen? It''s bad design, not to mention that the poor guests have to smell the cook''s work. ¡°It''s just that... isn''t it unhygienic to have a dead person touch your food? It¡¯s icky.¡± ¡°It''s perfectly fine,¡± Ascathon replies while chewing on a piece of ham which was delivered by James. For once, the god isn''t in dark leather armour, but in baggy, grey trousers and a shirt which look very comfortable while allowing him complete freedom of movement. He continues, ¡°And James isn''t so much a zombie, but more like a ghoul. To fulfill his wish, I dumped the remains that Diana left behind into formaldehyde for disinfection. Then I brought the body back to unlife, but I made him a little more than a basic zombie so that I wouldn''t be bothered with maintenance work. Then I hooked him up to the synaptic learning machine and uploaded everything a good servant needs. He is perfect! Soulless, completely dedicated to his purpose, and absolutely hygienic because he doesn''t have a metabolism. No sneezing, no unwashed hands after the toilet. In many ways, he is superior to a living cook.¡± ¡°I am still not convinced that you acted according to the intent of the man''s wish.¡± Willow pokes at her food, and I feel a little better that at least one other person doesn''t want her food to be touched by something that looks like a corpse. Raising an eyebrow, Willow digs into her scrambled egg and retrieves something that looks like aluminum foil. ¡°Are you sure that you managed to preserve James¡¯s eyesight? It seems like he threw some of the packagings in with the food.¡± Ascathon clears his throat. ¡°Well, he is a ghoul. They don¡¯t have the best of eyesight when it¡¯s bright. Maybe I¡¯ll scoop out his eyes and replace them with electronics when there is time. I think I still have some prosthetics lying around which I originally intended for you, Willow.¡± The elemental doesn¡¯t look up from picking her food apart. ¡°Would you please stop using the left-overs from other projects when you experiment on people? At some point, you will do something that can¡¯t be taken back.¡± Ascathon shrugs. ¡°Believe me or not, but I always consider my experiments very carefully and everything I use is high quality. And regarding James¡¯s wish: He said that he wanted to be immortal. It''s not my fault that he didn''t understand the nature of his wish.¡± He spears another piece of ham with his fork and adds a piece of boiled egg. ¡°What should I have done? His soul was already immortal when he made the request. Nothing will ever change that. The only thing that was perishable was his mortal body, so I turned his body immortal. Who cares that Diana sucked out his soul? He never specified that his body and his soul have to stay in one piece and I would rather not have a despicable person like him around.¡± I slowly chop my own boiled egg into smaller pieces, considering Ascathon''s words. ¡°What happens if a succubus takes a person''s soul? Isn''t that a bad thing?¡± ¡°Oh, not at all, Dear,¡± Ashley replies. ¡°It''s a traditional technique for succubi so that they can always have their partners with them, or at least their memories. We can utilize sex-magic to weaken the bonds of the metaphysical anchor between the soul and the body. Then we absorb this anchor into ourselves, which allows us access to all the soul''s memories. Afterward, we know everything our partner knew.¡± ¡°It''s basically a technique to steal memories,¡± Ascathon clarifies. ¡°Yes, though please don¡¯t say it like that. It¡¯s a holy act and ¡®stealing¡¯ sounds so mundane and wrong.¡± Ashley chimes and nods. ¡°Once all the memories the succubus wants are absorbed, the anchor is ejected, allowing the soul to rejoin the reincarnation process and begin a new life, clean and completely purified.¡± ¡°Just to bring this into perspective, that¡¯s the worst thing that could happen to an immortal, or anyone for that matter,¡± Ascathon adds. ¡°It means that you are reduced to level zero and have to start climbing the ladder of ascendency anew. Should something like that happen to a god, he would be effectively reduced to a mortal. It''s also why I gave James a new name.¡± He furrows his forehead. ¡°Not that I ever got to asking for his real name before I fed him to Diana...¡± ¡°You could ask her,¡± Ashley suggests. ¡°If you are lucky, she still remembers it. She is a good girl.¡± For a moment, Ascathon seems tempted, but then he shakes his head. ¡°Nah, he was just a random cultist. Not worth remembering.¡± ¡°That''s horrible!¡± I gulp. ¡°To steal memories like that!¡± Ashley raises a finger, wagging it at me. ¡°Ah, ah. We don''t speak of it like that. It''s a sacred ritual of purification to all of succubus-kind. Only highly regarded mates get to experience it.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Willow clears her throat. ¡°Maybe that''s why all the male demons are so violent and seek death in battle rather than at home.¡± The succubus matriarch pauses and considers that, but shakes her head after a moment of indecision. ¡°That''s surely not the reason. Why would they willingly give up the chance to be forever in their lover''s heart? You must be mistaken.¡± Then she continues eating, the matter clearly already forgotten. Ascathon takes in a long breath and lets out a lungful of air from between his lips. Finished with his food, he places his knife and fork on the empty plate and shoves it a little further away from him so that he has space for his arms on the table. ¡°Which brings us to the original reason for this meeting. I think that all of you already know that Luxley and this Order of Chaos are setting up a political and religious faction in my name. So far, I haven''t done much to assist them.¡± ¡°Myrm is doing the same in the northern part of the continent,¡± Willow adds. ¡°My sources are telling me that she has a well-established foothold in the Tilien Kingdom, a place with a long history of religious worship. The whole area is former Sociocrathy territory, and the people there never really stopped practising their religion.¡± ¡°Urgh.¡± Ascathon tightens his grip on his fork. ¡°The Sociocrathy and their religion... how I despised those guys. Back then I shouldn''t have killed just their priests and the leadership. I should have manufactured some plan to wipe out the entire population and finish the job. That''s what I get for kindness.¡± He turns to look at me. ¡°Always remember, don''t fight the people, fight the idea. Religion is like a tumour in people''s minds.¡± I nod, even though I have no clue what he means. Returning his attention to Willow, he points his fork at her, furrowing his forehead. ¡°How is it that you are so well informed?¡± The elemental sighs, still busy with her food. ¡°I may be a reclusive shut-in who is hiding in this base, but I am still interested in what''s going in the world. There are several people who give me regular reports on the overall political situation.¡± He nods. ¡°I personally would like to do nothing and leave the mortals to their own fate. But as we all know, the World Enchantment and the Council leave me little choice in this matter. My short-term goal is to make my religion known so that I won''t get summoned to every random shithole the World Enchantment can drag me into. Goal number two is to eventually find a glitch in the system. Whoever created this World Enchantment has already proven his or her incompetence. I am sure that with time it''s possible to find a pattern I can abuse.¡± He reaches for his neck, rubbing the amulet there between two fingers. ¡°I have started research on the matter. Unfortunately, it seems to be not that easy to destroy a World Enchantment. They are like a self-replicating Ward spell which spreads across the world. I am still surprised how anyone could be insane enough to let magic of that kind loose, so this will be a long-term project. It would have been easy if there was something that I can break to end the nightmare, but that¡¯s not the case. It¡¯s also the reason why Tjenemit and his ilk have a hard time making changes to the World Enchantment. They have to design other World Enchantments which spread in the same manner and change the purpose of the existing one. Rather than to simply dispel the World Enchantment, I would have to create a World Enchantment with the purpose of deleting the original, somehow making sure that I get every little piece of it, or it would simply reassemble itself.¡± I raise both eyebrows. There is magicwhich Ascathon is reluctant to use? But he is right. If a World Enchantment is that hard to get rid of, then making one without strenuous testing sounds like a very stupid idea. Then again, didn¡¯t Willow say that Tjenemit and this Council are using this world and others as a pilot project? Just who are these Council guys, to use an entire world for an untested experiment? Sadly, I have a feeling that Ascathon wouldn¡¯t be any different if he had sufficient reason for a dangerous experiment. After getting to know him in person, I agree that he deserves his reputation. At the very least, I can imagine him blowing up a town for no other reason than that it would have been too much of a hassle to conduct a dangerous experiment in a deserted countryside. ¡°Coming back to the matter with the mortals.¡± He waves his fork through the air. ¡°I think all of the older people in this room have enough experience to imagine how a freely run religion and general fanaticism can turn into a living hell for its own followers. I don''t want that to happen with something that has my name on it.¡± Turning his head, he looks at Ashley. ¡°Ashley, it would be nice if you and your daughters could infiltrate the mortals and influence them as we originally planned.¡± She nods. ¡°We will be glad to do so. But I am sure that my daughters will want to have some fun once in a while. You can''t expect a succubus to work all day long without having some fun.¡± He waves his hand dismissively. ¡°This world doesn''t lack people who deserve getting eaten. There are surely more mortals than you and your daughters would ever want. I have prepared some papers with general guidelines of what I imagine for my religion. It would be nice if you could start influencing the mortals accordingly. I have complete faith in your methods.¡± Furrowing my forehead, I look questioningly at Willow. The elemental smiles and answers my unspoken question. ¡°Succubi are the spies of the demon world. Their special skills make them not only perfect partners, but it also gives them the ideal disposition to influence people.¡± ¡°I suppose...¡± I reply carefully. The fact that each of them has several thousand years of experience may also be a helping factor. Ascathon clears his throat and I return my attention to him. For once, he looks unsure. ¡°The only question that I am not entirely sure about is whether or not I should allow other faiths beside my own.¡± ¡°You mentioned that there are over a dozen deities who are also caught in the World Enchantment with you,¡± Willow confirms in a questioning tone. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then wouldn¡¯t it be bad to forbid their worship? Even if the gods themselves don¡¯t care about being worshipped, wouldn¡¯t it automatically drive their worshippers into the arms of your opposition? Therefore, turning these deities into your enemies, whether they want to or not? After all, they will have to react to their worshipper¡¯s prayers in some manner.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a reasonable argument,¡± Ascathon admits. ¡°So far, only Myrm seems to be in direct opposition to me. That¡¯s because he represents my direct opposite, but I have a feeling that we would have come to blows in any case. Turning away the followers of other gods would turn them into my enemies, and therefore the gods they worship. A very good point. Just as I have no other choice, those deities would have to take actions against me.¡± Ashley runs a finger down her chin, tapping it in thought. ¡°Hmm¡­ Willow is right, but maybe you are also putting too much weight on the opposition of other deities. Didn¡¯t you say that Tjenemit gave the gods only a year during which they are allowed direct intervention? If that¡¯s the case, then other gods will cease to matter that much in the great picture. Rather than direct opposition, other religions will become competition for your own.¡± ¡°It would still turn them against me and I am still not entirely sure what Tjenemit meant with direct intervention. Does this mean that I am no longer allowed to raise my hand against mortals? That all I can do is to hand out power on a silver platter? Or am I just not allowed to raise my hand against the followers of another god. That''s why I am trying to gather mortal avatars who are able to act in my stead.¡± A chill runs down my spine as I realize for the first time what it means to be a god''s avatar. Will Myrm be allowed to strike me down as he wishes? Suddenly it seems like a very good idea to have assistance on my side, so I raise my hand as if I am in a classroom. ¡°Unless you actively include other deities in your religion,¡± I suggest, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. ¡°I- I- mean¡­ the northmen do it. They have a deity for almost everything in their pantheon. Who says that your religion has to be only about you?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Ascathon scratches his chin in thought. ¡°I am not the most popular of people, but there may be one or two deities who I can blackmail...¡± ¡°Di- didn''t you mention that there are over a dozen deities in the current pantheon?¡± And he says that of all of them only one or two would join him... because of blackmail! ¡°Yes, but please understand that such things take time, Karin.¡± He looks at me. ¡°Alliances are always something that has to be considered very carefully.¡± Then he claps his hands together. ¡°In any case, I was thinking about sending you on a trip, Karin. There is this particular dimension which seems perfect to give you battle experience and I suppose that the inhabitants are neither too strong nor too weak for you. After a few more weeks of tutoring when I can be sure that you have the basics down, I will send you there for a year or two.¡± ¡°A year!?¡± I burst out. ¡°Oh, my poor child.¡± Willow wipes at her eyes. ¡°They grow up so fast. What will I do if you have grown up by the time you return?¡± ¡°That''s why you are joining her.¡± Ascathon throws in. ¡°The child needs a chaperone.¡± ¡°Me!?¡± Willow shrieks, dropping her fork. ¡°What did I do for being sent to exile!? This is my home, I don''t want to go on a trip!¡± Ascathon sighs. ¡°Don''t make this harder than it is. I''ll check in on you as often as I can. But the following months will be very busy and... stuff happened... in the Crystal City, involving the Council. To say the least, I am concerned and I want you two out of the way for a while. Ashley can take care of herself and open a portal to another dimension if things get out of hand, but neither of you two can walk the planes between the worlds. Willow is a good teleporter, but that''s it. I want you two in a safe place until I am sure that things aren''t in immediate danger of blowing up on this world.¡± That takes Willow aback. She clearly never before saw Ascathon concerned for her well being. ¡°What happened?¡± He purses his lips, considering what to tell us. But then he shakes his head. ¡°It''s nothing tangible. Just strange stuff. Creatures which are able to hurt gods who have their aura released, strange things going on between the Council members. It''s not like I suddenly have definite proof that something will happen. To be honest, I am clearly overreacting, but I thought about sending Karin on an educational trip before that, and expediting things now might get both of you out of the way of future trouble.¡± The elemental nods slowly and turns to me. ¡°Karin, we are packing. Ready yourself for a long vacation.¡± Chapter 18 ***Another World*** ***Karin*** Setting down my backpack, I hug Ashley to say goodbye before Ascathon can take Willow and me away to another world. Normally I would feel dread at the idea of having to travel off-world, but with Willow at my side, I feel somewhat safe. The succubus matriarch pats my shoulder. ¡°Aw, no hard feelings, kid. We barely knew each other for a few days. A few training sessions are hardly enough to instil that kind of kinship.¡± ¡°Still,¡± I answer and let go of her. ¡°You are nice... for someone who eats people. See to it that you don''t get hurt. Okay?¡± ¡°Don''t worry, kid.¡± She makes a fist-pump. ¡°I''ve survived things that you can''t even imagine. And it''s certainly not like I would tangle with one of Ascathon''s enemies. They are outside my weight-class. If something shows up that''s even close to a lesser deity, I''ll turn around and run for it. Besides, I''ll visit you once a month. It would be a shame if you were to forget all about our training during your trip!¡± ¡°Ahahaha...¡± I try to laugh, sounding very artificial, in an attempt to hide the sudden feeling of vertigo at the sudden threat of the succubus continuing my training. ¡°Ha...¡± After she taught me the basics, thrilled at my talent in picking up new magical techniques, she was getting ever more pushy for me to learn some of the skills which require sexual intimacy. I really would like to unlearn one particular spell which requires me to get naked and touch my opponent. ¡°Haaah...¡± Sighing deeply, I give in to my fate and try to come to terms with picking up a few lewd things. Something tells me that I already stepped over the point of no return when Ashley taught me Energy-Drain to weaken the enemy. What did they used to say in my hometown? The teacher rubs off on the student? ¡°Are you ready?¡± Ascathon asks, studying Willow and me. Both of us chose wide travel clothes, trousers and shirts, made out of a sturdy synthetic fabric which ¨C according to Willow ¨C repels water and dirt. Willow nods and gestures for me to come closer. ¡°Come here, Karin. And ready yourself. This will be the first time for you to experience the pathways.¡± Furrowing my forehead, I step closer so that Ascathon can touch the both of us. ¡°But I already experienced them, didn''t I?¡± ¡°Mmmyes...¡± Ascathon confirms, sounding like he isn''t really sure how to answer that, or whether he should answer at all. ¡°But I only took you on short trips when I teleported you before. It''s like hopping into a city-bus and getting out at the next station, barely getting a look at the outside. This will be the race-car version since we are travelling to another dimension. And due to the fact that, like Willow and Ashley, you have the potential for true godhood, you will likely have a quite different experience. A mortal wouldn¡¯t be aware of the transportation process at all. From his perspective, he would simply disappear and reappear somewhere else. You, on the other hand, have the potential to sense the pathways. It will be like throwing you into the cold water without you having ever experienced the sensation.¡± I open my mouth to ask how different of an experience it will be, but Ascathon squeezes my shoulder, holding me tight. ¡°Right! No time to waste. A proper explanation wouldn''t change anything anyway! Sometimes, the only way to learn how to fly is to be thrown off a cliff!¡± ¡°Off a cliff!?¡± A flash of bright light and sparks envelop us. But instead of appearing right away in another place, I find myself falling down something like a tunnel of light. Trying to flail and scream, I realize that I have no body. I am only consciousness in an immaterial world. Instinctively, I know that time and space have no meaning in this state of existence. Floating all around me is an immense web of these tunnels, these pathways, instinct tells me from within. Approaching something like a nexus point, the tunnel makes a sharp turn and I find myself going in a completely different direction while I tumble without the slightest ability to orient myself. At some point, a bright centre plummets past my awareness, a point where all pathways converge. Or rather? Is it not where they converge? Again, instinct tells me that it would be more appropriate to call it a point of origin. An uncountable number of these nexus points zap past me, disorienting me. And then it''s over as we emerge on a lawn. For a moment, I just stand there, the world spinning around me. I am unable to tell if this trip just lasted a mere instant or an eternity. Trying to remember what I just felt, I retch, my mind unable to cope with what just happened.A state of being without time or material existence. ¡°She is going to do it,¡± Willow announces. It''s as if I just took a look down the abyss of the truth behind the multiverse, and my mind shattered, unable to cope with the immensity of it all. For a moment, I was one with these pathways and, through them, with the whole multiverse. I realize that that''s how a god is able to navigate the eternity between worlds and different realities. While on the trip, they simply know where to go. Having had a glimpse at a truth beyond the comprehension of my mortal existence, I feel bile slowly rising up my throat. ¡°Ah, turn that way.¡± Hands on my shoulders, turn me away from Ascathon and Willow. The sudden movement shatters the last bit of control over my body and I bend over, emptying the contents of my stomach on the ground. Falling to my knees, I unleash another stream of orange juice and half-digested eggs and bread. After a third time, I continue to dry heave without anything more to give. Finally, my stomach realizes that it''s out of ammunition. Oh, gods. I hope I didn''t also pee myself. Willow pats my back, cooing like a concerned mother. ¡°There, there. Don''t worry, dear. You should have seen me the first time. Come to think of it, maybe we should have told you to eat something light for breakfast. That would have made it easier.¡± She hands me a towel from somewhere, clearly having anticipated the need for one. ¡°Not really,¡± Ascathon comments.¡°As a god, the first time is somewhat bearable, but I have taken enough people with potential with me to know that it''s harder on them for some reason. They always soil themselves.¡± Taking me by the arm, she puts one arm beneath my shoulder joint and lifts me back to my feet, making sure to support me. ¡°Thank you,¡± I mumble while trying to clean myself. To be honest, I wouldn''t be able to stand right now if it wasn''t for Willow''s assistance. ¡°Take the bottle and rinse out your mouth.¡± Holding a bottle of water in front of me, she holds me steady while I do my best to return myself to an acceptable state. Having taken care of my dilemma, Willow looks around, inspecting the crowd of people who are staring at us with wide eyes.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. There are several stone houses with paths made out of cobblestone connecting them. From the looks of it, it seems like we are in a village which is located on a small hill. Beyond the gentle fall of the hillside is a stone wall twenty feet in height. We appeared in the clear area between the village¡¯s outer wall and the settled area, somewhat above the wall''s height. It seems like it¡¯s forbidden to build houses right next to the wall, because there is a generous distance between the settled area and the line of defense. Now that I slowly start getting my act together, I can also see the logic in that. Should the wall fall, the tightly packed houses automatically turn into a second line of defense. Above us on the hilltop is a large elevated structure. It isn¡¯t quite what I would have called a castle from my world. The large block-like building seems to be made out of solid stone. At least I can¡¯t identify anything that looks like bricks or stacked stonework. Someone must have invested a lot of time to shape the stone with magic, or the people here are capable of creating some form of cement. Something I am only aware of thanks to Ascathon¡¯s learning machine. In any case, the large central building of the settlement has more in common with a bunker instead of a castle. I don¡¯t want to know why the people of this world invest so much time and energy in creating such a monstrosity when the rest of their living conditions seem to be so poor. Pulling her eyes away from the gawking crowd, Willow turns to Ascathon. ¡°What¡¯s with the primitive place? They look like medieval peasants, dirty and in rags. It''s worse than in our world.¡± Ascathon looks around, wiping his hands on his dark robe in an attempt to remove some sweat and to give himself something to do. ¡°Actually, this is a pretty advanced settlement for this world''s standards and, with its two thousand inhabitants, also one of the largest.¡± My eyebrows rise involuntarily as I reassess my first impression of this village. Admittedly, from our vantage point I can see only a part of the place, but judging by what I can see I can hardly imagine that there are two thousand inhabitants in this settlement. If Ascathon hadn¡¯t said so, I would have said that there are no more than two or three hundred people in this place. Reassessing the houses with new eyes, I also realize that each seems to harbour several families on three separate floors. Not caring the slightest about our audience, Ascathon waves his hand, indicating the world behind the walls. ¡°This world is frequently ravaged by heavy mana storms. The uncontrolled magic mutates and transforms the inhabitants and animals at best, kills them at worst. The locals are mainly concerned with surviving what¡¯s beyond their walls. The language is the same as at home, so this is a perfect training trip for Karin. Just blend in with the locals and fight the things outside.¡± He pats his chest, then his hips, searching for something. ¡°Ah, there they are.¡± Reaching into his pocket, he hands us two amulets. ¡°Here, take these. They are enchanted with a combination of illusions and an adaptive glamour which influences the minds of those looking at you.¡± I accept the gift. Ashley already started teaching me transformation, but I am far from being able to do it perfectly. Without her supervision, I would be hesitant to use it. It would be quite bad to end up locked in a form which is hideous to look at. Willow takes hers and glares at the crowd, then back at Ascathon. ¡°And you didn¡¯t think that it would have been better to give us these before you teleported us into the middle of their settlement?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Ascathon notices the mortals for the first time. Putting on a slightly conflicted expression of indecision, he raises his hand. ¡°No problem. I¡¯ll just-¡± ¡°Not necessary!¡± Willow quickly slaps at Ascathon¡¯s hand in an attempt to stop him from doing whatever he intended to do. ¡°I doubt that they would be any more inclined to acceptnewcomers if you wipe out everyone who saw us arrive!¡± Sucking in a sharp breath, the crowd retreats a few steps, at least the front rows who heard what was spoken. Of course, it doesn¡¯t take long until murmurs start making the round and some of the smarter villagers decide that it¡¯s in their best interest to be on the other side of the village. Pursing my lips, I try to count the people in our vicinity and realize that Ascathon was just about to murder fifty or seventy men and women for no other reason than that they could have overheard something that may or may not be inconvenient for Willow and me. ¡°Whatever...¡± Ascathon lowers his hand. ¡°Just say that you and your apprentice are wandering wizards who are drifting around after your settlement was destroyed. Tell them some sob-story that you were caught up in a mana storm and changed by the wild magic inside it. I am sure that¡¯s believable enough.¡± ¡°You still haven¡¯t explained why you chose exactly this godforsaken place,¡± Willow returns Ascathon to the issue at hand. ¡°Well.¡± He spreads his hands. ¡°As you say, this place is indeed godforsaken. This world is close to one of the dead zones and the fabric of time and space isn¡¯t stable. Hence, the mana storms. It¡¯s no guarantee that you won¡¯t be found by the Council, but it¡¯s all I can do.¡± Willow sighs. ¡°Okay. We will try to make the best of it. Just make sure to get us home as soon as possible.¡± Ascathon nods and, surprisingly enough, hugs Willow, then pats me on the head. ¡°Take care of yourselves.¡± Then, with a flash of light and sparks, he is gone. For a long moment, Willow just stares at the spot where he has been. ¡°That¡¯s certainly a new one. Something must be really worrying him if he gives me a hug!¡± Furrowing my forehead, I look up to her. ¡°Aren¡¯t you two close? I mean, you are doing the deed.¡± It''s hard not to overhear them, as loud as Willow is. ¡°Isn¡¯t a hug the least you could expect from him? And aren¡¯t you worried about him being alone with all those beautiful succubi and Ashley?¡± One might think that Willow is at least worried about her position. The elemental suddenly starts laughing at me. ¡°Oh, dear. You are just too innocent. Precious!¡± She ruffles my hair. ¡°We may pleasure each other when we feel the need, but we are more like friends with benefits. The same goes for Ashley and all her daughters. Strictly speaking, I am still his servant. If I had those kinds of feelings for him, I would be a very pitiful woman. Or anyone else for that matter. I think the only kind of woman who would be able to get into that kind of relationship with him would have to actively pursue him and fight for him to acknowledge her as an equal. I would never do that, nor would any succubus.¡± Our private exchange is interrupted when the crowd parts like a sea, making way for an elderly man in yellow and golden clothes with a red overcoat. In his hand is something that hovers on the edge between a ceremonial scepter and a staff with a shining crystal at the tip, spreading a gentle, green light. For his apparent age, the man moves with incredible speed and agility, taking long strides as he approaches us, pointing the staff at Willow and me. ¡°Who are you!? What are you doing here?¡± Willow raises both hands while I take a step back, hiding behind her, the numbers telling me that I don¡¯t want to be in the old man¡¯s path should Willow and he come to blows. The elemental¡¯s power level is rated at eleven, while the old man is on a nine. For short, now equipped with the knowledge what logarithmic means, I can tell that either of the two would see me as nothing more than a toddler or a fly. On the other hand, Willow should be able to deal with him easily enough should he prove hostile. Willow smiles, trying to sound cheerful. ¡°Hello, there! My name is Willow and this is my apprentice, Karin.¡± She gestures at me. ¡°To be honest, we don¡¯t know what we are doing here ourselves.¡± She bows to the elderly man, without doubt flashing him an ample amount of cleavage thanks to her low neckline. Clearly relying on centuries of experience, she starts spinning her tale. ¡°Our benefactor, Ascathon, is the ruler over a large settlement named Illian. Last night, we were attacked by a powerful beast, the likes of which we have never seen. It mowed down the outer walls like grass and killed most of the peasants before our benefactor barely managed to repel it. The settlement was destroyed by the magic he had to unleash in order to drive the monster away. ¡°Ascathon wasn¡¯t sure if he would be able to defend us, should the beast come back. So he teleported us as far as he could several times and set us down here, the first large settlement he could find. To be honest, I don¡¯t even know how far or in which direction he teleported us. Master wields powerful magic and is quite proficient at teleportation, but he is kind of a dundlehead when it comes to informing his subordinates about his plans. He could have taken us across half the continent. ¡°I assume that he intends to dig through the ruins in order to search for survivors and to get back some of his belongings. I expect him to be back in a few days, a few weeks at most if he decides to unearth his own quarters. Like I said, the beast pretty much destroyed the settlement. It would be nice of you if we could petition for asylum until he returns to get us back.¡± Furrowing his forehead, the old man points at us with his stick. ¡°You don¡¯t look like humans.¡± ¡°We were caught in a mana storm a few years ago. We survived, but the wild magic changed us.¡± She puts on the amulet and transforms into a human looking version of herself with tanned skin and average, brown hair, then she nudges me to do the same. ¡°It¡¯s kind of a sore point for us since people tend to treat you differently if you don¡¯t look like them.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± the old man narrows his eyes, clearly undecided on what to do. ¡°That¡¯s quite the tale, and I find it suspicious that this Ascathon didn¡¯t even take the time to greet me, the owner of this place.¡± Willow bows again. ¡°Like I said. The attack wasn¡¯t that long ago. Alone, he was confident in his ability to evade the monster and he might still find some survivors.¡± He reaches up and strokes his beard, lowering the staff. ¡°I can remember a similar case of when one of the guards on the wall was caught outside during a storm. Though he was less lucky and his mind was warped alongside his body. We had to put him down.¡± ¡°I can assure you that we won¡¯t go on a crazed killing spree,¡± Willow reaffirms. ¡°It¡¯s been three years since the incident and nobody had reason to complain. Should you allow us to stay, we can be quite useful in the defence of this settlement. I promise that we will pull our weight.¡± ¡°I am Belarius, the owner and founder of this town.¡± The old fellow grumbles and I let out a sigh of relief when he gestures for us to follow him. ¡°Let¡¯s first find you some quarters. And then we can assess your skills to find you something to do that earns your keep. I am certainly not the person to turn away a pair of powerful wizards who can fight the beasts outside the walls.¡± Chapter 19 ***The World*** ***Seria*** ¡°He is going too fast! Can''t he see that this world isn''t prepared for those kinds of changes? Swallowing up countries left and right just leads to poverty! And worse, it forces me to do the same!¡± Myrm fumes, stalking back and forth in her office on the uppermost floor of her main-temple. The room is simple, with a table and two chairs. The lack of documents or other equipment is enough for me to guess that the room is a front. It¡¯s simply a place for Myrm to meet her mortal minions in a somewhat private setting. Throwing the report onto her desk, she starts a tirade and just for a moment, I feel like a scolded child, even though the curses aren''t directed at me. Her agitated voice calls up almost forgotten memories, making me nostalgic. It''s just like back then. Sighing fondly at the memories of my past, I reach out and take the folder with the report, then I slowly skim through the pages. It''s clear that Ascathon took control of a certain King Luxley''s kingdom and taught him necromancy. The mortal ruler took to Ascathon''s teachings like a fish to water and is now assimilating one little country after the other into what he is calling the Coalition. I chuckle at the pretty name which suggests that the members of this Coalition have some sort of say in how they are governed, which surely isn¡¯t the case. After the Mirai Empire fell apart, the world was left in political unrest as little lords and other power hungry characters carved their own kingdoms and city-states out of the remains of a formerly great country. I myself was a little flummoxed at how quickly everything fell apart after Nova Mirai announced that she would no longer look over the shoulders of those who managed the world government which she created on top of the corpses of millions. A few decades were enough for various rebellious groups to bring the government to its knees, showing that everything that held the country together was the fear of getting Nova¡¯s attention. Now, the Coalition is slowly assimilating the little political organisations which managed to reform after the descent, but never managed to rise back to the former glory of the Mirai Empire. I shrug when I realize that Myrm is looking at me, expecting an answer. ¡°He has no love lost for those who would rather war against each other than to serve a common goal. I think he would be perfectly fine with the sacrifices that would have to be made in order to return the world to its former glory. Ascathon was never a person who is concerned with the short-term drawbacks of certain actions. In his eyes, bringing down a bad system quickly and replacing it is better than to leave it running. Even if doing so takes a few lives. It¡¯s the same reasoning which led to the creation of the Mirai Empire.¡± ¡°Glory? I have read the historic reports!¡± Myrm spits out. ¡°The Mirai Empire was a tyranny.¡± Sighing, I lean back. ¡°Don''t just believe the historical reports of mortals. They were written by those who reached for power, the very same people who were responsible for the world government falling apart. Of course, they would never allow someone to write down that they were the terrorists who killed government officials and bribed representatives to enact stupid laws. That all they wanted was more power than their fellow citizens.¡± I shrug, trying to remember that time. ¡°Of course, the Mirai Empire wasn''t a nice place, but overall it was better than what was before it. Thanks to this planet being right on a nexus point in the river of souls, there are too many powerful individuals with strong souls in this world, about ten times as many as normal. Where a world normally has only one or two immortals at a time, there are several on this world, with a new one born every few centuries. And immortals are by definition people who seek power. ¡°Nova was just a little more devious and powerful than all her predecessors. She killed those who opposed her and brought down the governments they used to govern their puppet states. Then, over centuries, she continued to eliminate anyone who challenged the status quo she enacted. In a way, this World should celebrate her as a hero who brought the small people a thousand years of peace.¡± Smiling, I shrug off Myrm''s sour expression. ¡°I can see that you don''t share my opinion. Maybe you are partly right. Ascathon could have done a better job, but he isn''t a real leader. He doesn''t truly understand why some people would do things which he considers stupid. He is as much inconsiderate as you are too considerate. ¡°There is no such thing as the perfect way to govern people. No matter what you do, there will always be some who are unhappy with the ideals your government embodies. There will always be those who threaten your rule and who you can¡¯t ignore. Any government I ever knew of had to fight its version of dissidents and destructive elements.¡± Myrm takes a deep breath and lets the air out through her nose. ¡°You have a point.¡± But then her resolve hardens. ¡°Which doesn¡¯t mean that I have to accept what the asshole plans for this world!¡± And there she goes again. I roll my eyes while Myrm starts a rant in an attempt to convince me that Ascathon is in the wrong. But I know her well enough to know that her actions at this point are solely born from her own stubbornness. She somehow fell into the mindset of seeing everything as black and white, and Ascathon ended up being marked down as ¡°the enemy¡±. Raising my hand, I stop her from continuing. ¡°I accept your opinion as yours, but please stop your attempts to recruit me into your ¡®pantheon¡¯.¡± I ignore her displeased expression. ¡°I have no desire to be drawn into this petty conflict.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not petty,¡± she replies, sounding like a teenager who was caught playing with children¡¯s toys. ¡°The Council gave us this task. We are in charge of this world and I won¡¯t shy away from my responsibility!¡± I snort. Oh, how I wish that I could inform her of the whole truth of what¡¯s going on. But my plans have already developed too far. Even if it means losing her, I can¡¯t risk telling her anything. Not at this point in time at least. Her current personality is simply too driven. I am afraid that she would run straight to Tjenemit out of some kind of misguided sense of duty. ¡°From my point of view, it is. So, please, don¡¯t involve me in this competition of yours. My concern lies with the disappearances among our own ranks, and I am afraid that if you stir our little sandbox too loudly, you may draw uninvited attention.¡± It¡¯s not like I haven¡¯t dropped plenty of hints like that, but Myrm seems to be blind when it comes to the Council who she regards as our superiors. I really should have considered that point of her character when I guided her back to divinity. And now it¡¯s too late to change anything about that. ¡°Please, Myrm? Do it for me, as a friend. Don¡¯t ask me any longer to get involved. I don¡¯t want to stand between Ascathon and you when the hammer inevitably falls.¡± I imagine that to be a very unhealthy position. Aside from that, I have my hands full with my own recruitment project. There are already too many people depending on me. ¡°So, aside from building this ideal country of yours, how is it going?¡± She slumps, finally giving up on her attempts to persuade me. ¡°Fine. Stay out of it. It isn¡¯t as if I need you for this.¡± ¡°Just don¡¯t forget that there are just a few weeks left until Tjenemit¡¯s ultimatum runs out. From that point forward, you won¡¯t be allowed to actively intervene in the world¡¯s fate,¡± I remind her. Myrm huffs. ¡°Yeah, what¡¯s the point of that? Does it really make a difference whether I enact the changes I envision myself, or if I tell some mortal to do it in my stead.¡± I purse my lips, trying to think of an answer for Tjenemit¡¯s reasoning. ¡°I guess that he doesn¡¯t really want us to mess with the world. May I remind you that his primary goal is to find candidates for godhood? Immortals, who are so close to their own ascendancy that they might manage it without the help of the Council? Not allowing us active intervention is surely just another attempt from keeping us out of each other¡¯s hair.¡± Now it¡¯s her turn to snort in dismay. ¡°The Church of Light won¡¯t fail, I¡¯ve made sure of that by giving my believers very detailed instructions. I have faith in them.¡± ¡°Good for you. In the end, I can¡¯t do anything else but wish you the best.¡± I end up having some more or less meaningless conversation with Myrm and we end up parting with the promise to meet again when the time allows it. After having said my goodbyes, I retreat to my office in the Crystal City. Thanks to the pathways I appear right inside the small but comfortable room which doubles as my home. Living room and workspace in one, my office provides anything I would ever need when I want some time for myself. When I want to take a bath, I simply visit a beautiful grotto I know of. It¡¯s in another dimension, but thanks to the pathways I am just a thought away. Honestly, I find it hard to understand that some gods are arranging their living space as a mortal would. There is no real need to have all the rooms you are using connected to each other. My living room is located in the Crystal City, while my bath is on a world in another dimension, as are the places where I usually sleep. Then there are my secret hideouts, though I probably shouldn¡¯t count them to my living arrangements? Maybe it¡¯s because the other gods are still clinging to some part of their mortality? They want something that reminds them of the time when they were bound to a world and had to live with their limited abilities of translocation.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Thanks to the confined space of my quarters it doesn¡¯t take long for me to notice the envelope on top of my desk, a message from Tjenemit. There is also a signature stone which is supposed to make it easier for me to track down my prey. It¡¯s another mission, delivered in the usual manner. ¡°And there we have a valid argument why I shouldn¡¯t have any living arrangements in the Crystal City.¡± I scoop up the document and wince when I realize that it¡¯s an order to catch someone and to deliver them directly to the Council. Removing the cover page, I purse my lips when I realize that it¡¯s Alexandria who managed to get onto the Council¡¯s shit-list. ¡°Just how the hell did she manage that?¡± Wasn¡¯t the nice earth elemental good for several thousand years, flying perfectly beneath their radar? She isn¡¯t as old as me, but she should know better than to draw the Council¡¯s ire. Not to mention that she is a total shut-in, caring only about her library and her books. What could she have done to justify a manhunt? Sucking in a deep breath, I begin to read the sparse information the document provides. Apparently, she looked into some documents which raised a few flags within the Council¡¯s spook-squad, a group of deities who are busy with informational warfare and propaganda. Normally, the Council would avoid giving me any compromising information which I could use against them, but I managed to convince them that my tracking talents aren¡¯t perfect and that I would need at least some information on my target in order to do my job correctly. They still think that my skill has something to do with a special form of divination. Covering my mouth with one hand, I breathe slowly and deliberately, trying to keep myself under control as I read the report. Apparently, Alexandria tried to gather more knowledge on World Enchantments, and that didn¡¯t sit well with someone on the Council. They sent a squad to take her in but didn¡¯t take into account that her library is a magical construct of considerable strength. Apparently, she included a function which enables her to forcefully expel any intruders into her library. According to this report, she evicted the guards and used the chance to escape. If that¡¯s true, then she resisted the Council¡¯s authority, which means that her life is forfeit. At best, she can expect a public memory deletion. At worst, they will have her vanish like so many others. Just what was she thinking when she looked into a restricted topic? And furthermore, who would have ratted her out? Alexandria is a well-known dealer of knowledge. She wouldn¡¯t have shared her research with just anyone and she isn¡¯t stupid. Living for a few thousand years under the Council¡¯s rule means that you at least know how to keep yourself out of trouble. Which means that she trusted the person from whom she requested that additional information. And that makes it very likely that I also know the person. Several people come to mind, but without further details, it will be hard to narrow it down. Pressing my lips together, I try to imagine how things must have gone down according to this report. Alexandria wouldn¡¯t just mindlessly resist the guards unless she had reason to believe that her fate was a foregone conclusion in their eyes. So that means that this report isn¡¯t telling me everything. Figures. At least it¡¯s enough to read a little between the lines. With a somewhat heavy heart, I fold the report and channel energy through the paper, ageing it until it crumbles into dust. Then I take the signature stone which should hold an impression of Alexandria¡¯s mana signature, most likely taken from her library. Closing my eyes, I concentrate on the energy within the artefact which acts like a fingerprint for the owner. The report also contained some dimensional coordinates which should point roughly into the direction of Alexandria¡¯s whereabouts. I never found out how the Council manages to acquire those coordinates, but I have a feeling that it has something to do with the strange sphere in that secret facility. When I don¡¯t catch Alexandria¡¯s signature immediately, I decide to sit down in the comfortable chair at my desk. It makes long office hours possible. Normally, I turn almost mad after just a few minutes of paperwork, but the large and most importantly, soft leather chair is the light inside the darkness of administrative reports for those in charge. Normally, I play the good little hunting dog for the Council, delivering them those who they blacklisted for one or the other reason. Mostly, those who make it onto their shit-list are other dubious characters who I wouldn¡¯t want to meet in a dark alley. But every once in a while there is a person who I determine worthy enough to risk my own skin for. Alexandria is one such person who I wouldn¡¯t hesitate to save. Yes, she is an egocentric bitch at times, but as far as gods go she is one of the better ones. Everyone who ascends the stairs to almost infinite power has one or the other flaw of character. It¡¯s somewhat unavoidable. A price that has been paid in pursuit of power. Then, suddenly, it feels like I finally found her track. One of the pathways lights up in my mind¡¯s eye, creating a blazing trail of energy which leaves the Crystal City. Grunting, I follow the web of pathways that mark Alexandria¡¯s path, taking shortcuts others are unable to take, zipping right through dead zones as if they were totally normal zones of space. The dead zones are areas within the multiverse which seemingly lack the pathways. They are one of the few things sane gods fear. To be caught in a dead zone means to be restricted to the physical laws of the multiverse. Some dead zones are so large that it would take millions of years to cross them by conventional means. Accidentally being caught inside one is feared even by gods, so most stay well away from these areas. Only the desperate come even close to the dead zones, hoping to shake off pursuit. Not so me. Forced by fate, I had to learn the hard way what it means to be caught inside one. For an eternity I endured the silence of loneliness¡­ until, finally¡­ I accidentally found something out. A trick which allows me to travel through these areas. I chuckle at the thought of how easy the solution was. Of course, I never shared this useful knowledge with anyone. A girl needs her secrets. And now I am taking these shortcuts intentionally to throw off the Council¡¯s pursuit. Whatever method they use to track down people, passing through a dead zone creates problems for them. It often gives me at least a few minutes before they catch onto my whereabouts. Minutes which I can use to speak to my targets. When I emerge at last at the end of Alexandria¡¯s wild escape, I find myself on an empty moon. Instinctively, I fully release my aura, flooding my body with pure mana, protecting myself against the thin atmosphere. Alexandria jumps up from where she was sitting on a stone, apparently resting after her escape. With a flash of light, she is gone, and I instinctively piggy-back on the pathway she took, emerging with her on yet another world inside a green jungle. The game continues four more times with us appearing in wildly different settings until she finally realizes that there is no escape. We land in a sand desert with dunes gently rising and falling around us. A huge sun is mercilessly burning down on this unfriendly world. Facing me, the earth elemental glares at me with all the animosity and distrust of a hunted animal. The sun and the heat don¡¯t seem to bother her as her brown hair waves gently in the hot breeze which is coming from our left. High in the sky is a violet moon, making the whole scene seem like a beautiful painting. ¡°They sent you, right!? Everyone knows that you are their hunting dog. I¡¯ll not give myself up, especially not after finding out what they are trying to do with their World Enchantment! I¡¯ll see to it that everyone finds out!¡± Furrowing my forehead, I get a feeling that something important is happening here, but I don¡¯t know what exactly. ¡°Alexandria, please listen now very carefully. We don¡¯t have much time, so here is how this is going to happen. You have no chance of escaping me or the Council. If not I, then they will get you sooner or later.¡± I am simply better at this game and I have been playing it for millennia. The Council¡¯s method will find her too sooner or later, but they are still using my service because it''s much quicker in bringing results. ¡°And yes, forced by circumstances, I play the hunter for the Council, but that doesn¡¯t mean that I am on their side.¡± Taking a step closer, I make sure that we have eye-contact and that she listens to me. ¡°The Council is most likely right on my heels, so if you have some vital information for me, you have to talk quickly. They usually show up a few minutes after I find the target. But I can save you if you let me and if you promise to help me when I call upon you. My method isn¡¯t perfect. You will be different when it¡¯s over. But you will be alive, which is very likely better than what the Council has in mind for you.¡± Her haunted eyes make it clear that she doesn¡¯t believe me. ¡°Hahahaha! Do you really think I would believe that bullshit? That you are the one responsible for the disappearances?¡± I smile wryly. ¡°There are certainly two different causes for the disappearances. One is me, the other¡­ I don¡¯t know. Most likely the Council. I disappear those who I deem worthy and who agree to my deal. Not everyone gets this chance, Alexandria.¡± She steps back and I lower my hand, disappointed. ¡°We have no more time, girl. They could be here any moment, and since I have extended this offer to you, you could incriminate me. If you don¡¯t take the offer, I have to silence you. So decide now.¡± ¡°You really think that you can silence me just like that!?¡± She huffs, feeling challenged. Why do they always have to waste time? Raising my hand, I let go of my carefully restrained aura and point a finger at her. Then I raise it slightly, targeting the moon and channelling all my energy into that point in space. The planetary body winks out of existence as if it had never been. Her lips start quivering as she realizes that I wield almost as much power as a Council member, maybe more. That I could have punched a hole into reality and erased her as easily as the moon, maybe even her soul. ¡°What do I have to do?¡± I didn¡¯t always have that much power, but after gathering people who would join my cause for millennia, I¡¯ve learned to access at least some of their powers. ¡°I take it that means that you agree to the deal.¡± Stepping towards her, I raise my hand. ¡°Lower your defences completely. I have to take your soul and hide it before they arrive.¡± Taking a shuddering breath, Alexandria tries to reign in her power but fails. Releasing one''s aura is an instinctive protective process for a god and it¡¯s hard to fight against one¡¯s own instincts. ¡°It¡¯s not working. I can¡¯t do it. Listen, they are trying to use the World Enchantment to control us all. Ascathon¡¯s research made me think, and I wondered why they would need the amulets to connect people to the enchantment. Normally, the amulets wouldn¡¯t be necessary. They try to control us, like with slave collars! They just haven¡¯t gotten it right because a god¡¯s aura still overpowers the amulet. If they find a way to make this work, then they aren¡¯t just dictators anymore. It will be over for all of us.¡± Blinking rapidly, I try to make sense of her words, but there is just no time. Slowly, I raise my hand and place it on her shoulder. ¡°Breath in, and breath out. Relax your aura. I will take care of things and ensure that their project fails.¡± Once more she tries to reign in her aura, and this time I strike when her barriers fall, plunging my hand right into her chest. Sucking in a sharp gasp, Alexandria flails at me in panic, but I take her into a headlock and hold her still while I gather her energies within my palm. Slowly she weakens until, finally, she stills completely. When the process is done, I drop her body, retrieving a marble of glowing power from within her. Not a second too early, I close my fingers around the crystallized soul and absorb it into myself, just as Tjenemit appears in front of me. Raising an eyebrow, he studies the body at my feet and then my bloody hand. ¡°I see that you found her, but if I remember correctly, you were supposed to bring her in alive.¡± His eyes stay stuck to the body on the ground, her blood quickly seeping away in the sandy surface. I quickly bow deeply, playing the remorseful servant. ¡°I am sorry, but she attacked me like a mad animal and I just reacted. In the heat of the moment, I didn¡¯t consider that she might not be a strong fighter. It was over before I knew what happened.¡± ¡°Hah...¡± Tjenemit scratches his chin. ¡°Too bad. I guess we will have to wait until she reincarnates to find out what she learned¡­ or I could talk to Ascathon and have him search her soul.¡± Stepping closer, he uses a foot to nudge her body onto her back. ¡°Too bad. That was a nice body.¡± Looking at me, he narrows his eyes. ¡°Did she say something to you?¡± I shake my head. ¡°Nothing meaningful. She just rambled on and on that I wouldn¡¯t get her. Most of them do.¡± He nods, massaging his chin. ¡°Just see to it that you don¡¯t fuck up the next time. Well, I guess we can catch her easily enough when she reincarnates and makes herself known. The most important thing is that she is silenced.¡± Turning, he leaves in a flash of light. Left alone with the body I consider my next steps. Chapter 20 ***The Crystal City*** ***Ascathon*** Heading down the central plaza I notice something strange when I pass in front of the Crystal''s City''s administration complex. Namely that people are giving the guards in front of the large building a wide berth. It¡¯s normal to hold a respectful distance, but today it seems like something is up. Trying my best to ignore the vibrant market all around me and the strangeness of the scene, I continue onwards. Though today doesn¡¯t seem as oppressively busy as on other days, there is still an annoying amount of people on the streets, enough that I can tell right away that something is wrong in Crystal City and that it probably has something to do with the Council, judging by the way the people act towards those who are supposed to hold up the law. But who am I kidding? It¡¯s always the Council if something is going on. When I took a pathway to the Crystal City I expected to appear right inside a crowd, but there was none. The place is still active, but what is normally a tightly packed crowd, slowly flowing like a river from one destination to another, is now a trickle. Where it was earlier impossible to move without bumping into other people, it''s now easy to navigate with only slight course corrections. I am only occasionally forced to violate the private sphere of somebody. It''s certainly not as if I would complain about this development, but I can''t help it. It feels like something is off. It¡¯s infuriating. I originally planned to provoke a fight in order to let off some steam. Things aren¡¯t going well at home and the incident with Eris has had me worried for days. Seria and the two idiot brothers also haven¡¯t shown themselves and are hiding instead. One would think that they would have the manners to present themselves and explain what they were doing in that facility. After all, I leaned pretty far out of the window to cover for them. Tjenemit isn¡¯t happy with me as it is, and playing the idiot in a situation like that is a pretty sure sign that I am not entirely on his side. It was like waving a shield around with the words ¡®I do what I have to, but the first chance I get I am out.¡¯ Add to that the fact that things aren''t going well with my religion. There are just too many idiots who are focused on this supposed *evil* they think I should represent. I am having a hard time to drill it into their heads that I am not keen on blood rituals and sacrificing maidens. Somehow the mortals seem to think that I am an evil deity who helps evil people when I am the complete opposite! The only chance to change that is to show that I am an evil deity who punishes evil, but so far that didn¡¯t work out so well. ¡°Hm...¡± I grumble as a thought strikes me. Maybe I should leave more witnesses alive to spread the word. Up until now, I may have been a little too thorough with punishing everyone in sight. I purse my lips as I try to think of other solutions to my problem. Well... maybe I could allow them to sacrifice a few fair maidens to me. Of course, only if they are beautiful and in one piece. I would take them on a nice date in some fancy restaurant on another world, have them show me their affection, and then they can go back wherever they came from. That would be better than having to stomp through their intestines. And those cultists seem to be like a disease. In the last few days, I was summoned to several different attempts at using me for their purposes. One might think that they got the message after the first three attempts ended in massacres. My silent musings are interrupted when I reach Alexandria''s library and am barred by a large crowd of people who decided to block the entrance. ¡°Just my luck,¡± I grumble with my expression darkening. But then my mood lightens a little when I realize that this is a chance. Unwilling to wait, I shove one of the cocksuckers aside. ¡°Don''t just stand around and block the path, waste of space!¡± The man stumbles as I try to push past him, but he doesn''t fall. It¡¯s a huge guy, at least a head taller than me. Dark skinned and with ridges on his cheeks, he manages to look menacing without the slightest bit of effort. Playing along with my ploy, he turns around and immediately tries to defend his previous position. ¡°Hey!¡± Instead of dealing with the oversized shit in a more honourable manner, I knee him in the groin and place my palm on top of his head as he bends forward. Pushing down, I accelerate his rapid descend as he collapses like a folding chair. His head cracks nicely onto the pavement, bouncing thrice with a satisfying, wet ''smack''. He is out like a light. The sound of his head on the pavement immediately lightens my bad mood and I hum in appreciation as the crowd hurries to split in front of me like a sea, acknowledging my superiority as at least some of them recognize who I am. Stepping over my unconscious ''mood-toy'', I approach the entrance to Alexandria''s library. I would have gone straight inside, if it weren''t for the sign on the door which reads ''CLOSED'' in big, red letters. Huffing, I turn around, glaring at the closest man, a beastkin with grey ears. ¡°Do you know what''s that about? Alexandria never closes her library.¡± It¡¯s preposterous. Lexi didn¡¯t take a vacation in centuries. To be more accurate, I don¡¯t remember her ever taking a vacation. She lives inside and for her library. Clearly intimidated, the beastkin shrugs and replies with a lisping voice, ¡°We don''t know and are as clueless as you. The library is closed since five days ago and nobody saw Alexandria in that entire time. The Council officially locked the place down. According to them, it''s for further investigation. They didn¡¯t even inform those who had dealings with the librarian when we can expect her back.¡± I stop breathing for a moment. Alexandria not in her library? She is always in her library. That''s like a constant of the multiverse. Like gravity or the speed of light. Alexandria not taking care of her books is like the sky opening up and swallowing existence as a whole. ¡°Is it another case of disappearance?¡± I ask nobody specific, but the crowd in general. Their silence is everything I need as an answer. Nobody who lives in the Crystal City would be stupid enough to accuse the Council of anything, even if only by hinting at it by declaring that the Council is involved in the missing cases. It¡¯s an unspoken rule. Turning around, I start walking and make sure to step onto the unconscious mood-toy who was unlucky enough to get in my way. If this is a normal disappearance scenario then it''s useless to search for clues inside the library. Given that the Council shut the place down, they surely also professionally cleaned it out. The thought strikes me that it may be time to pay Seria a visit and ask her what the stunt in the Council''s facility was about. Having made my decision, I head directly back to the administration complex in the centre of the Crystal City.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Not paying the guards much attention, I head straight for the building with the offices and Studio 7, hoping to find at least one of the three hoodlums there. Up until now, I didn¡¯t actively search for them, but that is at an end. Upon entering the room which is shaped like an auditorium I immediately notice that the ones I am searching for aren¡¯t present. No matter. Focusing on Zenial, a pale woman with white hair, I walk closer until she and her four female friends notice me. She is called a goddess of the moon. That alone doesn¡¯t have much meaning, but as with myself, most gods represent several different aspects of power. Sometimes it¡¯s just easier to go with an ancient symbol instead of giving a complicated and lengthy explanation of their character traits every time you meet someone. As such, the moon embodies femininity and the rhythm of time as it cycles through its different phases. The phases of the moon symbolize immortality and eternity, enlightenment or the dark side of nature itself. It might also reflect inner knowledge or balance, as it is the middle ground between the light of the sun and the darkness of night. In some cases, it represents the realm between the unconscious and conscious. I am sure that Zenial doesn¡¯t have full command of all of these aspects, but she would surely never willingly give me a full spec-sheet of her skill-set. Using a pseudonym like the moon is a middle-ground between politely allowing others some insight into your own nature, while at the same time being vague enough to give nothing of value away. She turns to me when it becomes clear that I want something, while the entourage of the four women around her quiets down. ¡°Can I help you?¡± ¡°Yes. I have seen you associate with Nazareth. Have you seen him lately? Or Marigold or Seria, any of those three. I need to talk to them.¡± Zenial studies me with a doubtful expression, then she looks at her associates as if to confirm that they have her back should things go south. Impatient, I press on and smile. ¡°Look. I promise not to hurt your friends, but I have dealings with them. No idea why all of you are so afraid of me. Most of the time I am a very reasonable and friendly guy.¡± ¡°Most of the time...¡± Zenial purses her lips while her entourage starts whispering. ¡°What of the time when he tore the soul out of a minor deity who offended him? In public!¡± ¡°Yes, the guards had to force him to give it back!¡± ¡°Or when he blew up Seria¡¯s island resort when she hosted that party...¡± ¡°I still remember that. I was forced to reincarnate!¡± ¡°I heard that he just earlier beat someone up for no reason at all. Maybe we should just tell him?¡± I raise both hands to stop them. ¡°Okay. You are right that I made a name for myself over the centuries, but in every case, the other party gave me a good reason for my actions. Why don¡¯t we hurry this along and you just tell me.¡± Zenial tilts her head sideways, considering the potential ramifications of her possibilities. ¡°I don¡¯t know for sure where they are. I have seen Nazareth just yesterday, but he was only here for a few minutes, saying that he would bury himself in work for the foreseeable future and that we shouldn¡¯t worry about him or his brother. Apparently, Marigold is currently doing something similar. As for Seria, I haven¡¯t seen her, but when she wants to be alone she often takes a pathway to the plane of Kurth, where she allows herself to drift among the currents.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± I massage my chin, considering whether I should believe such a vague description. ¡°Where exactly is this plane of Kurth? I¡¯ve never been there.¡± She blinks, then searches the floor with her eyes. I do the same, concentrating on my ability to see pathways. Finally, she gently touches one of the pathways with her energy but doesn¡¯t actually take it. ¡°That one. It should bring you pretty close if you take the forty-second, then the fifth and then the nine-hundred eleventh node. If she is there, you should be able to sense her.¡± I thank her and take the indicated pathway, instinctively following the instructions she gave me. Giving something like coordinates within the multiverse is a pretty useless endeavour, so we gods prefer to orientate ourselves according to the pathways and their intersecting network of connections which we call nodes. It¡¯s far easier than to tell someone that he has to get to a certain plane of existence, then somehow reach galaxy X and search for star system Y, then find a special landmark on planet Z. The pathways already provide a system that¡¯s akin to an underground railway which allows you to ignore the actual distance between places. When giving locations, we just have to tell the other side at which station, or in our case which node, we should hop off the train. It¡¯s also convenient that for some reason everyone who ascends to godhood has an instinctive grasp on how to navigate the pathways. Before I ascended I would have never imagined that it would be that easy to travel between dimensions and worlds, sometimes following a network of pathways that would look like an impossible labyrinth of neurons to my previous self. Now I simply know where to go. I emerge weightless in an endless sky. Pressing my lips together, I focus on overcoming the disorientation of weightlessness. Scanning my surroundings, I realize that this must be a plane of existence where for one reason or the other, the amount of heavy elements was never sufficient to form stars and planets. It¡¯s an entire dimension of endless air and clouds. Though, there must be some form of thermal exchange at work in this place. Otherwise, the water would freeze as everything cools down. Or planetary bodies of water would have to form. And maybe they do? The sky is blue, so that means that there is some form of background radiation. Maybe there are stars formed from water and I just can¡¯t see them because of the distance? At last, I finally stop myself from speculating about the exact nature of this strange dimension. If I still want to know later on, I can come back with some equipment and take some measurements instead of taking wild guesses. Stretching out my senses, I search for the signs of another powerful being, finding it almost immediately, so I take a pathway and appear right next to my target. ¡°Aieeee!¡± Squealing, she throws an orange juice in a takeaway bottle at me. It splatters on my chest, since I am too concerned with taking a peek at her ¨C almost ¨C naked body. She quickly covers herself with a large towel which displays a tropical scene. ¡°What the fuck are you doing in MY dimension?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t seen any signs which announce this place as your dimension. By the way, nice sexy underwear.¡± I smirk and gesture at the goods which are now covered by the towel. Then I look around, noticing several things floating all around us. It''s a cloud of sun-cream tubes, discarded fast-food, and other goods of convenience floating everywhere. There is even something like an ultra-widescreen setup which is playing some sort of action movie in the distance. Suddenly I feel reminded of the room of a rebellious teenager¡­ if the teenager in question was very wealthy and had a whole dimension for herself. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you at least clean up the litter?¡± ¡°Who cares? If it gets too dirty, I¡¯ll just move to the next spot. There is enough space here to last me an eternity and there are no green activists who can tell me what to do. It¡¯s my dimension because I am the only one who is coming here! What do you want?¡± She crosses her arms in front of her chest and narrows her eyes. ¡°And who told you about my relaxation solarium?¡± A solarium? I look around. If there is enough ultraviolet radiation, and judging by the light all around us that might indeed be the case, then this place should be perfect to get an ideal tan. One might think that she would have problems with her trash. I wonderat which point she decides that it¡¯s time to move? When the vicinity starts looking like a waste disposal site? But I can¡¯t refute her logic. If this is indeed a dead dimension which never developed life, then nobody should have any reason to come here. Except if the person in question has the wish to be alone. ¡°Two things.¡± I return my full attention to her. ¡°I want you to tell me what that scene in the Council¡¯s facility was all about. I¡¯ve been waiting for days for you guys to show yourselves, but it¡¯s like everyone crawled under a rock. I know that the two of us aren¡¯t the greatest of friends, but I would expect at least a ¡®thank you¡¯ for saving your hide. It was centuries ago, but if it¡¯s still about blowing up that party of yours then-¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about the party.¡± She sighs, running a hand through her hair which slowly fans out to her left, apparently influenced by an imperceptible airflow. ¡°Then what?¡± I ask. ¡°The other thing I want to know about is if you heard anything about Alexandria. I was at her library earlier and the people there told me that she vanished and that the place was closed down by the Council.¡± Seria blinks but shows no other reaction. ¡°I am sorry. I only know that the Council put her on the wanted list. It seems like she looked into some restricted knowledge concerning world enchantments and someone told the authorities. She is still on that list, so I think that they haven¡¯t caught her yet.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one who does the catching?¡± I look her up and down, searching for some sign that she knows more than she is willing to admit. ¡°Yes, and that¡¯s why I know about it.¡± She waves her hand in a circle as if it was only natural for her to be involved in such things. ¡°But they didn¡¯t put me on the case. It¡¯s not like I am their only hunter.¡± I narrow my eyes. ¡°What knowledge is there that Lexi doesn¡¯t already have in her library?¡± Seria shrugs. ¡°Something must have happened that caused her to tap into other sources.¡± ¡°And what about your presence in that facility?¡± I ask. Finally, Seria shows some sign of guilt. ¡°Espionage...¡± Crossing my arms, I pull in my legs cross-legged to make myself more comfortable while floating in a distance of about two metres in front of her. ¡°I have a feeling that this will be a long discussion. And I won¡¯t go away until I have all the answers.¡± Chapter 21 ***Her Dimension*** ***Seria*** ¡°So you guys just went in there, risking your necks on an improvised spy-mission in hope of finding something,¡± Ascathon pronounces the last word very carefully to make sure that I understand his opinion of our little excursion. ¡°You didn''t even know what you were searching for!¡± I throw up my hands. ¡°Fine! It was stupid and risky, I admit that. But it was the best chance that presented itself in centuries! Combined with my knowledge about the unknown entrance, I had to take it.¡± Looking at his knees in a contemplative manner he grumbles, ¡°Brought you a whole lot of information for the risk you took.¡± ¡°Which doesn''t change the fact that it was the best chance I got in a long time,¡± I reply cattily. ¡°Those who don''t play a risky game can''t lose, butwhen you don''t play, you can''t win either. And who are you to tell me what to do? I''ve been around for far longer than you, and while I am thankful to you for helping out with that thing, I probably could have dealt with it on my own.¡± Raising his eyes, he looks at me with a doubtful expression. ¡°The ugly thing just surprised me with its ability to ignore auras. That''s all,¡± I continue quickly. ¡°I would have dealt with it. It''s just that I would have had to use something very flashy to make sure it died.¡± He covers his face with both hands. ¡°If you don''t have the skills to go on a secret mission, then don''t go on a secret mission.¡± I press my lips together, frustrated. It''s not like I don''t have the abilities, but it''s exceptionally hard to control my mana when I am constantly occupied with hiding a few million souls within myself. Ever since I started collecting support against the Council, I gained in power by incorporating the abilities of other deities into my own. But at the same time, it became much harder to wield my powers, since I have to pay careful attention to everything I do! Had I just mindlessly struck out at the monster in the Council''s base, I probably would have obliterated it and a sizeable part of the base with all its inhabitants. Even if I would have gotten away afterwards, I would have had a hard time explaining myself to the Council with my energy signature all over the place. I am very sure that such a scenario wouldn''t have gone well for me. Tjenemit is a very lenient leader as long as he doesn''t feel threatened. But an attack on their base would have gotten other Council members involved. Most of them aren''t known for their forgiveness, especially not El Shaddai. With them as judges, it would have meant an early... err... I mean, late grave for me. But it''s not like I can tell Ascathon any of that without raising a lot of questions which I don''t want to answer. All I can do is to keep my mouth shut and take the insult as it is. ¡°Well, that''s the reason why I had Nazareth and Marigold along. It''s not like I could plan for anything without previous intelligence. As far as I am concerned, we risked a lot, but I am still confident that it was right to take the risk at that point. In fact, I am quite happy with the result and in the end, everything turned out fine.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± He lowers his hands and looks at me. ¡°Just what is your agenda?¡± Reaching for my chest, I pull up the amulet from beneath my towel and reveal it to Ascathon. ¡°Probably the same as yours. I want to get rid of this amulet and the World Enchantment that binds me to that world. Preferably before the Council manages to perfect their experiments.¡± That causes Ascathon to pay attention. ¡°Perfect their experiments?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I dangle the dandy amulet up and down to draw his attention away from my boobs. Damn, it''s just too creepy to get checked by... him. I probably have no rational reason to think like that at the moment, but it still doesn''t feel right. I should give him a good whacking, but he already thinks that I am a bit loony for my irrational rejection of him. ¡°I don''t know for sure why the Council is after Alexandria, but since she was researching World Enchantments, I have a pretty good guess.¡± I stop, giving myself a few seconds to think. It would be nice to involve Ascathon in the knowledge that Alexandria shared with me, but I don''t want him to know that I am the one who is responsible for her demise. Just telling him would probably be a little too obvious, and Ascathon is the kind of person who always tries to dig for more. It''s likely best to slowly steer him to the solution. There is no doubt that he is able to rationalize the reason for the price on her head by deductive reasoning. ¡°You know the reason?¡± His eyes narrow as he studies me carefully while drifting with me in the air currents of this strange dimension. ¡°I am no expert on World Enchantments, but even I know enough to figure this out. It''s not that hard once you realize that a World Enchantment is a self-replicating spell matrix which spreads out to every part of the aether which has enough energy to support it,¡± I start out carefully. ¡°Hm.¡± He nods. ¡°I''ve researched that much for myself. Though I am far more concerned on how to erase something that replicates itself indefinitely. Even if I set off an incredibly strong dispelling effect, I would never be able to reach every part of the world at once. Not to mention places which are shielded, either by arcane methods or natural effects. I''ve been thinking about that for a long time. The only guaranteed solution would be to create a second World Enchantment that counters the other. Looking at it like a computer problem, it would be like writing an anti-virus for a virus. The issue with that is that my skills are currently lacking. I won''t be able to come up with a counter-world enchantment on the fly.¡± I shake my head. ¡°You are already a few steps ahead of me. Maybe that''s why you missed the obvious answer. There is something which you should have questioned first, before trying to undo the world enchantment itself.¡± ¡°I missed something?¡± He sits up straighter, now obviously intrigued. ¡°Yes.¡± I touch the amulet around my neck again. ¡°The Council has someone working on this world enchantment-¡± He nods. ¡°An idiot who is skilled enough to unleash a thing like that, but too stupid to be able to control it. They are using us as lab-rats for an insufficiently tested experiment.¡± As if you wouldn''t do the same, given a chance! ¡°-don''t interrupt me. Where was I? Yes, the basic functions of the World Enchantment. You know as well as I do what it does.¡± Ipoint at myself. ¡°It should be pretty easy to make a World Enchantment recognize a few strong mana signatures from a handful of selected people. So, here is the question that bothers me. Why do they need the amulets?¡± ¡°To locate us.¡± He wets his lips, realizing that he simply spouted the convenient answer which Tjenemit gave us when he introduced us to his little project. ¡°But you are right. If someone is skilled enough to play around with a World Enchantment, then using a physical artefact to locate someone is like utilizing an old-fashioned GPS transmitter. Hell, we already saw that they are at least able to influence their current ''code'' for the lack of a better term. They adjusted the frequency at which we are teleported around. Also, Tjenemit warned us not to take the amulets off. Yet, this whole project somehow seems utterly useless if someone can simply cheat the system by taking off the amulet and quit the game. The Council isn''t big on free thinking, so I would expect them tocome up with something crazy.¡± I nod. ¡°That''s why I thought that amulet must have another purpose, and I am afraid that it''s something you won''t like.¡± I take my amulet off, spinning it on its chain around my finger. Ascathon gasps and looks around, expecting Tjenemit to show up any moment. ¡°He won''t come. I already tested my theory. Yesterday, I took the amulet off for several hours. I was still teleported around, despite having the amulet off. Which means that we are still somehow tied into the World Enchantment. The other obvious conclusion is that, since Tjenemit failed to show up, whatever the amulet is supposed to do doesn''t work. The thing malfunctioned.¡± Ascathon takes off his own amulet to study it. ¡°I may not be an expert on World Enchantments, but I am quite good with all sorts of artefacts. Now that I know that the thing won''t immediately call Tjenemit down on me, it should be quite simple to find out what the thing was supposed to do.¡± ***The World*** ***King Luxley*** ¡°Don''t worry, my king. I am sure that your army will subdue this little lordling who thinks himself better than his peers,¡±Ashley purrs, looking me up and down. ¡°What do you think of visiting your tent afterwards? I think we could need a little snack.¡± ¡°Ahem... yes?¡± I force my eyes away from priestess Ashley''s chest. The brunette''s bust is awkwardly accentuated by her robes, in a manner which is very improper for a religious leader like herself. Add to that those velvet lips and she would fit right into one of those places where they fulfil every man''s dream! Despite my best efforts, my eyes immediately wander back to ravish the banquet that is given so freely.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. A few days ago Ascathon showed up with a whole abbey full of these beauties. In their black and white robes they look like nuns. Beautiful, sexy nuns who seem like a dark promise of unspeakable deeds. The dark god instructed me that these women were to be the priestesses of his religion and that he completely trusted their judgement in the interpretation of his commandments. ¡°Your eyes should be there.¡± She points at the castle guiding my attention away from her figure. ¡°Don''t forget that your undead horde is fighting for you. Not to mention the Knights of Chaos who threw themselves right into the thick of the battle. As their leader, the least you could do for them is to guide our forces properly.¡± ¡°Right!¡± I return my focus to the castle, wishing I had something like horse blinkers for myself. Just seeing Ashley from the corner of my eyes draws all my attention. Ashley, the brown-skinnedleader of the nuns who announced herself and her sisters as the dark god''s priestesses. Her brown hair is like flowing silk. Priestess my ass! She and her fellow sisters aren''t just beautiful, they are all out of this world. If I wasn''t so afraid of my god, I would jump one of them right away and make her my queen. Focus! Your people are fighting the Church of Light out there! Everyone is relying on you. I return my attention to the horde of zombies and the large blood golem which is trying to take down the main gate of Castle Greymoore, the central point of defence for the city of Greymoore. Three weeks ago, I was notified that several cities within the borders of my newly acquired vassal states refused to implement the new laws which were prescribed by my god. They kept persecuting anyone who worshipped the dark God of Chaos. At first, I wasn''t sure about what my response should be, but when I got reports that they were burning fellow believers at the stake, I saw no other choice but to restore order by force. That''s why we are pacifying Greymoore by force. And once that''s done, then it will be the next city, one after the other until everyone gets in line. I watch as the defenders pour liquid fire down on my forces. While the zombies burn in agony, the huge blood golem is unimpressed and pounds away at the gate with the precision of a clockwork, the large boulder in its hands denting the metal gate with every blow. On top of the fortification, people are trying their best to dispel my army and to stop the zombies from climbing the walls. On my side, the Knights of Chaos are doing their best to hinder the efforts of the defenders. I do my best in guiding my necromantic forces, instructing several groups to climb the walls with ladders and ropes to draw the attention away from the group at the gate. Sadly, I am still too inexperienced to revive sentient revenants. One of the defenders throws a barrel over the wall and I watch in dismay as a large part of my forces is blown up in a huge explosion of blood, gore and body parts. In order to give the other side something to do, I instruct my second blood golem to pick up one zombie after the other and fling them over the defensive structure. The tactic has the expected effect as several defenders leave the wall to deal with the undead inside their fortress. That''s when with a final mighty heave, my blood golem throws its boulder against the gate, causing the whole thing to break off from the large, forged hinges. The gates now thrown open, I direct the part of my mindless zombies which I held in reserve to flood into the castle with the Knights of Chaos close behind them. The main part of my living army is still waiting in safety, solely charged with my protection. My forces should be able to overrun the enemy now that the wall is no longer a hindrance. Taking in a deep breath, I let out a slow sigh and relax my mental hold on my army. Ascathon showed me how to direct zombies in groups, making it indefinitely easier to control large amounts of the mindless creatures at the same time. But a complicated battle with many different fronts still requires controlling several groups which still causes mental stress and fatigue. ¡°Why don''t we return to your tent and have you relaxed a little? Those battles really tire you out, but you are clearly getting better with experience.¡± Ashley links arms with me and guides me back to the king''s war-tent, a large, mobile abode which allows for a maximum of privacy. ¡°Yes, these headaches don''t seem to get better though...¡± I rub my temple and gesture for my guards. ¡°See to it that I don''t get interrupted if it isn''t important. I just need a little sleep.¡± ¡°That''s because you strain yourself too much while commanding the hordes,¡± Ashley explains. ¡°Mental Magic isn''t about shoving the orders into your minion''s brain. You have to work more subtle and play to their instincts. The next time, try it with suggestions.¡± She guides me into the tent and closes the covers behind us. Then she is suddenly at my belt, unbuckling it. ¡°What... what are you doing?¡± I ask, fearing the answer while I look back at the entrance, hoping that none of the guards notice anything. What if we get found out!? This could turn into a scandal if anything gets to the public. A king and a religious leader!? Preposterous! One moment. Are the priests of my new religion even forbidden from worldly pleasures? Or is it okay? I shake my head. I shouldn''t risk it. What if the god takes offense? ¡°Ashley, we shouldn''t...¡± ¡°Shh... just relax and let me get off that armour. I know the perfect method of restoring your health.¡± She smiles with her luscious lips at me and gets up as the belt comes loose. Cupping my face in her palms, she pulls me down into a deep kiss while the rest of my armour somehow undoes itself on its own. Walking backwards, she pulls me towards the large king-sized four-poster bed which my servants took withus on the campaign. ***The World*** ***Ashley*** I sigh contentedly and roll onto my belly, trying to concentrate on my book while the comfortable bed gently rocks beneath me, creaking a little. ¡°I have to tell the servants to oil it a little before I do this again.¡± The smell of sex and hormones is also a little too heavy in the air, so I twirl a finger, casting a little hex to circulate the air out of the tent, then I continue reading. My hard work is interrupted a few minutes later when one of my fellow priestesses enters the tent. Ravetta''s eyes widen as she looks at the scene, seeing something that''s incomprehensible to her. ¡°Matriarch... why are you reading a book while the king is humping a human servant? Did you find a technique to draw energy through a proxy? That would be revolutionary!¡± I look up and close my book, then I glance at the hypnotized king and a maid which I hand-picked for him. She is lying on her back hugging and kissing her lover desperately while he is plunging into her with abandon. Luckily, the bed is large enough for me to lie down and hold up the illusionary enthrallment while they are busy. ¡°No, I didn''t. As boring as it sounds, this is just doing my job.¡± I sigh, a little annoyed at how long this is taking. ¡°Come on, Luxley, unload that cargo so that I can also get some fun!¡± Ravetta wets her lips and reaches up to pinch her own nipple while playing with the blonde hair of the human form she took in order not to cause any unrest; a buxom blonde with blue eyes and the cutest dimples I have ever seen on her. Did she really design that transformation herself? Or is she riding the body of some hapless mortal whose looks struck her fancy? ¡°Mother, may I ask what exactly you are trying to do?¡± I press my lips together, a little ashamed to admit my failure. ¡°Mortals, especially humans, are very short-lived creatures. They are extraordinarily lucky if they manage to live a century. Even the especially magically gifted rarely make it past the first two centuries!¡± She nods, so far having no problem following me. ¡°Yes, I know that. They are pitifully weak and easy to break.¡± ¡°Well, our job is to ensure that King Luxley''s country grows and with him Ascathon''s worshippers. But that will most likely take generations. This is a large world and our progress isn''t actually fast with the number of little warlords and city states we have to subdue. Did you know that Luxley is already in his forties? He has a little bit of magical talent which should add three or four decades to his natural lifespan. That means that a fourth of his lifespan is already gone! He has no children and no spouse. If we aren''t careful and he dies, by assassination or in battle, or even because of a stupid accident, his line will perish and our efforts will be thrown back decades!¡± ¡°Oooh! Now I understand! You are breeding replacements!¡± Ravetta claps her hands eagerly together. ¡°That''s why you organized him a mate to continue his line. Though, isn''t a mate like her improper for the job? Shouldn''t we get him some princess? Or, I know! The Queen of a defeated enemy! Ah, we need to find a young one in that case...¡± ¡°Bah!¡± I wave my hand, dismissing my daughter''s idea. ¡°He will be the Emperor of a new Empire! Whoever he wants to take as his mistress is his. Who would dare to object?The stupid stud just hasn''t understood that yet.¡± I place a hand on my chest, trying to put some emotion into my conviction. ¡°Ravetta, you must never forget that we are succubi! We have to uphold certain standards! If not for ourselves, then for our race! And while we ultimately always bring doom and peril to our victims, we do it through the feelings of lust and sexual pleasure. We take the feeling the mortals call ''love'' and twist it into a pretzel. How mundane would it be of me to stick some ugly princess in a loveless marriage onto someone who is undermy charge if I can get him a woman he can truly love?¡± Reaching out, I pinch the wide hips of the moaning human female who has her legs wrapped around Luxley. ¡°Besides, most of these nobles are just inbred fools. I carefully selected Anna here after looking into the minds of all of Luxley''s servants. Do you see those wide hips? She will bear him a truckload of healthy brats. Not only is she reasonably beautiful for a human, she also has a secret crush on the king! He likewise finds her attractive, but never made a move.¡± I change my voice in a perfect imitation of Luxley for the last few words.¡°Because it would be improper.¡± Then I sigh in frustration. ¡°The only problem I seem to have is that he doesn''t finish! They''ve been humping since three-quarters of an hour and I have them enthralled and there were enough pheromones in the air that even I couldn''t take the smell anymore.¡± I sit up and gesture at the two rutting humans. ¡°Is he sick? I mean, I heard that some humans have mental dysfunctions. Maybe that''s why he is still single with his age, even though he is the most powerful individual in his country. He should have females lined up to jump into his bed! Or are his morals the problem? I don''t know. Should we get him into Ascathon''s base to have his dick checked out?¡± ¡°Ahem,¡± Ravetta interrupts me by clearing her throat. ¡°I think I have a solution to that. You have been playing with the greater demons for too long, Mother. Maybe you should abduct a mortal from another plane from time to time? Just to practice the basics?¡± I blink, befuddled. ¡°Could it really be that I lost my touch? But mortals break so easily. You barely take a sip from their life-force and they are an empty husk. So what is this method which you suggest?¡± ¡°Yeah, not everyone has first dibs on any higher demon or god who enters our castle. Some of us have to make do with what''s available.¡± She pulls up the hem of her chaste robe, revealing her demon-tail from between her legs. I coo in appreciation, pleased with her ability to only partially shift her body from one form to the other. Such a thing is really complicated. As a mother, I am proud. ¡°Some human males are a little... handicapped... when you befuddle their minds.¡± She gives the tip of her tail an appreciative lick, then expertly plunges it into her mouth, lubricating a sizeable length. When she pulls it back out, it comes away glistening with her saliva. Wriggling the tip around, she grins. ¡°It often helps to give them a little surprise-stimulation.¡± Ooh... shame on me! How could I forget about that! ¡°Ah, it has been a few thousand years since I tried my skills on a mortal. How could I forget that problem!¡± Ravetta suddenly stops smiling as she remembers something else. ¡°Before I forget, you should probably switch off the chant that vents the tent before we proceed.¡± ¡°Why?¡± I ask, curious. Ravetta draws a circle on the ground with her toe. ¡°As a succubus who is several thousand years old, your pheromones are a little strong, Mother. Especially for the poor mortals. The staff and the soldiers around the tent are... affected...¡± ¡°Affected?¡± I ask, fearing the worst. ¡°How are they affected?¡± ¡°They are having an orgy. Some of the soldiers are even jumping the zombies, it''s icky. That''s why I came in here. I am into all kinds of stuff, but necrophilia is something I prefer to leave to my sisters. Susu or Gabriella would have a field day out there.¡± ¡°Oh...¡± Well... that''s... not good. We are on a military campaign after all! ¡°Why didn''t you say that first!?¡± I quickly dispel the hex. Chapter 22 ***The World*** ***Ascathon*** I hum as I examine the amulet, slowly turning the clamp which is holding it beneath the detection device. Its inner workings are displayed on the machine¡¯s screen and I nod in appreciation when I discover a little detail which I previously wasn¡¯t aware of. It¡¯s quite enlightening to get a good look from different angles at its innards. As soon as I returned to my laboratory, I used every non-destructive method I could think of to get to the bottom of the artefact''s mystery. As long as the used method left the amulet without visible signs of manipulation, I was fine with applying it. It''s not like I want to warn the Council of my ongoing investigation by carrying around the pieces of a minced amulet. I am sure that would come back to bite me at some point. At the latest when Tjenemit decides that it¡¯s time for another round of testing. Before I knew that it is indeed possible to take the amulet off, I was reluctant to attempt some of the obvious methods of studying its innards. Having my head right next to a radioactive source or inside a strong electromagnetic field could have seriously ruined my day. There are better ways to proceed to the next reincarnation. Currently, I am using some acoustic sensors which were originally intended to detect weak points in metals. But with a little ingenuity and a very strong frequency generator, the sensors are perfect to map the internal structure of the amulet. The downside is the noise, so it¡¯s necessary to encase the entire equipment inside a soundproof case. The creator of the amulet layered several different metals and used a form of transfiguration magic to weld them seamlessly inside a protective coating, making it seem like the amulet is one solid piece. Which it isn¡¯t. Its innards are actually a quite complicated mesh of circuitry, the magical kind. It''s a common method used by enchanters. Instead of creating one big and complicated enchantment, they can enchant several different objects and fuse the spells afterwards. Acoustic mapping is a perfect method to analyse such pieces. The shock of the soundwaves travels at different speeds through different materials and those inconsistencies can be measured with the right equipment. A computer program interprets the received signal and the end result is a pretty detailed representation of the internal layout. Now that I got a good look at the thing, I am relatively sure that it was supposed to take control of its wearer. But not in the usual, obvious manner. It was supposed to instil respect and feelings of worship for those who are in command. It wouldn¡¯t have turned me into an actual slave, but long exposure is likely to change the wearer into a mindless worker bee who is content with his fate. I suppose the creator of this thing knew that hardcore control magic wouldn¡¯t work on many gods. People of that power level tend to have a minimum amount of knowledge and skill, which makes it only natural to assume that at least some of the test subjects would have realized that something is up. The artefact may have been able to take control of the wearer¡¯s mind, but as soon as the victim became aware of the influence, they would fight back. And there isn¡¯t much in the multiverse that can stop a god, except for another god. That¡¯s why the creator of this thing opted for more subtle mind magic. Something that worms itself into the victim¡¯s thoughts little by little without them ever realizing that their behaviour is being altered. Instead of forcing them into a certain course of action, it makes them believe that what they are doing happens of their own accord, something indefinitely more difficult to achieve than a simple slave collar. It could have even worked, if it weren¡¯t for the complicated interplay between the amulet and the World Enchantment. Subtle mind magic needs time to work on the subject, or it is simply shrugged off. Ideally, there should be absolutely no interference with the enchantment. A simple spike of energy is enough to interrupt the building web of energies which are aimed at the victim¡¯s feelings, slowly guiding their desires towards a certain goal. That¡¯s why I prefer to place traps which rely on subtle magic in bedrooms and offices. Only there, such spells have even a chance of properly influencing the target. Which doesn''t ensure their success. Not by a long run. Even in a perfect environment, it takes days for any permanent effect to take hold, depending on the strength of the target¡¯s mind and how often he leaves the sphere of influence of the artefact. Another weak point of that method is that the victim has to be awake and aware of his own magic. It wouldn¡¯t work on a sleeping subject. The upside, or downside, depending on which end of the equation you are, is that once subtle mind magic has taken hold, the changes are often permanent. People are creatures of habit and our habits are shaped by our daily lives. Once a person has spent enough time in a certain rhythm of behaviour, it''s hard to change back. The spell isn''t aimed at reprogramming what you do at the moment, but at what you wish to do. That''s why this form of magic is so dangerous and banned. Why am I not surprised that the Council doesn''t care about their own laws? I am just lucky that the creator of the amulet was a talented genius, but suffered the flaw of being a lab-rat. He perfected the details of the theory but failed when it was time to take the big picture into account. When you add the conditions of the World Enchantment to the amulet¡¯s subtle attempt at influencing the wearer, you plunge the user into an environment that¡¯s diametrically opposed to subtle magic. The subject gets teleported around on a daily basis, the energies of the teleportation through the pathways breaking the building spell of the amulet each time. On top, the person in question ends up frequently in situations in which it¡¯s reasonable to discharge strong magical effects. This was especially true during the early days of Tjenemit¡¯s experiment. If it hadn¡¯t been for the malfunctioning World Enchantment, the amulet might have worked. I shudder at the thought. There is nothing that I hate more than being on the receiving end of mind-altering effects. Given how complicated the spell-matrix for any subtle mind magic is, it was no wonder that the enchantment on the amulet deteriorated rapidly under the stress of frequent teleportations and magically charged environments. Had the creator of this amulet not made such an obvious mistake, I would have had to bow in front of him, quite literally. Luckily, this person seems to be a genius at theoretical spellcraft but lacks the skill and experience for the actual execution. There is a wide gap between having a working prototype inside a laboratory and a field-tested version that''s able to withstand the stress of real-world application. The enchantment on the amulet was worn down and malfunctioned before it ever managed to influence me or the others. This begs the question whether the creator of the amulet and the World Enchantment are the same person. From what I can see here, the amulet should have nothing to do with the World Enchantment, though I can''t be a hundred percent certain of that. Tjenemit must have given our mana signatures to the creator of the World Enchantment. He edited them into his spell and activated the whole thing during our meeting with Tjenemit. Maybe the reason for their failure is that the creator of the amulet didn¡¯t know what Tjenemit intends to do with them? My thoughts start drifting off, and for a moment, I wonder how Willow and Karin are doing, but then I shake my head and return my attention to examining the amulet. An entire day of research is beginning to affect my concentration.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. There must be some way to get back at the creator of this thing, preferably causing him excruciating pain in the process. Maybe a curse? It should be possible to use the amulet as a magical beacon. At some point during its creation, the bastard must have held it in his hands, so maybe I can find a lingering mana signature on it. It should be a really nasty curse. Something that discourages the Council from proceeding with this line of research, but it should look like an unfortunate accident at the same time. Something that flays the skin off his flesh until agony is all he knows, then strips him open like a chest, revealing his or her soul for all to see. And then crushing it in front of everyone, leaving the onlookers without a doubt that they just witnessed the final death of a sentient being. Reaching out, I switch off the device and open the protective cover. Then I retrieve the amulet and try to think of a way to search for the creator¡¯s mana signature. After the thing was in my possession for so long, it is very unlikely that any energy of the original holder remains. Mundane fingerprints? No, they are surely washed off. But maybe I can filter out the traces of the lingering enchantment. ¡°Uuh¡­ I know that look. You are planning a murder. That¡¯s so turning me on! How can I help?¡± I almost drop the amulet, too surprised by the sudden appearance of the succubus. The green-haired girl is crouching next to my work-desk and peeking over the edge of the table. I reach for my own heart, making sure that it¡¯s still beating. ¡°Isabel! You just took a decade of my life. Don¡¯t sneak up on me when I plan revenge.¡± When did she get into my lab? Didn''t I lock the door? Hell, sometimes I have the feeling that these women have a way to go through walls. Teleportation should be impossible inside my workspace. ¡°So you were planning murder and mayhem! How can I help?¡± She gets up and starts hopping up and down, showing me how bored she must be. ¡°And don¡¯t be a scrooge with your life-force. As a god, it¡¯s not like you are limited to a certain lifespan.¡± ¡°Uh, sorry, but the target of my revenge is probably some god or lesser deity. You wouldn¡¯t stand a chance,¡± I deny her, but can¡¯t help myself from following her bouncing chest with my eyes. The little minx is probably doing that on purpose. Seriously, which woman with an F-size would jump up and down like that? ¡°Oh.¡± Her expression turns dejected and I remember that she was always a person who carried her feelings on her face. ¡°Sorry, but you wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against a god.¡± I scratch my chin, feeling awkward at having to reject her help. Ashley and her succubi are a strange case. Centuries of practising their arts turned them into beings who can rival a lesser deity in power, but for some reason, they avoided the step that turned them into actual gods. The normal process would be for a mortal soul to achieve the immortal status, mostly through luck, because mortals normally aren¡¯t aware of their previous lives. They don¡¯t know that they have to live as long as possible and gather a lot of memories many lifetimes in a row for their soul to gain strength. Once they can actually remember their previous lives, it¡¯s not that hard to live longer during each reincarnation as they grow in power and knowledge. And at some point they achieve godhood, allowing their soul a direct connection to the aether and the pathways, essentially giving them access to as much mana as they can wield. This ability to wield mana is what discerns someone who is categorized as a lesser deity from a god. A lesser deity is somewhere on the power level where they can obliterate a small island, up to a continent. The important part is that it would be challenging for them to do even that much damage. Most of the gods I know of are actually lesser deities, with some of them being definitely above that power level. The terminology is actually a little vague among the society of gods. The only thing that¡¯s generally agreed upon is that everyone who can wipe out a planet without much effort is considered to be a god. There are rumours that even among gods, there are some who play in a different league. Like El Shaddai, who is rumoured to have wiped out a solar system when he had a hissy fit. But who cares about such a difference? Everything above world-ending scale would be just an academic question to everyone involved. If two actual gods fought each other on a colonized planet, they would have to wield forces which would tear the planet asunder, just to hurt the other party. What they were fighting about would become a moot point the moment they raised their hands with the intention to do permanent damage. Isabel¡¯s complaints force my attention back to her. ¡°But I am bored! The others left me behind to watch your base while they have fun with the mortals and are building your empire. I also want to gather some worshippers for you.¡± Her expression turns sketchy and she sucks in her lower lip, quivering with excitement. ¡°Hnhnhn... I would convert entire towns, just by undressing on the plaza.¡± ¡°I think that''s the reason why the others left you to watch the base,¡± I comment. ¡°I don''t think that it would leave my religion in a positive light if my priestesses start undressing in the middle of town.¡± She is a succubus after all. The most likely outcome would be that all the men try to fuck her on the spot. Then their women get involved in an attempt to avenge their husbands'' unfaithfulness. ¡°I''m just not entirely certain if the ultimate outcome would be an orgy or a bloodbath.¡± ¡°Now that you mention orgies...¡± She reaches over the table and draws a circleon my chest. ¡°Didn''t you promise to pay me a visit? Back at the castle? You never showed yourself and I felt kind of stood up.¡± ¡°Oh...¡± I wet my lips. ¡°Things happened.¡± If I learned one thing during my time on the plane of lust, then it''s never to go back on a promise with a succubus. ¡°How can I make it up to you?¡± She looks me up and down and smiles. ¡°Why do I dislike that look of yours?¡± ¡°Because I know exactly how to punish you for ignoring me.¡± ***Elsewhere*** ***Willow*** ¡°Will she really be fine?¡± Belarius asks and strokes his white beard, slight lines of worry marring his elderly face. ¡°No. Nope.¡± Karin shakes her head. ¡°Just look at that thing! I will totally not be fine!¡± She points down into the town. ¡°That¡¯s a freaking scorpion! I hate spiders and this one has pincers and a tail! A house-sized scorpion with pincers as large as a carriage. There is no way I can fight that! Just crush it with a spell. You guys can easily deal with that thing.¡± A few minutes ago, all the village¡¯s alarms went off, announcing that we are being attacked. The monster broke through the city wall and went on a rampage in the living quarters of the civilians. As dutiful citizens, we joined Belarius in his rush to his bunker¡¯s balcony. I call it a bunker, but it¡¯s actually the head-mages abode. I thought we may be able to help. After all, he took us in when we had nothing more to give but our word. So I turn my attention to the battle. The village¡¯s guards are doing their best to distract the mutated creature, but without mentionable magical abilities of their own, they are nothing more than distractions. When one of them gets a hit in, with a spear or a halberd, it only cuts a small piece out of the creature¡¯s armour. Arrows are completely useless against the red, blue and green shimmering plates of chitinous armour which cover the whole monster. I watch as the scorpion reaches down with a pincer and catches one of the armoured guards. Lifting him up, it swipes with the other arm at a group of defenders who scatter like mice in front of a cat. Clamping down on the caught guard¡¯s chest plate, it separates the man in two with a casual ¡®snip¡¯. ¡°D- did you see that?¡± Karin gasps. ¡°There is no way I am going down there!¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be a little pussy,¡± I admonish her. ¡°We are now living in this place, whether we want to or not. What we certainly won¡¯t do is to neglect your training and we owe these nice people who took us in! This is the perfect chance to pay them back and to prove that we aren¡¯t monsters.¡± ¡°No- nononononono-¡± Taking her arm, I jump onto the balcony¡¯s balustrade and spin around, accelerating the payload in order to place her strategically in the combat zone, directly in front of the monster. ¡°Noooooooo¡­ why¡­ dooo¡­ youuu¡­ throwww¡­ meee¡­ everyyy¡­ timeee!¡± Launching Karin on a ballistic trajectory, I watch her spin helplessly through the air, only to land pathetically in front of the surprised creature. She somersaults three times before finally coming to a halt entirely too close to the monster, her beautiful white robes now defiled with dust and dirt. ¡°I still don¡¯t think that someone of her level should fight a mutated creature of that size,¡± Belarius murmurs. ¡°It must have been right in the centre of a mana storm to grow that large.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Karin is a good student, but nobody grows without learning to deal with life-threatening situations. She will survive.¡± I watch as the girl jump-rolls to the side, barely avoiding a pincer chopping down on her. Had she stayed in place, she would have been squashed to a pulp. ¡°So she won¡¯t be fine!¡± Belarius complains. I glance at him, quite curious why the old man took such a liking to Karin. I really hope that he doesn¡¯t have ulterior motives. But then I discard the thought. Ashley surely taught Karin how to take care of pushy men. ¡°Most likely not, but it¡¯s better to get a little roughed up than to die, right? She has to gather experience.¡± Returning my attention to the fight, I witness Karin playing cat and mouse with the monstrosity. Screaming, she is running in a circle while the scorpion-thing chases the cute, little morsel I threw in front of it. ¡°Tch! She is supposed to fight and kill that thing, not run in circles while the rest of the village gets trampled.¡± Raising my hands, I channel magic and cast Elemental Transformation, raising three durable walls to contain the two combatants. Realizing what¡¯s happening, Karin changes direction to escape through the only possible opening. I grin evilly and pour more power into the spell, raising the fourth wall, boxing the two of them in. Chapter 23 ***The World*** ***Seria*** ¡°They killed all of my supporters in that town, and then they went and had a freaking orgy in the ruins! How can you say that¡¯s not evil!?¡± Myrm snarls at me and I shrink back to avoid the spittle which involuntarily flies out of her mouth. At least I hope that it was involuntarily. Whew, she is pissed today. ¡°Well, you funded that town¡¯s resistance group and it was located within Luxley¡¯s territory. It¡¯s only natural for any government to strike down a rebellion. I admit that having an orgy among the remains of your fallen enemies is morally misguided, but it¡¯s not what I would call evil. I''ve seen many cultures who eat their enemies. Having a little survival sex after a mortal encounter seems comparably mild.¡± I finish laying out my point of view and materialize a tissue to clean my face. ¡°Myrm, are you sure that this assignment doesn¡¯t get to you? Each time we talk you are a little more agitated. I am worried about you.¡± ¡°I am only doing my job,¡± she replies defensively and reaches for her amulet, rubbing it between her thumb and index finger. Eyeing her trinket, I press my lips together as a suspicion slowly worms itself into my thoughts. Myrm was always a very wilful individual, but her fixation on Ascathon as her adversary struck me as odd. The same thing goes for her blind-sighted purpose of following the Council¡¯s creed. They never did anything that would warrant her loyalty. Add to that the fact that Myrm is ignoring all the hints which Nazareth, Marigold and I are giving her. She was always a little thick-headed in regards to taking advice, but what strikes me as odd is her violence towards Ascathon. From everything I know about their encounters, her recent attempt at assassinating him in front of Tjenemit was over the top. She clearly lost her self-control on that day. Could it be that the amulet¡¯s subtle magic is affecting her? But why should she be affected, while everyone else seems to be fine? I cast a look around her office, then I get up and turn my chair around, searching for additional spellwork. Under Myrm¡¯s suspicious gaze, I crawl beneath her office table in order to inspect her chair, any surface that''s not obvious and could be bespelled with magical circles. She gets up, stepping away from me. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to be?¡± she asks warily. ¡°Nothing. Just checking something,¡± I reply, knowing that I am making a fool out of myself. ¡°Say, Myrm, are you still training your external magic as I told you to do?¡± ¡°Hah!¡± She crosses her arms defensively in front of her chest and shrugs. ¡°Not very often. You know well enough that I damaged my ability to project in return for mastering my internal magic. So I have mostly given up on casting external spells. Why do you ask?¡± Nodding, I get out from beneath the table without having found anything. The difference between internal and external magic is what you can do with it. Most people with a magical gift are using both variants on an instinctual level. Internal magic is all about controlling the magical energy flow within your body. Some martial artists call it Ki, and Myrm is a master in that field. Then there is external magic, the ability to project and control energy outside your body. Unfortunately, that¡¯s exactly what¡¯s necessary to limit the amulet¡¯s effects on its holder. Reaching out, I cast a simple light-spell, pouring a stupid amount of energy into it for the sole purpose of charging the environment with energy. Myrm pulls a face and shields her eyes. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Just testing something. Myrm, I want you to take up your training again. Visit me as often as you can.¡± That should at least stop her from getting any worse. If I am correct, then the amulet already affected her. Her practise of internal magic doesn¡¯t require her to charge her environment with energy, therefore not affecting the enchantment on the amulet as severely as it happened with Ascathon¡¯s or mine. If I am right, then it would be an extremely bad idea to share any information about the Council¡¯s machinations with her. Her behaviour already indicates that she sees the Council as something that¡¯s superior to us. I really hope that I am wrong. Myrm doesn¡¯t answer. Instead, she displays a myriad of emotions on her face. ¡°But I have so much work to do with my religion. And I really suck at external magic. It just doesn¡¯t make any sense for me to learn it. Why should I waste time and effort on something that I¡¯ll never be able to use properly.¡± She stabs her hand towards her office window, which uses coloured glass to display a beautiful religious scene which I am unfamiliar with. ¡°Open the window and look out there. Every little acolyte in that courtyard has more magical skill than I do in his little finger, despite the fact that they are all mortals.¡± I roll my eyes. ¡°They have nowhere near enough talent to come even close to you. So what if they have no problem with casting a light spell? You are millennia ahead of them when it comes to internal magic. And you have millennia ahead of yourself to master your external magic as well. Didn¡¯t you complain to me about being unable to heal that girl who Ascathon took away with him?¡± Her expression darkens. ¡°I still can¡¯t believe that she will be fine with him. I can¡¯t even imagine what horrors she must be suffering under his yoke.¡± Not exactly fine, that may be leaning a little too far out of the window. Though, from the last time I spoke to Willow, the girl seems be blossoming. Maybe I should check up on them. Neither ofher two caretakersare true parenting material in their current state. ¡°She will survive and be stronger for it, but you are trying to change the subject. Don¡¯t you want to save girls like her in the future? The very least you could do is to master a basic healing spell. With the amount of power you have at your disposal, a basic spell from you would be on par with a priest¡¯s greater healing abilities.¡± She struggles a bit with the decision, but in the end she finally brings herself to promise me at least that much. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll see to it that I learn at least one or two minor healing spells.¡± I nod. ¡°Good. Then let¡¯s waste no time and start immediately. From now on, we are going to meet up every day!¡± Myrm¡¯s expression turns from resigned to horrified. I stay for a while longer with Myrm, ensuring that her office is saturated with magical energies. If she herself can''t damage the artefact around her neck, then I have to ensure that the enchantment deteriorates as it happened with Ascathon and myself. After an hour of forcing her to train her magic, I take my leave, promising to myself that I would visit her again tomorrow morning. Having Myrm''s mind influenced puts an entirely different perspective on the situation. If my theory is correct, then this might actually be a worst case scenario and I have no idea what to do. I know next to nothing about mind magic except for the basics and how to defend myself. There is only one person who might be able to do something. Taking a pathway out of Myrm''s office, I teleport directly into the idiot''s lair, appearing in the hallway of his underground base. Noises and idiotic giggling from the living room immediately draw my attention. ¡°Oh, yeah... that''s exactly the spot. Girl, you are fantastic. If it weren''t for that damn time dilatation, I would have visited you and the others on a regular basis.¡± Clenching my jaw, I grind my teeth together with enough force to create an audible sound. Expecting to barge in on a scene which I really don''t want to witness, I enter the living room.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Luckily, it''s much less annoying than I thought it would be. Ascathon is lying on the plush carpet in the middle of the room, while a half-naked succubus with green hair is sitting on his back, massaging his shoulders. What she is wearing countsbarely as a swim-suit; the red and frilly bra and panties are on the borderline to lingerie. He is wearing pants, so that''s not the worst I could have walked in on. ¡°Ahem!¡± I clear my throat, hoping to gain their attention. ¡°Isabel? Why are you stopping?¡± Ascathon looks up, but because of his positioning, he can''t see me. The succubus looks up and spots me, annoyance written all over her face. Her tail stands up straight and her eyes widen in shock when I reply by releasing a little of my aura. ¡°We need to talk, Ascathon,¡± I announce my presence. He jumps up, throwing off the girl who squeaks in dismay. She rolls off the floor and immediately seeks a position next to the couch which puts Ascathon between herself and me. Smart woman. ¡°What the actual fuck!? How by the howling Chaos did you get in here!? This is supposed to be a safe place.¡± Ascathon raises both hands and releases his own aura. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I am not here to start something.¡± I wave my hands, palms out, to show that I intend no harm. ¡°If it weren¡¯t an emergency I wouldn¡¯t be here. But you only visit Studio 7 when you want something and it¡¯s likely that weeks would have passed before you showed yourself. I need advice now.¡± His eyes narrow. ¡°Who told you about this place?¡± I purse my lips, not sure if I should rat out Willow. The woman is likable enough in my opinion, and aside from a certain other personality, she is the only person I know of who actually decided to stick with Ascathon for several centuries. Without her looking after him, he would be a neglected bum who is barely able to socialize with anyone. Not that he is able to socialize with people in his current state. All I want to say is that it would be worse without her influence. ¡°I am not sure if-¡± He rudely interrupts me, ¡°Not necessary! I can imagine who. After all, there is only one other person who was living here in the recent centuries. That drastically limits the pool of suspects. I just didn¡¯t expect her to be that foolish.¡± ¡°Willow isn¡¯t foolish,¡± I reply. ¡°She is just much better at judging people! Better than you! I am not your enemy, and Willow is smart for searching out other gods who may help her in case she manages to ascend on her own. The more of us who know about her, the less chance there is for her to vanish like the others. Can I ask my question now? You will have one good with me if you give me your input.¡± He furrows his forehead, not quite sure what to think of the situation. ¡°Is she an enemy? If not, then throw her out and let¡¯s continue from where we left off,¡± the succubus suggests from next to the couch. ¡°Shut up, pleasure doll, the adults are talking,¡± I reprimand her, ignoring the offended gasp. ¡°Miaow!¡± The noise draws my attention, and I look down, noticing Ascathon¡¯s little white kitten pawing at my foot. ¡°Hello, kitty! Long time no see!¡± I bend down and pick up the little purring familiar. ¡°Who is a good pet?¡± ¡°Arrgh!¡± Ascathon forms his fingers into claws, clearly showing his agitation. ¡°Betrayal! Mur, I hope you know what you are doing! Turning your back on your master like that!¡± The kitten isn¡¯t impressed and continues to purr in my palm. It even closes its eyes, totally relaxed. I furrow my own forehead. ¡°I hope you notice that you are regularly changing your familiar¡¯s name?¡± ¡°Ascathon? I really think you should throw her out. You promised me to pay me some attention,¡± the succubus rejoins the conversation. Ascathon rolls his eyes and massages his temples. ¡°Isabel! You aren¡¯t helping! Here.¡± He takes off an amulet from around his neck. Not the one which we got from Tjenemit, but a different kind. Holding it in his palm, he quickly draws some magical symbols above the amulet, changing its settings. Turning, he puts it around the succubus¡¯s neck. ¡°What-¡± Isabel asks, but her words are cut off when the artefact activates. ¡°Oh...¡± Her tail twitches. ¡°Oooh¡­ mmmh¡­¡± Her eyes roll upwards in their sockets and she starts twitching and moaning. Touching her own chest, she is about to please herself when her legs buckle and she topples backwards onto the sofa. After a few more seconds of silent ecstasy, twitching and impotently bucking her hips, she passes out with a gasp of pleasure.As if a hunger was finally satiated after centuries of starvation. ¡°What¡­ the¡­ heck¡­ was¡­ that?¡± I ask and look at Ascathon, feeling a cold shiver run down my spine. ¡°Succubus physiology 101. They evolved in a highly dangerous environment. For survival, their metabolism and their magical abilities are in overdrive mode, practically burning up their body. To combat that, they developed the ability to feed on the life force of other beings, but normally it¡¯s never enough for them. Their ¡®special skills¡¯ are meant to keep their prey alive and ignorant ofits fate while they feed. The amulet normally supplies me with life force by converting my own mana into energy, healing what the succubus takes for me. I switched off the limiter and set it to draw energy from the environment. I hope you noticed that it got several degrees colder.¡± ¡°So¡­ she is in a food coma?¡± I ask, intrigued. ¡°Essentially, yes, so what do you want.¡± He plants his hands on his hips, annoyed. ¡°Why are you interrupting? Because of you, I did something stupid. I am sure that she will want her own amulet now and tell all her friends. Then they will have no more reason to spend time with me.¡± He stabs his thumb at his own chest, putting on a mirthful expression.¡°And put on something normal if you don''t intend on hitting on me.¡± I look down at myself, feeling that there is nothing wrong with the light yellow summer-dress flowing along my curves. So I return my attention to him. ¡°Oh, I am so sorry, but we have a real problem,¡± I chide. ¡°I have very strong reason to believe that Myrm is affected by the amulet!¡± Then I continue to lay out the reasons for my suspicions and how Myrm¡¯s behaviour became ever more unreasonable since she was invited to our testing group. Ascathon listens to everything, massaging his chin with afurrowed forehead. When I finish he remains silent for a whole minute, looking at the floor. Finally, he returns his attention to me, giving me his verdict. ¡°I am sorry, but there is no solutionfor your problem, at least none that you would accept. If it¡¯s true that Myrm is such a unique creature, a master of internal mana manipulation, then it¡¯s possible that Myrm at least partly fell victim to the amulet¡¯s influence. We could only be sure if we get to examine the amulet. It¡¯s unlikely that Myrm will allow it if the amulet is indeed functioning.¡± ¡°Which solutions are there?¡± I ask, not wanting to give up on Myrm. He shrugs. ¡°The first thing to do you found out for yourself. Make sure that it doesn¡¯t get any worse by disabling the amulet. Simply expose it to highly magical environments. Maybe go on a field trip and accidentally throw Myrm into a mana storm?¡± He cackles. ¡°That would do the trick. But it has been months since the experiment started. Whatever effects took hold up until now are likely to be permanent. Even if Myrm reincarnates.¡± I nod. ¡°Good. I can accomplish that. What else can I do?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the part you won¡¯t like. I could pick Myrm¡¯s mind apart, tear the soul to shreds and rearrange the pieces to our liking, conveniently abandoning the parts that make Myrm feel loyalty towards the Council. I am sorry, but there is a reason why this type of mind magic is banned.¡± I blanch. ¡°So there is no solution apart from extreme intervention?¡± He shakes his head. ¡°Nope!¡± ***The World*** ***Ascathon*** I slowly drift in the water of my little illusionary beach scene, studying Ashley¡¯s reports as they hover in front of my face. The woman is a gift from heaven and a tactical genius. Her maps and predictions are so detailed that I am tempted to leave the entirety of this empire-building process in her capable hands. But as it always is with the world, there will be problems for which she will need my help. Myrm won¡¯t stand aside and do nothing while Luxley and his descendants take over the world. Ashley predicts that it will take a hundred years to take over the central continent¡¯s southern regions. I concur with her on that point. The regions which we¡¯ve set our eyes on will be militarily defeated and conquered much sooner, but Ashley is a smart one. She doesn¡¯t count those regions as an actual part of Luxley¡¯s empire until their populations have accepted our rule entirely. Rooting out all the resistance and making the public see things from our point of view will take one or two generations at the least. We can¡¯t waltz into a small kingdom with a few dozen large cities, bring down the current rulers and expect that everyone will immediately switch to our side. Taking care of the unrest which will be the direct result of such an action also isn¡¯t a problem. The world as a whole is already a highly militaristic medieval society and it isn¡¯t uncommon for young men to take up arms and fight in some small border conflict, or to join a mercenary guild, ending up fighting for some city-state three borders away from their home. This means that we don¡¯t lack troops, but it also means that it will be hard to make people see things my way. I want to return society to what it once was. A scientific culture which uses its knowledge to better the lives of the people. That can¡¯t happen without us forcing the population to change their habits. The children have to stop working in the fields and most of the men have to stay at home to build up our industrial revolution. We will still need mercenaries to beat down any form of uprising, but as the resistance wanes, we will be able to free up more men for actual work. Less and less soldiers will be needed so that we can shift our attention from the occupation of territory to establishing an actual border with our religious counterpart. I have no doubt that there will be conflicts with Myrm¡¯s faction. Battles will be fought and land will be lost and won over the years, but ultimately the split of the continent into two factions will remain. Many medieval empires make the mistake of growing larger than they are able to handle. They ride on the wave of their conquests, financing war after war with the loot of defeated enemies. Their success makes them blind to what lies behind them and before they realize it, their empire crumbles from within because they are unable to control all the land they grabbed without thinking. For that very reason, we have to limit ourselves and establish order within our domain before we can proceed. Unless Myrm is an utter fool, the same will apply tothe domain of light. Closing my eyes, I decide to take a small nap while I think things over. Chapter 24 ***Elsewhere*** ***Ascathon*** It''s quite endearing how the years tend to flow past someone who is immortal. I mean, when you have a succubus for every day of the month, you tend to lose track of time. So I waited, I observed, and I planned. Not only in regards to Myrm and her Alliance of Light, but I also had to keep the Council in mind. Then, of course, there was the little issue with Tjenemit''s decree, forbidding the gods from direct intervention. It¡¯s the reason why I leave most of the work to Ashley and her succubi. I needed to have half of my attention on the Crystal City and the political state of things. Patient as I am, I waited for my avatar to be ready while Ashley and her daughters took care of Luxley''s Empire. I might add that it''s totally unlike me to be that patient. Patient enough to leave Willow and Karin to their own devices, paying them only the occasional visit, therefore removing myself from the responsibility of being Karin''s teacher. Sadly, it meant that I missed how she bloomed into an adult, a quite wilful one at that. I think Willow''s character traits ended up rubbing off on her. But like with every good scheme, the time of blissful ignorance had to end at some point. Even the best lies and deflections end up coming to the light of day at one point or the other. To be exact, it had to end when Seria finally found out about Willow''s whereabouts and paid her ''friend'' a visit. As women are women, they ended up chatting and, of course, the topic of conversation strayed towards the current state of affairs at home and in the Crystal City. *Slap!* ¡°You let us rot in this place for over a decade! And now I find out from Seria that there is absolutely nothing going on at home, apart from the normal mortal squabbles! And there is no actual sign that the Council might do anything within the next millennia!¡± Willow raises her hand and slaps me again. ¡°I demand that you take us back home right this instant!¡± I look around the spartan living room which was given to Willow and Karin in return for their help in defending the city. It seems like even the upper echelons of society don''t live in luxury on this world. My attention lands on Seria, who smirks dirtily at me, happy that I am being scolded. Her white, silken dress flows gently around her curves. The material is almost transparent, hinting at the outlines of her body and her womanly features. It practically screams for a bucket of water to be emptied over her head, wetting that obscene piece of fabric. How is that naughty little bitch able to track down people over a distance of galaxies, timelines, and even dimensions? It defies logic. The most I can do is to take a ride on the pathway someone else used and follow them. Though, that only works if the person in question does it right in front of me. Seria is somehow able to track someone down years after the deed. ¡°Don''t forget to allow me too to get one in for good measure!¡± The young woman next to Willow demands, fire in her eyes. ¡°This place is hell. There are almost daily monster attacks, no matter the time of day.¡± I turn my attention to Karin, who developed into a young woman. Her red hair is like a cascade of fire flowing down her shoulders and over her back. Thanks to Willow''s rigorous training, she developed an athletic body, putting most other women to shame. Her choice of wardrobe is... eccentric... probably influenced by both Ashley and Willow. It looks almost like one of those impractical fantasy armours which females tend to wear in fantasy video games in order to service the male audience, walking that absurd line between functionality, sex appeal, and utter uselessness. ¡°I probably deserved that slap,¡± I admit after considering my options. It''s hard to say what exactly Seria told Willow before I arrived at the scene, but if she wants to drive a wedge between me and my loyal servant, then she has to get up earlier. I know Willow better than anyone. Pulling down the corners of my mouth, I try to sound regretful. ¡°I understand how you feel, but please try to see things from my point of view. You are my friend.¡± With benefits. ¡°An important part of my life. Back then, I really couldn''t be sure how things would have developed. I just wanted you to be in a place where the Council wouldn''t immediately become aware of you as soon as you ascended. Our world is currently under heavy observation. It just not safe for someone who is on the brink of ascension. Out here, you at least have a chance at staying undiscovered should you happen to ascend.¡± I put both hands onto my chest, making a show. ¡°I knew that you wouldn''t consent to a relocation, had I told you that things seem to have calmed down for now. It doesn''t change the fact that our home isn''t a safe place for anyone right now. Wouldn''t you at least consider staying here? I promise that this world has the best living conditions I managed to find so close to a Void Zone.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± The corners of Willow''s mouth twitch slightly upwards, turning into a smile. ¡°I wasn''t aware that I am such an important person to you.¡± Stepping forward, she hugs me and I reply in kind, feeling like I achieved a social victory. ¡°Ascathon?¡± Willow whispers into my ear. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I am very open-hearted, but the way this is going is a little too far. If you don''t stop squeezing my ass like that in front of the others, you will be forced to use your other body for a week or two. That''s how long it will take to repair the damage to this one,¡± she announces with fire in her words. I immediately get my meddlesome hand back under control and place it on Willow''s back instead. ¡°Sorry. I think I am getting too used to my other minions.¡± ¡°That''s another thing we will have to talk about. I hope you didn''t let any of them into my rooms?¡± Willow asks a little bit pensively. ¡°Of course not!¡± I reply with vigour in my voice. It took a while for me to understand Willow''s character. She is willing to take a lot and do many things in my service, but her private quarters and their secrets are a line not to be crossed. ¡°I put everything into a stasis field after your departure. It''s like the day you left.¡± ¡°Good! You can let go now,¡± she replies briskly. I open my arms, a little sad to let her go. ¡°I assume that I can''t talk you out of returning home?¡± I look around the room. It''s not as bad as she says, though who can understand the hearts of women who are used to living in luxury? There is more than enough space and it''s clean. I wouldn''t need more than that. ¡°I mean, you just have a table, beds and a few books, but if it''s really just about luxury items I can bring you some. We could go to a technologically advanced world and raid a shopping mall.¡± Karin''s eyes start gleaming at that suggestion. ¡°Yes! By all means! Let''s go now! Ever since that damn machine of yours put all that knowledge into my brain I wanted to see such a mythical place!¡±Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°Hush, dear.¡± Willow waves her hand, immediately dimming the girl''s enthusiasm as if she were a well-trained dog. Turning her attention back to me, Willow straightens her spine. ¡°We are going back. Now!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I raise both hands defensively, wondering what else I could try to change her opinion. The problem is that Seria is also here. If I refuse to take Willow back, the blonde goddess would certainly do it. ¡°Get your things and say goodbye to the locals, then we leave.¡± Maybe I can use the time of their absence to convince Seria that it''s safer for them to stay here. We could leave Willow and Karin here, and I come back to get Karin at a later date. Willow links arms with Karin, looking at me defiantly. ¡°Just take us back. There is nothing we need to take with us and no person who isn''t aware that we could leave at any moment without notice.¡± Karin nods after a moment of hesitation. ¡°Yeah, no need to see the geezer.¡± So they prepared for this? My musings are interrupted when a red tear of energy rips space itself apart right in the middle of the room. Blue and red chaotic energies form a portal and a delicate, naked leg in high heels appears through the portal, flaunting perfect red skin, followed by Ashley in all her glory. The succubus presents herself in a black china dress with the depiction of a dragon stitched onto it with golden thread. She searches the room, positioning her hands on her hips. ¡°Ascathon, there you are. We have a proble- ah-¡± ¡°That''s our ticket!¡± Pulling Karin with her, Willow pushes past Ashley, almost making the succubus matriarch stumble because of her ridiculous stilettos. They jump through the portal. ¡°Hey!¡± Ashley complains. ¡°Ascathon said that I am not allowed to take you back!¡± Sighing, I wave her off. ¡°Let it be, I would have had to take them back anyway. I think their exile has lasted for long enough.¡± Grumbling, I place my hands in my pockets and follow the two back to our own world. Instead of taking the offered ride, Seria simply appears on the other side of the portal, having taken the pathways. Ashley is the last to return. Running a finger along the seam of the portal, she shuts it like a zipper. Now no longer supported by the portal''s light, the room dims, making it hard to see. The place is large but dark, musky, and dirty. A humid cellar? No, there is also the definitive scent of blood and urine. Raising a hand, palms up, I cast a flurry of light globes, plastering the ceiling with them and lighting up the room. ¡°Ooh, nice. A good old torture chamber.¡± Appreciating the generous assortment of equipment scattered around the room, I test the pointy nails of the iron maiden next to me. ¡°I would like to say that it''s good to be home, but I''ll wait with that until I am actually there,¡± Willow mumbles demurely. ¡°Sorry, but portals are simple point to point dimensional warping. I''ve yet to find a way to make them deposit you at a destination of your wish.¡± Ashley muses, tapping her chin with a finger. ¡°If I could do that, that would make me almost equal with a lesser deity.¡± ¡°You said something about an emergency?¡± I ask, trying to get the demoness back on track. ¡°And where are we?¡± ¡°Oh, yes! These are the dungeons beneath Luxley''s palace!¡± She claps her hands together, then points somewhere behind me. ¡°The Alliance of Light sent spies into our territory, again! It''s slowly getting old. We caught two of them.¡± ¡°So what''s the problem?¡± I ask, not understanding the issue. ¡°Just interrogate and dispose of them. Or use them for counter-intelligence. There should be no big issue with that.¡± I follow Ashley''s finger towards two people who are chained to large and robust chairs. One of them is quite dead. His skin is sunken in and he has a lustful expression on his face. His erection is still standing proudly for all to see, making it quite clear which method of interrogation Ashley chose to deploy. The other is still alive, and while he looks a little worse for wear, he is glaring at us defiantly. Garbed in the white and red costume of one of Luxley''s imperial officials, he most likely gained access to some information which we don''t want our enemies to have. ¡°Yes.¡± Ashley strides forward, gesturing at the pair. ¡°It''s nothing unusual for the Lighties to send spies, but this is something new. Apparently, their god found a way to make his fanatics immune to interrogation.¡± She pats her belly, looking satiated, but bewildered at the same time. ¡°I took the soul of that one when they refused to yield to the normal methods, but somehow his memories remain inaccessible even now. All I get from digesting his soul is incoherent mumble-jumble that makes no sense.¡± The other women in the room look appalled, while my own curiosity is peaked. ¡°You will never get us to talk! Spawn of hell!¡± The other man spits out defiantly, despite his state. It''s quite obvious that Ashley opted for a little sadistic play before she chose magical interrogation. Stepping closer, I poke the man''s forehead in an attempt to read his mind, but all I encounter is gaping emptiness. ¡°Interesting. It''s like he isn''t there. Either he has some pretty impressive defenses, or he is as dumb as a piece of rock.¡± He looks a little peeved at my assertion. Tilting my head, I study him in a new light. ¡°Isn''t Myrm bad at magic? This must be some really advanced form of mental defence.¡± Turning my head, I look at Seria, but the goddess just shrugs, playing the card of innocent neutrality. ¡°Maybe it''s not magic, but a mundane solution?¡± Willow suggests. ¡°Possible,¡± Ashley admits. ¡°I tried a little torture, then mental techniques and finally absorbing his soul. Nothing worked on them, so when I finally wasted one of the subjects I decided to get you. I honestly have no clue how they are doing it.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± I place a hand on the living subject and try again, but there is nothing. It''s like his mind slips away as soon as I try to burrow into it. Normally, there should be something like a wall, holding the enemy at bay. This method of defence is quite different from anything I have encountered before. I poke the man''s chest quite forcefully and he twitches. ¡°It seems like they are still receptible to pain. Maybe mind magic isn''t necessary?¡± ¡°Oh, we don''t want to see that. Karin, let''s leave this to them and go home.¡± Willow reaches for her charge. ¡°Nonono.¡± I wave my hand to stop her. ¡°Let the girl stay. She can learn from this.¡± ¡°No matter what you do, our minds and souls are protected, and our wills are strong. There is no pain you can inflict on us that would make us talk,¡± the prisoner interjects vehemently, raising his chin. I place a hand on top of his head, stroking his unkempt hair so that it doesn''t fall into his face. ¡°Oh, mortal. You have no idea what I am or what I am capable of. You see, there are so many different ways of breaking the mind, and I see myself as an expert.¡± Grinning, I look down at him, but he somehow seems reluctant to meet my eyes. Turning to Ashley, I decide to share some information with her. ¡°Ashley, as a demoness you are also a sort of expert, but you seem to have forgotten that there are other terrors than lust and ecstasy to make someone talk. When you interrogate someone, it''s not so much about the sensations, you have to show them that there are so much worse things than simple death by torture.¡± ¡°I was prepared for anything when I took this job,¡± the man insists stubbornly, apparently believing that I am holding this speech for him. ¡°Hm. Yes,¡± I reply and reach down, testing the fingers of his hand for their structure, carefully massaging the digits. I want the best one if I really have to do this. ¡°Ha!¡± He huffs. ¡°Do you think to break my fingers changes anything?¡± Selecting the index finger of his right hand, I kneel down in front of him. ¡°Look at me, puny mortal.¡± I snap my fingers in front of his eyes. ¡°Hey, really, look at my eyes. Yes. Do you really think that I am human? After looking into my eyes? How many humans do you know who have completely black eyes? Breaking your fingers, that would be a human thing to do, mortal.¡± Then I grin, showing him my perfect, sharp teeth. ¡°But this body is certainly not human. Nor am I some random villain. Did you forget your own religion? I am the evil one in this story.¡± Bending forward, I bite into his index finger. He screams and squeals like a pig as I gently, delicately bite off the first digit. After all, I want him to feel it. He struggles against his bindings until the very end, rocking the heavy chair with his whole body until finally, the appendage separates from his body. Then I get back to my feet, chewing on the delicate flesh while wiping off my lips. ¡°You know, it''s been a while since I tried human flesh. It¡¯s a bit chewy, but you get used to the metallic taste when it¡¯s fresh and bloody.¡± ¡°Fuuuck!¡± The man gasps heavily and looks up at me with a horrified expression. ¡°You insane motherfucker!¡± Then a quite ingenious stream of insults spills from his mouth. I take my time, listening to every word while I chew very carefully. He shuts up when I push out the fingernail from between my lips like someone would expel a fishbone. I take it and split the nail with my fingers to clean my teeth with the sharp edge. ¡°You know...¡± I smack my lips. ¡°The tendons are always a little chewy, they tend to get caught between the teeth.¡± I spit a perfectly white fingerbone into his lap and he looks at it, horrified. ¡°Did you know that, depending on the age of a person, there are more or less 206 bones inside a human body? It means that I get to do this 204 more times. You don¡¯t believe me that you will survive until the only remaining bone is your skull? Oh, but you will.¡± Showing him my teeth, coloured by his blood, I observe as he pales a little further. ¡°I got quite skilled over the millennia.¡± Then I flick his forehead. ¡°It¡¯s just that last bone that¡¯s always a bother. Once you crack that thing open and spoon out the insides, people give up the ghost. But don¡¯t worry. You have a master over souls right here. I¡¯ll take yours out of what remains of your body and attach it to the skeleton servant which I¡¯ll create from your cleaned up bones. I already have one soulless servant, but I¡¯ll make an exception just for you. You will get to watch the skeleton¡¯s actions from the back-seat for all eternity.¡± Suddenly, the man is very eager to talk. Words spill from his mouth. It seems like he doesn¡¯t know where to start with giving us information. Chapter 25 ***The World*** ***Willow*** ¡°Gods, I hate it when he decides to play the evil guy. How can anyone enjoy eating another sentient being? Can¡¯t he practice his culinary perversions somewhere else?¡± I turn away so that I don¡¯t have to face the music, unable to watch Ascathon chewing on someone. ¡°Turn away, Karin. We don¡¯t have to watch that, even if he says that its to teach you.¡± I take my green-faced pupil¡¯s arm and turn her away from the scene. Of course, Ashley, the succubus matriarch smiles gleefully and changes positions so that she can talk to me while she watches Ascathon proceed with the interrogation. ¡°Aw, don''t be so squeamish,¡± Ashley chortles and tilts her hips slightly, probably unconsciously, thanks to years of being who she is. ¡°It''s actually quite the ingenious technique,¡± she praises. ¡°It totally eluded me that biting off a few bits actually works that well on mortals. I assumed that the spy was a cold-hearted bastard after I consumed his companion. The guy didn¡¯t show the slightest bit of fear or hesitation and kept chanting his insults, a fanatic right down to the core.¡± I purse my lips. ¡°Well, even if you consumed his friend, I don''t think that seeing your colleague spend his last moments in sexual bliss is actually that frightening.¡± In my experience, some men even think that it''s the best way to die. ¡°There are surely worse ways to go than having a femme fatale suck out your life-force while you are on cloud nine and grinning like stupid. It certainly won¡¯t frighten someone who watches the scene as much as seeing his friend dismembered or eaten.¡± ¡°Hum.¡± She pulls at her lower lip, thinking hard. ¡°Come to think of it, that might have been a mistake of mine. It seems like I have become a little too set in my ways after millennia of living on the Plains of Lust. But in hindsight, how could I have known that digesting the man¡¯s soul wouldn¡¯t have brought the desired result? In my experience, that method always worked perfectly until now.¡± I shrug. ¡°You couldn¡¯t have known.¡± ¡°I think I am getting sick!¡± Karin complains after listening to the noises of the interrogation, a pale sheen colouring her face. ¡°Just kill him already, Ascathon.¡± She turns to shoot an angry glare at the god. ¡°Oh, no, not the ear!¡± Finally, the kid decides to turn away covering her mouth in an attempt to hold back the contents of her stomach. Smirking, I nudge the girl. ¡°See? I told you not to watch.¡± ¡°I think we have a bucket somewhere.¡± Ashley strolls away, retrieving a bucket from the corner of the room. ¡°I thought you are used to death and gore, girl. Do I have to put you through a wholly different training course before we actually start learning spells?¡± Karin takes the bucket and holds it against her chest to be ready, should the urge to retch overcome her. ¡°It¡¯s not about blood, gore or death. I couldn¡¯t care less about those things, or about what happens to evil people. Bad men deserve bad things happening to them.¡± I raise both eyebrows. ¡°So what¡¯s the problem then?¡± She shakes her head. ¡°It¡¯s the thought of eating something raw! Haven¡¯t you ever bitten into cartilage? It¡¯s so chewy and resistant, even if it¡¯s cooked well. Just imagine the feeling or taste when it¡¯s raw. Oh, gods, I can¡¯t even think about it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s actually quite the unique weakness, girl.¡± Ashley¡¯s attention returns to the prisoner. ¡°Ah, Ascathon! If you are done with him, please don¡¯t kill him off. We still need him.¡± ¡°Huh? What for?¡± Ascathon asks. Turning around, I find him bent over the crying mortal, his hand on the man¡¯s throat. At least he isn¡¯t going to bite the man¡¯s jugular to end it. Ashley steps towards Karin, taking her by the arm. ¡°Come, dear. We finally found a test subject for you to practise on. I think you are now old enough so that we won¡¯t hurt your moral compass. He even looks decent.¡± Karin shakes her head, looking at the mutilated man. Ascathon did quite the number on him. The prisoner is missing multiple fingers and an ear, combined with several other minor wounds. I wince. We spent over a decade away from home, so Karin developed into a beautiful young woman. Even though a lot of time passed, Ascathon¡¯s special gifts held her in better shape than most mages. Despite being in her twenties, she still looks like sweet eighteen. A well-endowed teenager whose curves would make a cover model jealous, but everyone can tell that her face didn¡¯t yet lose the innocence of a child. ¡°Wha- what? Practise?¡± Karin asks, blinking her cute heterochromatic eyes. Then she realizes what Ashley¡¯s intentions are and shakes her head vehemently. ¡°No! Certainly not! Look at him. He is all chewed up!¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s okay, dear. Not everyone likes using blood as lubrication,¡± Ashley replies, causing Karin to gasp in shock. My pupil¡¯s eyes turn towards me, searching for help. ¡®Sorry,¡¯ I mouth voicelessly, not having forgotten the promise Karin made with Ashley. I don¡¯t know much about demons, but the little I know is enough to tell that you don¡¯t break a promise with a demon. Much like with the fae and my original people, the fairies, words hold power in their culture. They are incredibly tricky and devious creatures, and you can be sure that they will twist the nature of a contract as much to their benefit as they can. Once a promise is made, they might not honour to the spirit of a contract but will stick to the letter of it with all their might. For all I know, this development might be good for Karin. During the whole time which we spent in that other world, she didn¡¯t even look at boys. At first, the natives were staying away from us, but after getting used to us, Karin quickly collected a harem of male admirers who all got rejected with vehemence. Instead of interacting with people her age, she threw herself into her studies and sucked up my teachings like a sponge. I actually think that she wasted a bit of her life, throwing away a chance like that. Sadly, she didn¡¯t listen to my advice. The two or three girls she was ever talking to never managed to get her to come out of her shell. They were distant friends, no more. Karin didn¡¯t even spare a second thought at saying goodbye when our chance to depart arrived. ¡°I don¡¯t like giving others my own life energy, but sometimes a teacher has to prepare the ground for the student. Pay good attention, Karin. This is called Greater Healing Kiss and it¡¯s a very important spell if your prey is weak.¡± Ashley digs her fingers into the whimpering man¡¯s hair and pulls his head back. Bending forward, she places her lips on the man¡¯s mouth. A pink aura surrounds him and his injuries seem to magically disappear. His eyes glaze over and he starts drooling in complete bliss, his body relaxing visibly. Letting go of her victim, Ashley starts instructing her student on various naughty techniques succubi use to befuddle their prey¡¯s mind. Turning away from the two, I step closer to Ascathon who seems deep in thought. ¡°Have you learned anything useful?¡±If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. He shrugs. ¡°Not as much as I would have liked, but enough to go proceed with care. Just as a good spy should, the guy doesn¡¯t know much about the Alliance of Light¡¯s military and economy. The orders he was given were to gain as much information about our capabilities and intentions as possible. Something that¡¯s to be expected from a spy. ¡°What¡¯s troublesome about it, is that they were encouraged to take great risks in acquiring information if the reward was equally promising. It¡¯s the only reason why the two were caught. They spent seven years building their identities in order to gain access to Luxley¡¯s palace. That takes dedication and patience. They even have families back in their districts. For all we knew, they were loyal citizens of the empire. But even as minor district officials, they were not permitted to rummage through the palace¡¯s administration offices. That¡¯s where they were ultimately caught.¡± I wet my own lips, weighing this new information with my experience. After years as an assassin, I got quite good at judging political developments. After that, I helped to build the Mirai Empire, serving in various functions, playing always close to the ongoings of political events. It¡¯s not that hard to compare the current events to those of the past. History tends to repeat itself. ¡°Usually, when a country gets very pushy with their spying activities, something is up. Is the Alliance of Light actively preparing for war?¡± Ascathon nods. ¡°It¡¯s always something like that when someone wants to know exactly where the enemy¡¯s troops and garrisons are, not just a general estimation of how much they have. The fact that they were instructed to take risks is also pretty condemning. Someone high above them must have a tight timetable.¡± He scratches his chin. ¡°What puzzles me more is how Myrm did it.¡± ¡°The immunity to mind magic?¡± I ask. ¡°Yes. I have an idea on what happened to the spies, but it¡¯s mind boggling, especially since Myrm apparently achieved it through mundane means. There is no magical signature whatsoever, but somehow the connection between the physical body and the soul was loosened, making it almost impossible to get a firm grip on their soul¡¯s anchor, which is necessary to get to their minds and their memories. I assume that¡¯s also the reason why Ashley can¡¯t read their soul¡¯s memories properly. Their connections to the physical world are too damaged.¡± He shakes his head. ¡°Myrm must have found a way to damage this connection through mundane means. The spy said that he was given some potion which is apparently responsible for his resistance to mind magic. That¡¯s as much concerning as it is exciting. I would have to spend a day or two playing with someone¡¯s mind to achieve the same thing.¡± I look at him, forcing my eyes away from the scene of Karin trying to kiss the prisoner with a disgusted expression on her face while Ashley is trying to get her to loosen up and smile while kissing someone. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of such a technique. Why did you put me through all that rigorous training to fortify myself against mind probes? If it¡¯s as easy as having a professional fumble around in-¡± He raises a hand to stop me. ¡°It¡¯s not as easy as fumbling around in someone¡¯s mind. The body and soul of any sentient being is a very complicated thing. Imagine the body as the hardware, a hard drive with limited capacity. The soul is the cloud on the internet which regularly draws backups and restores what¡¯s lost in case the hard-drive suffers a malfunction. Damaging the connection between the two can result in a myriad of bad things. The least thing that would happen is that the person will lose the ability to ascend; or will be damned to a standstill until the damage repairs itself. At worst, the person in question will lose their grip on reality, should the connection malfunction and ¡®download¡¯ memories from other lifetimes they aren¡¯t supposed to have.¡± ¡°So¡­ what was done to them should only be done to someone who is expendable? But if ¡®downloading¡¯ memories from this soul can be so harmful, then how are we immortals able to handle it?¡± I ask. ¡°Mortals are unable to handle such memory flashes because the anchor to their soul isn¡¯t strong enough. Immortals have grown sufficiently in strength to handle the shock. Still, sometimes a mortal is faced with a situation they are unable to handle, something that¡¯s so emotionally devastating that the memory carries over to other lifetimes. That¡¯s why there are some people in the loony bin who are, at least physically, completely healthy. I hope that you understand why I won¡¯t do something like that to people who I care about.¡± I press my lips together. ¡°Is that how you are stopping me from ascending?¡± ¡°No. The mental training sessions I taught you are exactly what I proclaimed them to be. Techniques to tighten and limit your control over magical power. Should you ever want to ascend, you just have to reach for as much power as you can. That¡¯s how an immortal normally ascends. They find themselves in a challenging situation and they refuse to yield to fate. Instead of going on to the next reincarnation, they channel more power than their anchor can handle. Which results in either them failing, or ascending to godhood by unlocking their potential.¡± ***The World*** ***Seria*** ¡°What do you two think of the current developments?¡± I ask, eyeing Nazareth and Marigold. The two brothers went into hiding after our little excursion into the Council¡¯s facilities. It shows that they may not be on the Council¡¯s side, but that their desire for survival is stronger than their will to fight. I probably shouldn¡¯t try to recruit them to my cause. They are the type of people tend to roll over as soon as the odds aren¡¯t in their favour. Quite the unusual trait for gods, but there are surely stranger things. Not everyone ascends through strife and hardship. Some take the long way, slowly going step by little step until they ultimately crawl over the finish line. ¡°Also, isn¡¯t it time for you two to stop hiding? It¡¯s quite certain by now that the Council didn¡¯t catch onto our identities, or they would have already come after us.¡± ¡°It¡¯s never wrong to be careful,¡± Nazareth protests. ¡°And it¡¯s not like the two of us have any connections or special traits that the Council is interested in. The both of us are a dime and a dozen when it comes to skills. My brother is a talented fighter, but that¡¯s nothing special as far as the Council is concerned. They have more than enough guards.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± I admit. ¡°But a few weeks after the deed it slowly gets ridiculous. To be honest, if Tjenemit catches onto the fact that the two of you are behaving like two schoolboys who shattered a window, he might get suspicious. By behaving as if you have to hide something, you are painting targets onto your backs.¡± ¡°She is right, brother. We are drawing a different form of attention by going into seclusion. It¡¯s quite the unusual behaviour for us. We should be glad that nobody but our friends noticed,¡± Marigold admits. He furrows his forehead and allows his attention to wander, taking in the seemingly endless wasteland all around us. We are in the desolated zone in the centre of the continent. A huge, roughly circular area of radiation and polluted soil, previously called the Enternal Battlefield where two nations fought an unending war for riches and political reasons. That is, until a person by the name of Joyce arrived on the scene, later known as Nova Mirai, the Necromantic Empress. She pulled the strings of friend and foe alike, steering the mighty and powerful to assemble their forces in this area. She dangled irresistible prices in front of the faces of mortal and immortal foes alike, having them march to their own doom. Then, in a single, mighty strike, she eradicated the main forces of the Alliance, the Empire, and the Consortium. At the time, those were the superpowers of the world and with their forces crushed, they couldn¡¯t stop Nova¡¯s rise and her achieving world domination. The price she was willing to pay was the lives of hundreds of thousands of soldiers and innocents, and a huge blight in the middle of the continent that didn¡¯t heal millennia afterwards. This world was always a pool of discontent and a playground of the many immortals who happened to reincarnate in it. But she/he was the only one who stood above them all. Finally, the huge half-orc stops his silent brooding and shares his thoughts with us. ¡°History repeats itself. Myrm and Ascathon are assembling their forces once more, and whether they realize it or not, they are recreating what they fought so long ago.¡± He chuckles. ¡°They are even calling it the Empire and the Alliance. Maybe they are subconsciously remembering the past.¡± I shift around on the stone which I chose as a seat. Just now Marigold sounded like he realized something inconvenient about Myrm. Does he know who her soul belonged to? ¡°I hope that you won¡¯t do something unnecessary. As I already explained, Myrm can¡¯t be trusted at the moment.¡± He nods. ¡°Good,¡± I continue. ¡°As for the names, they are quite unfortunate, but fitting for the political structures they are trying to enforce.¡± ¡°Whatever.¡± Nazareth huffs. ¡°I want no part in it. If they want to use the mortals for their squabbles, then they can do so. I have no particular love for this world, but all of us can probably imagine that this won¡¯t end with mortals fighting mortals. I know Myrm well enough, and I had enough time to observe Ascathon. Neither of them is the type of person to back down from a challenge. Mark my words.¡± The little gnome pulls in his legs, changing his sitting position to a cross-legged one. Then he looks up at his brother. ¡°They will continue to escalate. At one point, either of the two will raise his hand against a mortal of the other side. The other will retaliate in kind and things will slide out of control until the two will face off against each other.¡± He looks at me. ¡°You probably shouldn¡¯t think of that happening as a ''possibility''. It¡¯s not a question whether it will happen, but when.¡± His face crunches up in a displeased expression. ¡°And once that happens, we should probably be prepared for Tjenemit entering the scene.¡± Chapter 26 ***The Crystal City*** ***Ascathon*** Studio 7, the place where everything began is properly attended today. All of the odd two dozen gods of the world''s pantheon are present and paying full attention to Tjenemit who is residing on the central stage like a lecturer. While trying to be unassuming, I search the ranks of our little pantheon carefully in an attempt to judge the mood. Most of us are watching the proceedings with bored expressions, but some can''t hide their hostility. A few years of semi-slavery can do that to even the most docile of gods. Among those with power, even the timid ones are used to doing what they want. Tjenemit pays those obvious discontents no attention, assured in the knowledge that any hostile action from their side wouldn''t end well for them. ¡°My friends!¡± He claps his hands together, making sure that he has everyone''s attention. ¡°I welcome you to the first proper project review. It has been a few years and I must say that I am pleased. We didn''t achieve all of our milestones, butwe did achievemost of them. First of all, I want to honour Zenial, our beloved goddess of the moon, and Laurin, god of harmony and love. Both of them managed to fulfil their assigned duty of identifying potential ascendants to godhood and reported them as it is proper.¡± He waves his hands, obviously urging us to congratulate the pair. Then he claps for applause. The reaction is subdued and it takes a while for the rest of the room to reluctantly join in with the clapping. In order to not be the one who stands out, I also decide to clap a few times, just to go with the flow. The two people in question look embarrassed. Zenial is playing with her hair and focusing on the far wall, while Laurin''s smile is obviously faked. The god of harmony and love nods embarrassedly to those who pay him their respect, his long, brown hair falling into his face. I am quite sure that everyone in this room is aware that snitching on those two immortals did them no favour. It''s quite likely that more of us found people with potential, but decided to keep their mouths shut instead of blurting out the identities of identified immortals. Just like I did with Willow and Karin. Tjenemit launches into a lengthy explanation of how the two deities in question managed to identify their immortals. Which I have to admit is quite the feat without soul magic. Zenial and Laurin had to rely on their wits, identifying the other party''s nature by relying on their knowledge and by judging the behaviour of the people in question. Most immortals tend to get pretty good at hiding their true nature, thanks to an endless line of reincarnations. After getting locked up in a nuthouse for the first time, even the most stupid of us get the lesson. A life of being fastened to a bed and kept under with sedatives tends to be worth remembering. Not that this ever happened to me, I certainly don''t speak from experience, but anyone would become careful about being too lenient with giving away sensitive information without having the power to protect oneself. There are always those who wish to acquire what''s yours if you can''t show them that such a thing comes with a hefty price. I assume that this phase of an immortal''s existence separates the smart ones from the idiots. Those who learn to keep their mouths shut are also those who tend to have long lifespans, eventually achieving their immortality and godhood. Tjenemit clears his throat and the room falls silent again. ¡°As for the rest of you, I am sure that you will manage to do your part in time. After all, even with the world enchantment guiding you towards possible candidates, it''s not like immortals or mortals who have the potential grow on trees. Though the world is located on a nexus point, we are searching for maybe one or two people among a whole world''s population, each century! That''s how rare such people are.¡± He crosses his arms regally behind his back. ¡°To be honest with you, I didn''t expect this program to yield such fantastic results. I assumed that it would have to run for a millennium at the very least in order to show mentionable results.¡± That causes some murmurs and stirring among the listeners. Some of those who looked displeased beforeseem now outright hostile. Apparently, they are slowly realizing that this assignment won''t end any time soon. In fact, it is likely Tjenemit will have us remain in our current functions for as long as this project keeps running. At worst, we might remain bound to playing gods for the mortals for as long as we exist, with the death of our current consciousness being the only way to escape this situation. Such a thing isn''t unheard of. It wouldn''t be the first time for a bored god to choose the obliteration of his consciousness and all memories. Some end up preferring this solution to eternal existence. They return as mortals to the great cycle of life and death, eventually climbing back to godhood. ¡°The project didn''t run perfectly, I admit that. We had a few severe issues in the first weeks, and are still experiencing problems with adapting the world enchantment, but we are getting there.¡± He laughs. ¡°It''s not like we don''t have all the time in the world, right? If anything, then it''s time which we don''t lack.¡± No shit. From my point of view, it seems like Tjenemit is rushing this project. There are so many bugs in the World Enchantment that I doubt that it was ever tested before the Council unleashed it on us. I think nobody will forget what''s hatefully called the ''24/7-Incident'' among the pantheon. Being teleported from one worshipper to the other without breaks isn''t a small programming error. Such things only happen when the people in charge don''t even take the time to check their numbers. I return my attention to Tjenemit, realizing that he continued to speak while I was lamenting my fate. ¡°...which brings us to the last point on today''s list.¡± Tjenemit makes eye-contact with me and I straighten my back, surprised by the sudden change of topic; which apparently concerns me. What did I do? ¡°I''ve heard that there are two large factions forming on the world. One so-called Alliance of Light and an Empire of Chaos?¡± The Council member enquires. I shrug, feeling compelled to answer. ¡°You know how these mortals are. They always find an excuse to form political and moral ideologies which they can use to draw lines in the sand.Then, they use those to justify warring against each other. It''s always the same spiel. There is absolutely no reason to be surprised by it.¡± ¡°I heard that you are among those who actively support this development?¡± Tjenemit continues in a questioning tone. I wave my hand dismissively and lean back in my seat in an attempt to seem calm and collected. ¡°I am certainly not supporting my believers. These things would happen with or without my influence. I admit that I am shaping their view of me, and the development of their political structures. But my influence only goes as far as to not allow random cultists or religious leaders to shape the sheep''s thoughts to further their own power and financial gain. ¡°If I have to play this role, then I don''t want to be seen as some monster or demon lord, but as a being that can be benign to those who are deserving. Do you know how depressing it is to be summoned into a sacrificial chamber each and every day?¡± Someone snorts to my left, drawing Tjenemit''s attention. ¡°Not supporting them my ass! You even brought in a bunch of succubi for help!¡± Myrm complains loud and clearly. It''s the petulant cry of a child who was outmanoeuvred, but it''s not my fault that he failed to secure all the assistance he could get. The Council member looks at me. ¡°You brought in a bunch of demi-gods for assistance? I didn''t know that you have such connections.¡± Neither did I until I remembered that particular life and checked in on Ashley, finding her still remembering me against all the odds. ¡°It''s hard to shape an entire nation''s religious belief!¡± I defend myself. ¡°Is it my fault for having connections and employees? I assure you that they are just weak beings from the infernal planes. Nothing a god would have to worry about. They certainly lack the ability to damage the world, if that''s your concern.¡± Tjenemit purses his lips and draws out the following three words in order to gain some time to think. ¡°I suppose not? If they are no danger and are following your instructions, then that''s fine with me as long as you take responsibility for their actions.¡± He furrows his forehead and studies the ceiling. ¡°I suppose I never forbade to arrange assistance.¡± ¡°I have all of them quite firmly in hand. They are only using their abilities to shape the mortals'' opinion of me,¡± I reassure him quickly, hoping that I am not leaning too far out of the window by vouching for Ashley and her daughters.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Finally, he concludes, ¡°It just makes me wish that all members of this project would be dedicated enough to build up an organizational structure which makes it hard for anyone of mentionable power to slip past their attention. It''s recommendable that you invest so much effort.¡± His eyes drift over the other deities. ¡°Most of you just go with the flow, like driftwood on a river instead of trying to actively steer the boat.¡± I nod quickly and bow slightly in my seat. ¡°I can assure you that I have my eyes on everyone who is a possible candidate for godhood. You will be informed, should they come anywhere close to ascension.¡± He tilts his head and nods slowly. ¡°Just remember to remain passive. I don''t want to wake up and find out that the world went to shit and our project is busted, just because two deities had an argument.¡± His eyes wander over to Myrm. ¡°I can assure you that I won''t act without provocation,¡± Myrm replies. ¡°Then stop the provocations from your side,¡± I snitch. ¡°First, you attacked one of my most important followers within my own temple, and now you are sending mind-manipulated spies after my followers. Worse, you attacked me right in front of a Council member. I think they call such behaviour being a loose cannon!¡± ¡°It wasn''t a temple! It was and still is a palace! You are just trying to misconstrue the truth!¡± Myrm replies, shaking beneath his armour. ¡°And it''s certainly not my fault if my followers are offended by yours. You said it yourself, the wheels of fate are inevitable for the mortals.¡± ¡°You did something to protect their minds against invasion!¡± I accuse. ¡°I don''t know how you did it, but it''s quite clear that you are actively helping your believers! No mortal has access to such knowledge!¡± ¡°Doesn''t that mean that you were also helping yours with the interrogation? How else would you know that I protected their minds?¡± Myrm quickly turns my accusation around, painting the both of us in the same light. ¡°How would you expect me to do less than you.¡± Tjenemit raises a hand to stop us. ¡°I have nothing against a little healthy competition, but I realize that I have to make the rules a little clearer than they currently are. After all, without strife in the world, those with power have no reason to reveal themselves. Just make sure not to raise hands against each other, and don''t start slaughtering the other side''s mortals in great numbers. There is no sport in that.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± I assure him quickly. Myrm reluctantly affirms Tjenemit of his consent. To my great relief, the Council member doesn''t press the issue further and leaves the room after a few more questions, each aimed at different members of the pantheon. There didn''t seem to be any particular interest behind the random topics of Tjenemit''s inquisition. So I quickly form the opinion that Tjenemit just wanted to make sure that he addressed each member of the pantheon with a personal issue. He just wanted them to know that they are being watched. Now that the nuisance is gone and the first large meeting between the gods officially ended, I retrieve my ghost cat familiar from beneath my cloak and rub the little kitten absent-mindedly against my cheek. I was hiding him as an assurance policy beneath my clothes and intentionally chose to wear flabby linen attire. I wasn''t sure what would happen in this meeting, so in case that I would have to flee, my pet could have bought me a few moments to retreat. The ghost cat isn''t on par with a deity like Tjenemit, but after having fed on my mana for a few centuries, I am relatively sure that it could at least inconvenience a god of his calibre for a few precious seconds. Cuddling time is over when a shadow falls on me. I look up from where I am sitting, just to be confronted by Myrm and two other deities. Myrm is in his usual full-body armour, which isn''t just useless but surely also uncomfortable. Then there are two others who I don''t know much about. A woman of mixed racial ancestry. Her skin is slightly yellowish and there are some ridges along the upper part of her ears which peek out from beneath a brown mane of hair. The fellow next to Myrm is even larger than the god of Order. His muscles ripple proudly among his bare chest.A display of manliness I never achieved. Not that I would ever want to look like a rhino on steroids. Modern technology can shape a body into almost any form, and most deities are petty enough to do that, just to caress their ego. But seriously, why is he running around with his upper body naked? He is justin pants! Is he trying to start a new trend? Are we switching to togas in the Crystal City? I make a show of shuddering slightly as if Iwere intimidated by their display. ¡°Uuh... Ooh... guys, you are so menacing, I might have to run away. This feels like one of those classroom moments when the MC confronts the local bullies.¡± Good. I managed to sound not too mocking. The woman next to Myrm frowns. ¡°We aren''t bullies, we are just here to ask a question. In our function of representing the light in the world,¡± she adds quickly. ¡°You aren''t showing your face often enough to confront you in a less obvious manner. If we hadn''t made ourselves known, you would have just vanished without talking to anyone.¡± ¡°Shoot,¡± I reply and watch them expectantly while I cuddle my pet against my chest. ¡°We want you to stop raising that Empire of yours,¡± Myrm replies. ¡°No,¡± I deny. ¡°Are there any other pressing matters I can help you with?¡± ¡°Now, listen, asshole. It''s because of your religion that people are accusing me of not helping them.¡±MuscleBoy stabs his finger accusingly in my direction. ¡°And pack away that pet while you are talking to us!¡± ¡°Now, you can do many things, but don''t draw little Claws into this,¡± I reply and shelter the kitten in my palms. ¡°He doesn''t like being called a pet by some no-name deity.¡± ¡°Didn''t you call it Lucifer the other time you were here?¡± the yellow goddess asks. ¡°Possible...¡± I admit after a moment of hesitation. ¡°He is a pet. His name is whatever I want it to be.¡± The woman and Myrm seem stunned at being introduced to my point of view on the matter. ¡°What can I say? I am just not good with names... though I think that I was better with them while I was in a woman''s body,¡± I mumble. ¡°I think that I cared more about names while I was Nova... could be some effect of the different brain-structure, after all, I had this body grown according to specifications. Or it could be the hormones.¡± I shrug. Who cares. There is more important research which I can spend my time on. ¡°Don''t ignore me!¡± The man stomps his foot. ¡°I am Ardun! The God of War! Nobody makes fun of me and lives to tell the tale!¡± Who does he think he is? He is... what... a mid-tier deity at most, judging by his soul''s aura. This assignment seems to mess with the heads of some weak-minded individuals. ¡°Now, now.¡± I slide into an upright position. ¡°I hope that all of you know that there is no public fighting in the Crystal City. Any damage caused by excessive use of force has to be paid for. I doubt that any of you are liquid enough to afford that.¡± Even if most of the stuff in the Crystal City is made out of Mana Crystal and per definition indestructible, planet included, it doesn''t change the fact that many of us brought stuff from other worlds to this place. And that''s what someone should be worried about. Replacing some god''s stash of ancient artefacts ain''t cheap. At least the girl hesitates, but Myrm and MuscleForBrains don''t seem all that impressed. He huffs. ¡°Then let''s settle this in the closet!¡± The woman''s eyes widen and she quickly walks over toher friend''s side. ¡°Ardun, are you insane!? You know his reputation! We said that we would just have a talk. I won''t be a part of this if things get physical.¡± He wants the closet, eh? I know that the term comes across as a little stupid, but it''s a little insider-joke among the inhabitants of the Crystal City. If two gods want to settle their differences with a brawl, they lock themselves inside a room which is completely enclosed in mana crystal, making it impossible for the damage to affect the rest of the planet. ¡°Fine,¡± I reply and get up. ¡°I think there is an empty storeroom just across the hallway, which should suffice for our level of disagreement, or do you want to make it public? To be honest, I don''t have the time for an official appointment in the arena...¡± The idiot nods and starts towards the door. ¡°Ardun! I said no!¡± the girl hisses, followed by a slightly hesitant Myrm who seems to be torn between joining the foolish brawl and staying back. Probably he still remembers the incident when I messed him up. The commotion draws attention from the rest of the room and Seria is quick to come over. ¡°What''s going on?¡± ¡°This big and manly fellow challenged me,¡± I gesture towards the idiot. Seria just throws a short look atMuscleForBrains and then glares at me. ¡°No.¡± ¡°What, no?¡± I ask. ¡°Why am I not allowed to accept a challenge? And who are you to tell me what I can do?¡± ¡°It would be unfair.¡± Seria judges and crosses her arms. ¡°I won''t be the one who explains to Tjenemit that he is down one test-subject because you took a soul.¡± ¡°But Seria!¡± MuscleForBrain interrupts, but the goddess stops him with a raised hand. ¡°You are just a mid-level deity. Why are you even picking a fight with him? Are you stupid? Who egged you on to do this?¡± His eyes search the room, landing shortly on his girlfriend, then on Myrm, but his manly pride doesn''t seem to allow him to confess. ¡°Nobody! He just pisses me off with his Empire! There is no war, so nobody is praying to me. I only get summoned to some boring wasteland, where goblin-tribes quarrel with each other.¡± I smirk and return my attention to Seria. ¡°What if I promise not to hurt him? I won''t even touch his soul.¡± He snorts. ¡°How do you want to fight if you can''t hurt me?¡± ¡°Let that be my problem.¡± I reply without looking at him. ¡°So, Seria, how is it?¡± She looks indecisive. ¡°No soul magic?¡± ¡°No soul magic.¡± I nod. She hesitates, narrowing her eyes at me, but in the end she allows us to settle our differences. A few steps outside of Studio 7 and across the hallway is the empty storage room. MuscleForBrain and I take position in front of the door after having checked that the room is empty and without windows. We are followed by Seria, Myrm and the girlfriend, accompanied by a crowd of interested onlookers. Smiling, I gesture towards the open door made out of mana crystal, an original installation of the creators of the city. ¡°Please, have the honour of going first.¡± I bow. ¡°I want to make sure that I am between you and the door. Just don''t forget, whoever teleports out of that room loses per default.¡± Raising his head, he huffs and strolls into the room. ¡°As if I would have a reason to flee. Can''t hurt me... laughable!¡± Quickly, I toss in my familiar after him and close the door. By leaning against it, I make sure that nobody can escape the room. Now facing the crowd, I watch their surprised expressions. That is, until there is a girlish scream and a mighty roar from the other side of the door. Something bangs against the panel, almost throwing open the door despite my efforts to hold it closed. The people around me take a surprised step backwards while there are more roars and screams from the other side. Then there is frantic banging as if someone is hammering his fists against the closed exit. Another mighty roar and the door shakes again, almost throwing me over. And then there is only silence. ¡°Did, did you just toss your familiar into that room to fight for you!?¡± Seria gasps, realizing her mistake. I promised that I wouldn''t harm the idiot. Nobody mentioned that my pet couldn''t fight for me. ¡°Yes,¡± I reply, but raise a finger to stop any complaints. ¡°Shush! Do you hear that?¡± Scratch. Scratch. Scratch. And then again. Scratch. Scratch. Scratch. Oh, that''s music in my ears. It''s coming from the other side of the door, so I open what must have seemed to Lucifer like one ofhis feeding pens. Purring, the little kitten strolls out of the room like a king, leaving behind little red footprints. Cooing, I pick him up and taste the blood on his paws with a fingertip. ¡°Urgh! That guy tastes awful! Much too many steroids! Remind me to get you some natural beef later on.¡± Chapter 27 ***The World*** ***Willow*** ¡°You are too busy to join our monthly women''s evening?¡±A little dumbfounded, I speak into the communication device which Seria left for me so that I can reach her. ¡°Can''t you come up with some sort of excuse to delay this report for a day or two?¡± Seria never missed out on a meeting in¡­ like¡­ centuries. I actually can¡¯t remember her ever being absent, even in the olden days, when some of the other girls were still with us.Just remembering our lost friends causes my heart to sting. I wonder what happened to them. For a long time, it was just Seria and me, because we had to kick Nova out of the club. It¡¯s not like we are strict feminists, but it felt weird having her/him around. So we held our meetings in secret until just recently Ashley and Karin joined the club. Now we are four again. ¡°I am sorry, Willow,¡± Seria''s voice replies from the device. ¡°I am not a hundred percent sure if anyone reads these reports, but if there is even a one percent chance that someone important is reading them, then I don''t want to get any heat from that person.¡± ¡°Huh, so it''s related to the Council?¡± I conclude. ¡°Kind of... say... how would you explain a vacation of one or two decades?¡± she asks, trying to avoid giving me the true reason for this report. There is a nervous tapping sound from the other side of the line as if a certain someone is punishing the floor with her heels. ¡°Aw... shit! I am just no good at this paperwork!¡± A vacation that lasts one or two decades? Oh, that would mean... I get it. There aren¡¯t many reasons for an immortal or god to be incapacitated for that long. ¡°It''s actually not that hard, Seria. Listen, you just have to bury the truth under so much legal speak that anyone who might read it gives up after one or two sentences, preferably without having understood what you tried to say. But you have to leave enough wiggle room to refer to the document later on if anyone asks you why you didn''t share the information. ¡°How does this sound: Mr. X will be largely absent for one or two decades, due to the temporary inability to attend the meetings in person, because of accidental injury. X will sight the video material of important orders as necessary and make good on the work X is missing out on due to temporary disability. Once the issue is solved, the individual in question will return to fulfilling his duties and make good on the lost time.¡± I continue to give her some hints on how to formulate the truth as complicated as possible until I am sure that she has more than five pages of obtrusive material to review. ¡°That... actually doesn''t sound that bad. And it never mentions that he is currently deceased. Thank you so much, Willow. Aw, dang! I still have to find a proper body for reincarnation!¡± Seria whispers from the messaging device. ¡°I know that you can''t share much about your work, but I am curious. Is there a reason why you have to reincarnate this person as a human? I assume that''s why you expect one or two decades as the time of absence?¡± I ask. Of course, there are otheroptions when you reincarnate, like having a set of personal clones from a technologically advanced world. The only issue with that solution is that you need a trustworthy soul mage who takes care of connecting your soul to the new body. But soul mages of that calibre are rare and most are slightly nuts. Meddling with souls and mind magic often comes at a price. I am not sure if it¡¯s because of their knowledge, or if there is some other issue with that kind of magic. So most gods prefer to reincarnate in a natural body if they have to. ¡°Hm. What do you mean? I am afraid that I don''t understand,¡± Seria replies. ¡°You know some soul magic, right? You mentioned putting his soul into a fitting body. Take some grown-up vegetable out of some hospital,¡± I suggest. ¡°Can¡¯t do that. I am not that good with soul magic. There are issues if you put a soul into a body which ¡®doesn¡¯t fit¡¯, for the lack of a better term. It might work for a short time, but the connection between body and soul will loosen inevitably, resulting in death or insanity. I can do it with a newborn; the connection isn¡¯t fully formed in that case, so the body can still adjust,¡± she explains the limits of her powers. I can¡¯t help myself, but her explanation just now sounded eerily similar to what Myrm did with her spies. Could it be that Seria helped Myrm out? If not in deed, then maybe with a little knowledge? Pressing my lips together, I try to decide how I should react if this turns out to be true. But do I really have the right to judge her for that? I know her well enough to tell that she isn¡¯t the vindictive type and she certainly didn¡¯t lie about her intention of staying a neutral party between Ascathon and Myrm. In the end, I have to admit that I am certainly not qualified to judge. From what I understand, Myrm was like a progeny disciple for Seria. She raised Myrm up to godhood from the point of when she discovered Myrm¡¯s potential. As a teacher, Seria has a bond with her student, so it would be stupid to blame her for sharing knowledge. I wonder how Myrm ended up taking her own path? Seria is kind of sore on that topic and doesn¡¯t want to share the details. Then I have a sudden idea. ¡°Why don''t you just take some sentient race that grows up fast? It''s not like humans are the only race whose bodies can harbour a soul. How about a bunny-beastkin? They grow up so fast, from baby to teenager in just five years. Or how about a goblin? They are like rats. Ten children with a single birth and they run and talk within the month. Or, I know. How about a slime? They just split through cell division into two parts, new body, practically instantly. That would work, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ brilliant!¡± There is a squeal of delight from the other side. ¡°I am not sure if I can pull off the soul-trick with the slime, but a goblin should definitely work! Sometimes I really fail tosee the wood for the trees. Listen, Willow, I really have to get this done and finalized now.¡± ¡°Ah, no problem,¡± I answer. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll just tell Ashley an Karin that we have to postpone.¡± ¡°That would be perfect. Maybe tomorrow, or the day afterwards for sure. Bye!¡± The line disconnects and I lower the rectangular communication artefact, studying it. With a shrug, I switch it off by wiping across its surface like Seria taught me to and pocket the device. I¡¯ll tell the others that Seria has other issues to attend to when I run across them. The faint sizzling of the meat in the pan reminds me that I was cooking when Seria called, so I quickly turn down the heat and check on the noodles and the vegetables. Today¡¯s dinner will be noodles with meat and vegetables out of the wok. ¡°Hmmm.¡± Ashley¡¯s voice draws my attention, and sure enough, the succubus matriarch bends past me to snag some meat. ¡°That smells delicious! Did I mention that it¡¯s sinful for someone with a body like yours to be a good cook?¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. I slap her hand away. ¡°Don¡¯t try the food before it¡¯s on the table!¡± I move the large pan and the vegetables into the pre-heated oven to keep everything warm and out of reach of the succubus. ¡°And regarding our meeting-¡± ¡°I heard,¡± Ashley affirms. ¡°Succubi have very good ears. I¡¯ll tell Karin that we have to postpone the meeting once I get her from her mission.¡± I nod. ¡°Which sort of mission did you send her to?¡± ¡°Assassination.¡± Ashley smirks. ¡°We managed to track the spies¡¯ connection to a fairly neutral city between the borders of the Alliance and our Empire. So far, neither of us found it necessary to exert political pressure on the small city-state, which is run by a local nobleman who thinks of himself as a king. As it turns out, the Alliance was using our lenient trading policies with this ¡®neutral¡¯ party as a way to get messages and people in and out of our territory. In light of this new development, we decided to investigate and found out that the local government isn¡¯t as neutral as they claimed.¡± ¡°So you are ending our partnership with them in a permanent manner?¡± I ask. ¡°Yes.¡± She nods. ¡°It¡¯s not certain which way their ruling body will swing after their leader is out of the way, but Luxley organized some troop movements close to the border. We are hoping that this demonstration of force, combined with the untimely demise of their king, will sway the city council. We¡¯ve sent some informal letters, inquiring about their political disposition. The hope is that the city will come over to our side once their ruler is dead. It would be preferable to a violent conquest, especially since the Alliance wouldn¡¯t be able to protest without making fools of themselves.¡± ¡°Okay, have you seen Ascathon? We should eat before the noodles get too cold.¡± I take the pot with the noodles off the hearth and use a prepared colander to get rid of the water. ¡°I think I saw him disappearing in his laboratory a few hours ago. It¡¯s reasonable to assume that he is still there,¡± Ashley gestures in the direction of his workshop. I sigh. ¡°Yeah. Once he starts working, there isn¡¯t much that can distract him. We better go and rescue him from starvation.¡± Being in accord with each other on that point, we head out of the kitchen and towards Ascathon¡¯s workshop. When Ashley and I first met, there was a little bit of tension between the two of us. The succubus matriarch wasn¡¯t sure what Ascathon saw in me, someone who seemed like a lowly mortal to her. For that very reason, she tried to test me with various provocations when we were alone and in private. Normally, I am no snitch, but Ascathon is putting a lot of effort into keeping me a secret from the Council. As I am now, I can''t challenge Ashley, so I had to get help. It took only a little clarification from Ascathon''s side that I am off-limits, and a potential god, should I ever lose control over my carefully contained powers. That was enough to stop any teasings from Ashley¡¯s side and since then we arrived at a guarded form of friendship and acceptance of the other party. I don¡¯t like people with a personality like hers, the kind who want to test out the limits of their comrades. But she isnice to Karin and teaching her a lot when Ascathon or I don¡¯t have the time, so I let her character flaws slide for the most part. We arrive at the workshop, a large tear-shaped cavern which points with its tip towards the living areas and the rest of the complex. What most people don¡¯t know is that there are several hidden floors which house Ascathon¡¯s more dangerous experiments. ¡°I can¡¯t see him.¡± Ashley surveys the area, pulling thoughtfully at her lower lip. ¡°There is red light coming from further in. I am sure he is messing with the magma chamber,¡± I point out. ¡°A magma chamber?¡± Ashley asks. ¡°I knew that this facility is underground, but I didn¡¯t realize that we are that deep. When I open portals, I mostly rely on mana signatures and planar wave-lengths to pinpoint the exit location.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s quite deep. We would be crushed and cooked if it weren¡¯t for the facility¡¯s containment fields. In fact, we are close to the planet¡¯s liquid asthenosphere which is just a few kilometres away. A magma channel is feeding directly into the magma chamber and then proceeds further upwards to some volcano on the surface,¡± I explain as wewalk. ¡°The facility is using the energy to keep this place liveable and Ascathon is using the magma chamber to conduct some high-energy experiments from time to time. He is fascinated with the secret behind mana crystals. If you trigger him, he will hold you a lecture on his theories, but don¡¯t expect to get away before the day is over.¡± Ashley rolls her eyes. ¡°Thanks for the warning. I think that I can live without broadening my horizons.¡± We arrive at the furthest part of the workshop which is also the most spacious one and in almost direct contact with the magma chamber. Ascathon is standing in front of a large window which uses not glass but an energy field to hold the heat outside the facility at bay. He himself is also contained by a separate energy bubble which holds his completely released aura at bay. Something the facility itself wouldn¡¯t be able to handle, so I assume that he put that one up on his own, not wanting to damage his equipment. His figure seems to consist of nothing but sparks of blue and red energy.Then he notices us and shoots us a glance, his eyes pools of dark nothingness within the light of energy around him. I am glad that he is somehow limiting the effects of his aura, or the both of us would be trembling on the floor. ¡°Is it something important?¡± he asks, his voice coming out of a speaker on the wall. ¡°We wanted to ask if you want to eat?¡± I ask. ¡°Hey, why did you never do me in that form?¡± Ashley puffs out her cheeks. ¡°Just looking at you turns me on.¡± Typical succubus. I snort. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t last an instant,¡± he replies and retracts one arm from the energy field of the window. Behind it is a chamber of super-heated plasma inside the magma chamber. Retrieving a red mana crystal from a table next to him, he inserts it into the chamber. ¡°Just give me five minutes. I am rounding this experiment up and I was preparing the spell for hours. It would be a waste to stop now, not to mention that I would have torelease the stored energy into the surroundings. That would probably cause an earthquake and a volcano eruption on the surface.¡± ¡°Oh, joy. What are you doing?¡± I ask. Searching our surroundings, I find a set of protective gear and retrieve two darkened googles for Ashley and myself to protect us from the bright light. With that, it¡¯s a little easier to see what Ascathon is doing. ¡°I am trying to enchant a mana crystal which contains a soul''s anchor, changing its nature. My current theory is that mana crystals are nothing but extremely condensed energy. A state of matter which would only exist in neutron stars, but somehow locked in place and disconnected from the normal laws of gravity and space, or everything would blow in an instant. I am trying to reshape this piece of mana crystal and give it a new purpose,¡± he explains while casually wielding energies that would probably fry Ashley and me within an instant. ¡°Why do you need the soul? For power? And who is it?¡± Ashley inquires. ¡°Hahaha. No. The soul is certainly not for power. I am just using it and its memories as a blueprint for the organic enchantment which I am trying to imprint on the mana crystal. I want the thing to gather energy and grow over time. Unfortunately, I am afraid that the soul in question will pay with all its powers and memories. But don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s just some asshole god who offended me while he was standing right inside one of my traps. He will certainly be a mortal after this.¡± He raises his hands and blue sparks of energy dance from his fingertips and over the crystal¡¯s surface. Slowly, it changes its form from a rough arrowhead-shape towards an elongated polyhedron with a nine-cornered base. Laughing in delight, Ascathon retrieves the object of his research through the energy field. He waves his hand and two large blast-doors close slowly, shutting away the brightness of plasma and molten lava. Then he begins a tedious process of slowly lowering his own protections without impeding the facility, using a set of energy conversion spells to lower the temperature on his side of the protection field. Finally, he is able to lower his aura and to dispel the protective bubble, looking normal once more. ¡°May I present to you, Inglorium!¡± As if it were a newborn, he raises the polyhedron which is made out of blue mana crystal and floating freely between his palms. I can feel the energy pulsing within it. Ashley coos appreciatively. ¡°It¡¯s pretty, but what does it do?¡± That puts a stopper to Ascathon¡¯s mood. ¡°No- nothing. At the moment. I still have to verify that the enchantment was applied correctly.¡± ¡°A glorified paperweight?¡± I ask teasingly. After a few hundred years, I stopped counting how many of Ascathon¡¯s promising experiments shared that exact same fate. ¡°Certainly not!¡± He walks over to a table and places the crystal on top of it, where it stays upright, balancing perfectly on its tip as it slowly turns around and around. Just watching it makes my spine crawl with unease. I can tell at a glance that this artefact is powerful. Maybe Ascathon wasn¡¯t so wrong about giving it such a haughty name. ¡°So what does it do?¡± ¡°For the moment, it just does what it does. Like the floating and glowing thing.¡± He flicks it with a finger and the crystal tilts over but rights itself fairly quickly to its previous position. ¡°But that¡¯s just testing phase one. Once I have verified that the enchantment on it isn¡¯t degrading, I¡¯ll lower it down into the planet¡¯s core where it has direct access to the nexus point. It will absorb energy and grow.¡± ¡°Grow into what?¡± Ashley asks the question which is also on my heart. ¡°A palace worthy of me, of course. A base of operations like no other. An eternal monument to the rise of my power.¡± He hesitates for a moment. ¡°A monument to the end of the Council¡¯s rule.¡± ¡°Quite the plan, is it not?¡± I tease, hoping that he didn¡¯t get a serious case of megalomania. He nods. ¡°It is. But it¡¯s also far in the future.¡± He runs a finger across the crystal¡¯s surface. ¡°It will take centuries for this to be ready. Don¡¯t think me a foolfor wishing to throw off the Council¡¯s rule. I am playing the long game here. One way or another, even if it takes millennia, there will be a day when my palace will rise, and it will be the day theirs will fall.¡± Chapter 28 ***The World*** ***Karin*** ¡°Don''t worry, lad. This old man will find the rest of the way on his own. I thank you.¡± I crunch up my wrinkled face in an attempt to smile at the guard who showed me the way to the central marketplace. Reaching behind myself, I take one of the ripe apples. ¡°Here, take this as thanks. It''s been a while since I made this trip. Normally, my grandson sells the apples on the market, but you know the young folk. He preferred to run off in order to become a soldier or risk his life in some other way. Some people just can''t settle down before they have lost a limb or two.¡± The guard nods and jumps off the cart, ignoring my offering. ¡°Just stay out of trouble, old man. And remember that the gates close at sunset. You have to be out of the city by then if you want to return to your village. The rules are a lot stricter since the Empire started moving their forces around. Once the gates are closed, they stay closed until morning.¡± ¡°Sure, sure.¡± I wave him goodbye as he starts jogging back to his guard-house, the old man who couldn''t find his way probably already forgotten in the city guard''s mind. I wait until he is around the corner of a nearby side-street and stop smiling. These people are worse than children for allowing someone to enter the inner city as easily as that. All it took was to buy an apple-cart with a load of decently looking fruits and play the senile apple farmer from the countryside. If I do it right, I may even be able to walk into the palace itself. Aren''t they afraid of skinwalkers? If one of those monsters got this far, it would have practically free reign until most of the citizens are dead. Raising the apple to my mouth, I take a generous bite and study the market in front of me. There are vendors of various sizes all over the place, praising their goods. Most of the ones in my immediate surroundings offer various meats and vegetables, although, further ahead it looks like there is some sort of cloth-section. Holding the cart''s reins firmly under control, I search for a place to get rid of the goods. The more mysterious my actions in this city are, the better. Ashley said that she would watch and grade my performance. A chance presents itself when I notice a rather large stall with various vegetables. But what draws my attention aren''t the goods, but the vendor who pays attention to my cart with an appraising eye. Stopping the cart, I slide off the driver''s seat and approach the man, trying to look old and fragile, but this time without giving the impression of being with one foot inside the grave like I did with the guards. ¡°Hello, name is Lars from Reynolds Farm.¡± I offer him my hand, assured in the knowledge that I did my research about this region before I took on this mission. ¡°Know a place where I can sell this cartload with high-quality apples? I can promise that all of them are hand-picked directly from the tree. They won''t rot or spoil easily.¡± ¡°From the Reynolds farmstead? I know of it, you sell high-quality stuff, but aren''t you normally providing other towns with your goods? Reynolds is big and well known, but you are quite a distance away.¡± The vendor carefully raises his hand to shake, eyeing me suspiciously. ¡°Yes, yes. You would be completely right in a normal year.¡± Closing the rest of the distance, I take his hand in mine and we shake while I cast a subtle spell of befuddlement to calm his mind and to ease his doubts, letting the mana ooze out of my palm and into him, relaxing his muscles. ¡°You can''t imagine how good the weather has been this year downriver. It was perfect for apples. So much so that we are drowning in them. The master even ordered us to throw anything of lesser quality away, just to keep the prices up and not to tarnish our name when it''s not necessary. We have so much high-quality harvest that it''s even feasible to transport some of the excess further upriver, even if the journey takes a few days.¡± We keep shaking hands during the entire negotiation process, as it is custom in these lands. Not entirely taken by my story, the man narrows his eyes. ¡°Hm. That sounds too good to be true. There must be a catch, and I can hardly believe that goods like fruits would be undamaged after a transport by carriage. Especially not after such a distance.¡± I nod. ¡°That''s right, good sir. But tell you what. Even if you just pay me fifty silver for the whole load, you will still make quite a bit of profit and the journey will have been profitable to my master. You can pick out the good stuff and throw away the apples that don''t make the cut for people with higher standards.¡± ¡°Hm. Prices must have dropped quite a bit if fifty silver pieces are worth that journey,¡± he replies. ¡°That they did, as I mentioned, and the labour of a lowly serf isn''t worth much these days since our economy tanked. Most of the smart people are trying to get over the border, no matter which side. So, do we have a deal? You have until tomorrow morning to sort out the cart, then I''ll make my journey back to the master''s estate. Have to stay within the time frame, or it''s back to manual labour for the poor old me, instead of driving a cart.¡± We haggle for a little longer, but in the end, I get my fifty silver for what was originally worth a hundred. Well, before I drove it through half the city-state, just to have a legitimate reason to enter the town. Money in hand, I excuse myself while one of the vendor''s employees gets tasked with sorting out the cart. Holding my back, I wander off, implying that I would have a look through the town before sleeping in some cheap inn. Once the store disappears in the crowd, I change directions once more and wander closer to the city''s central palace, presumably with my target inside it. Captivated by the nice architecture, I marvel at the sight of what I had to observe from afar up until now. While the rest of the city consists of plain, white buildings, the palace is a work of art with long archways connecting several towers, decorated with golden domes which sparkle in the sunlight. It''s a much different sight from what I am used to. Compared to my poor village and the town in another world, this land lives in excess and luxury. It would be a shame if the city got destroyed in the war between the Alliance and the Empire. Before I know it, my exploration has taken me along the palace''s outer wall and away from the market into a street. Apparently, it''s forbidden to build too close to the palacewalls, or to set up shop, because there are no buildings which would make it easy to get into the palace. ¡°Look what we have here. Grandfather, aren''t you a little too interested in the palace?¡± Turning around, I find myself facing two palace guards in shining armour, much prettier than the plain leather armour of the city guard. Their armour is pure plate-steel and polished to a shine. The only thing they forwent were their helmets because of the summer''s heat. ¡°I am sorry, good sir. I am from the countryside, and thanks to fortunate circumstances and my lord, I got the opportunity to travel to the capital. It''s the first and probably last time for me seeing something so grand and marvellous like the palace,¡± I justify myself. The other guard snorts. ¡°Just make it quick, Serdas. I''ll continue the rounds so that nobody gets edgy, while you explain the rules to the old man.¡± They seem to be on a tight schedule. If they turn out to be as strict and thorough as they ought to be, then this mission might be quite difficult. ¡°Yeah, yeah. Just see to it that the others don''t start bitching.¡± Guard one waves his hand, shooing the other away. His companion shrugs and passes me without giving me a second glance. Apparently, patrolling along the wall and being back on time is very important. ¡°Now back to you, grandpa. There are strict rules about coming too close to the wall. Anything closer than five metres, and you have to pay one gold if you are caught.¡± I try not to look too surprised. ¡°One gold! But I don''t have that kind of money!¡± Quickly looking up and down the street, I make sure that we aren''t watched. I could pay the greedy guard of course, but that would raise other questions. My current persona doesn''t exactly look like it would carry gold coins around. And one entire gold? That''s just too excessive.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. There is nobody around, aside from the other guard who is slowly disappearing around the soft curvature of the wall. A black cat is lying stretched out on a windowsill, lazily watching the street with half-closed eyes. This might actually be an opportunity. In any other situation, I wouldn''t try to wing it, but there might be no better chance to get taken into the palace''s dungeon. Once inside and past the inhibition field that stops spies and assassins from teleporting in, I should be able to find an opening to exploit. ¡°Aaah...¡± Trying to sound desperate, I run for it. The guard easily catches up and rather roughly kicks my legs out from beneath me. A little surprised at his violence, I fall and catch myself just in time with the palms of my hands, scratching the fragile skin. ¡°Oh, I love this part of the job.¡± He kicks me in the side, causing me to wince because of the unexpected vehemence. The bastard isn''t holding back at all. If I were a real old man, I would have broken ribs for sure! Then he rolls me over and pulls me up at my clothes, pushing me against the wall. ¡°He- Heelp!¡± I scream. ¡°Don''t bother, grandpa. The people in this street all know the game.¡± Grinning, he backhands me right across the face, rocking my whole head to the side. Looking at my face, his expression suddenly turns from excited to disgusted. ¡°What the?¡± He looks at his glove, which is covered in a slimy, red goo. I reach up to feel my cheek, just to find that a rather large patch of the old man''s skin came loose and is now hanging down, still partly attached to my neck. It most likely reveals a large part of my real face beneath the stolen skin. ¡°What the fuck are-¡± Kicking out, I sink my knee into his crotch. A pained cough and a wheezing breath escape the man as I grab the metal of his chest piece by the neck and whirl him around, pushing my hips against his. Having the perfect grip for a hip-throw, I catapult his whole body into the air and bring him down onto the ground, fully intending to shatter his bones in return for hitting me. He lands rather roughly on his back, having the air pressed out of his lungs. ¡°Sorry, but it''s your own fault that I have to change my plans. If you hadn''t done this, I would have allowed you to capture me.¡± Snorting, I mount him and straddle the man between my thighs. As he tries to sit up, I force his shoulders back to the ground and shut him up by pressing my lips against his, inhaling deeply. It''s not that bad if I just imagine slurping up a bowl of soup while I use the spell, and he wasn''t exactly a nice person. Even so, I feel myself getting horny as I suck out the man''s life by using a reversed form of healing kiss. Damn all succubus magic to hell! *** Above them, the black cat flicks an ear while watching interestedly as one of the metal men flails in his last throws of death, reminding the predator of a twitching mouse to play with. Although, the old geezer who is biting the metal man feels too dangerous, his suppressed aura very obvious to the sensible animal. Once more bored when the last twitches and shakes rock the metal man''s body, the cat goes back to sleep. *** Five minutes later and having gotten rid of the old man''s skin in a nearby dumpster, I try my best to sort out all the leather straps which held the guard''s armour together. I probably look like a new recruit who is trying to put on plate armour for the first time. Somehow, I manage not to look like a total newbie by the time I reach the other guard at the palace gate. Still, he and two other guards frown at me as I approach. ¡°No captured peasant, Turin? What took you so long? Don''t tell me you are getting soft in your old days. Or did the geezer give you trouble? You look rather dishevelled, man. How did you get that dirt on you? That''s sitting too losely!¡± The man who was on patrol duty with ''Turin'' steps closer and reaches for one of the leather straps on my chest-piece. Pulling at it rather forcefully, he tightens the armour around my chest, making it feel like a corset! Sucking in a sharp breath, I try to make my chest as small as possible as it is squashed against my ribcage. ¡°Just a little. He ran and was faster than I expected, the little weasel,¡± I try to sound embarrassed and filled with rage in an attempt to play the man''s character as best as possible, the short interaction with him being my only hint. ¡°I fell and he got away. Have to send out a patrol! He was probably a spy in disguise!¡± The other guard rolls his eyes. ¡°That''s Turin for you. Maybe you shouldn''t play games with everyone who gets close to the wall. Your behaviour is why you have patrol duty around the wall out here with us, the least important job of all. And if the old man really was a spy, then he is impossible to find by now. Probably just a near-sighted peasant like he said he was. In both cases, it would be a huge waste of time to start a manhunt. He didn''t even touch the wall.¡± I press my lips together in a thin line and try to look displeased in an attempt to play the ignored guard. Which isn''t that hard, considering how my boobs are currently having a bad time. The next time I get, I''ll drop this persona without a second of hesitation. Oh, I should have used real body-shifting for this mission, but I am still too afraid to do it without Ashley''s supervision. Allowing them to laugh at my cost, I stand there and wait until they decide to continue with their duties. The two men who waited at the palace''s entrance start walking away, taking a route along the palace''s walls. Following my own colleague, I enter the palace''s property past a group of guards in very decorative costumes, likely elite soldiers who are in charge of the gate. Unlike our armour, theirs is embroidered with fine artwork. I feel a surge of energy as I pass into the energy field which stops all teleportation into or out of the palace. It was the reason why I had to go through this convoluted plan to enter the city. In their fear, the leaders of the city erected a magical barrier to prohibit most forms of magical travel. Flying or teleportation close to the palace is really hard because of the interference. Inside the palace it is impossible, not to mention the really strict screening methods of the local guards. After several of Luxley''s agents had failed, Willow decided that this would be the perfect opportunity to test my abilities. Huffing, I lament the fact that either of my three teachers could have just walked into this palace and beheaded this so-called king. I think his name was Urisk. Not that it matters. He will soon be no more than a footnote in history. I follow the other guard into the palace and further to a guardroom where we get rid of most of our gear, while I try to look like I am brooding, hoping that nobody strikes a conversation with me. While my Skin-Taker spell should be able to fool almost everyone, as I literally take on the flesh and skin of the target, I don''t learn much about their behaviour and memories. Should someone get the bright idea to strike a conversation with me, it wouldn''t take them long to find out that something is wrong with me. While my colleague gets busy with his bedding, taking one of the eight spartan beds in the room, I excuse myself with the intention of taking a leak. Thankfully, the man just grunts and ignores me. Ignoring him, I leave the room and trail down the corridor we took to get to the palace''s quarters. This area is clearly reserved for the military personnel. A stairway provides me with an easy way to get deeper into the palace, but I run into a dead end when a pair of palace guards bar my way. They are in even fancier armour with gold plating. Definitely higher ranked than the one I have. They are protecting a door that looks like it would lead into the inner palace. A simple guard in charge of the outer walls wouldn''t have access to this area, so I don''t even try approaching them. When I notice a maid in a fancy looking dress, a slight smile twitches across my face. She came out of a door right next to the guards, probably some kind of servant''s entrance. More importantly, the guards didn''t pay her any attention, so I quickly follow her into some sort of storage room. Having a goal in mind, she purposefully heads for a broom and a bucket and jumps when I close the door behind myself. ¡°I have a question.¡± Stepping closer, I smile and take her hand, applying the same confusion spell which I used on the shop owner in the market. Then I reach for my forehead, dig my fingers into the skin and pull off my face. Well, at least what she perceives as my face. She opens her mouth to scream, but combined with my influence and the unexpected situation, the mental pressure proves too much for her. Her eyes roll upwards in their sockets and she faints as I catch her. Working quickly, I get rid of the guard''s identity and store the now naked, unconscious maid in a mostly empty closet, piling the guard''s leftovers on top of her. Then I get to work, using real body transformation to change my features in an attempt to look like her. She is young and female, so I am not too worried about changing something I can''t undo. Contrary to changing into a man, impersonating another woman is really easy. Less than two minutes later, equipped with a maid uniform and a few illusions to look pristine, I stroll confidently past the guardians and into the inner palace. One of them looks at me but doesn''t pay me any more attention after recognizing my face. From there on out it turns out not to be hard to find my target, who is lounging on the balcony of an empty throne room. Smiling, I approach the middle-aged man and compare his features to the picture I got from Willow, just to be sure. It would be a shame to go through all of this, just to kill the wrong person. ¡°My king, I was told you need something,¡± smiling, I try to put Ashley¡¯s training to good use as the man notices me. Approaching, I move exactly as she taught me to. According to her, a woman''s movements can be as hypnotizing as a spell. The king''s eyes immediately slide up and down my figure and I am sure that I have him when his eyes stay stuck to the tight-fitting fabric of the maid uniform''s chest area. He starts stuttering, ¡°I didn''t- ahem- I- blergh!¡± Now close enough, I strike out, jabbing my fingers into his throat. Squeezing, I open up the major arteries as blood wells out from between my fingers and his eyes quickly flutter shut. Without blood pressure and a constant support of oxygen, the brain quickly ceases its functions. I never experienced it myself, but a physician back in the other world told me that its one of the less frightening ways to part with the world. Having seen many horrors in my two decades of life, I can only agree to that assessment. He lets out a gurgling breath and then the king crumbles like a puppet as his shocked muscles relax. I quickly take his hand and pull the twitching corpse back into the throne room, fearing that some random onlooker might have seen us on the balcony. Ashley told me to make a spectacle of the king''s death. To show the city officials that the Empire isn''t to be played with. But she never said that the man would have to suffer. Sighing, I pull the corpse with me, trying to remember Ascathon''s lessons about subtle magic and Ashley''s teachings on succubus art-forms. Together with Willow''s instructions on fairy-magic I should be able to create something that all three of my teachers can be proud of. Let''s see, I have a ton of blood... Looking back at the trail I made with the king''s body, I remedy that. I have a lot less blood... But there are plenty of organs and flesh... oh, and bones. Ashley said to never forget the bones. Chapter 29 ***The World*** ***Seria*** ¡°¡­ and that¡¯s pretty much how the mission went. I used the king¡¯s remains to create a reversed succubus attraction spell, which means that anyone who sees the remains will be so abhorred that they have to flee the room. The place will give anyone who enters it the creeps until the components rot away. Unless they find someone who can dispel the enchantment, which is unlikely,¡± Karin finishes her explanation as she sorts through the cards in her hands. ¡°I mean, the spell isn¡¯t perfect, but to dispel the effect, most mortal enchanters would have to get close to the source, and that¡¯s unlikely.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so humble. You did great work on your first mission.¡± Ashley waves her hand. ¡°Everyone, you must watch the footage later. Our little Karin is quite the artist. It¡¯s your turn, by the way.¡± The succubus looks at me and combs her fingers through her hair. Nodding, I look through my cards and consider my next move. I managed to deliver the report in time, so two days later the four of us finally got together for a girls meeting. Karin also just returned from her mission after she escaped from enemy territory. Taking a look at Ashley¡¯s side of the playing field, I judge her current board-state to pose no threat. She has a few creatures and artefacts, but nothing that looks especially threatening. I untap my cards, then draw. ¡°You know. That neutral country was probably the only reason why the world is still in peace. Without strong leadership, it¡¯s very likely for the city officials to fall apart. We should prepare for the possibility that some of their civilians will just flee over the border.¡± My draw is a mere land, so I grimace after taking a look at Willow¡¯s side of the table. She has only one enchantment on the playing field, but it¡¯s a good one. Worse, she is still sitting on most of her life-points because nobody managed to attack her successfully. Every time someone attempted a shot at her, she had some way at hand to prevent the damage, either by destroying the attacking creature or by using some combat-trick. ¡°We know, but it would have happened sooner or later,¡± Ashley admits. ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t think this war can be avoided, so it¡¯s better that we fire the first shot. If the plan succeeds and the government decides to lean in the Empire¡¯s direction, we may even be able to save a large part of the civilian population. It would certainly be better for them to be counted towards either of the two sides, instead of being caught in the middle.¡± I nod and gesture for Karin to take her turn. ¡°Go, girl. You better find something against Willow¡¯s Bargain, or we will have a bad time once she untaps.¡± Karin narrows her eyes and leans over to read Willow¡¯s card. Willow and I are just in the process of teaching the others our traditional game, so we decided to have some fun with our most broken decks. Her eyes widen when she reads the card. ¡°It costs six mana and you can pay one life to draw a card? That¡¯s O.P.! Oh, but you have to skip your draw step.¡± ¡°Who cares? She can draw half her deck next turn.¡± Ashley picks her nose in a rather unladylike manner, studying her own hand for a solution. ¡°You better use that magical eye of yours, Karin. Or that next turn will get nasty. I could draw some cards next turn, trying to search for an answer.¡± Yeah, she will most likely draw her combo and kill all of us before Ashley gets to do that. Aw, if I had kept that counterspell up when she played the Bargain. I could have lengthened the game by a few turns at least. Maybe it¡¯s better that way. The others won¡¯t learn to keep up their answers if we instruct them on every little detail. Karin purses her lips and looks through the cards in her hand. ¡°I don¡¯t think that I have something. Willow took away my disenchant before she played that enchantment.¡± Yep, she did that because she wanted to keep it in play. Discard spells which allow you to look at the opponent¡¯s hand are quite powerful if the person in question knows how and when to use them. She targeted Karin because neither Ashley nor I play the right colours to have a solid answer against an enchantment. ¡°And don¡¯t act like my twenty-sided eye is almighty, Ashley. It only allows me to see possibilities, which doesn¡¯t help much if I am unfamiliar with the game¡¯s rules.¡± She caresses the top of her library with her fingers and draws a card. ¡°Ha! Top deck! That¡¯s what you are supposed to say when you draw the solution. Am I right?¡± Slamming her hand down, she smiles victoriously, revealing a white knight in shining armour. ¡°Protection from black! Let¡¯s see how Willow deals with that when her whole deck is black!¡± The girl nods and taps the required mana. ¡°Uuh! Nice card,¡± Ashley compliments. ¡°I am sure he will save you with his white steed.¡± I facepalm. Teaching those two the game might take a little longer than I thought it would. Willow¡¯s Bargain won¡¯t give a shit about a single creature with protection when she gets access to her whole deck. ¡°Your turn.¡± Karin gestures smugly for Willow to take her turn and the elemental smiles. Then she gets going. ¡°Untap, and I pay twenty-five life to draw twenty-fivecards!¡± I watch, a little bored, as she counts the cards into her hand and starts sorting them. This will be a long turn, which will decide whether she will win or lose. She taps down her lands, generating tons of mana for her spells. ¡°Black Lotus, Dark Ritual, Lotus Petal, Sacrificial Altar. I play ¡®Skirg¡¯ and discard all those cards for mana...¡± Now it gets complicated as she starts adding the numbers. Pursing my lips, I study my hand. The only remaining possibility to win this is for Willow to make a mistake. ¡°Twenty-eight mana. Down to twenty-five for playing the ¡®Will¡¯ for graveyard interaction. Nets me back up to fifty-two mana. I play Mirari to copy Drain Life on you, Karin. You lose thirty life and I gain thirty. Then I draw the rest of my library, which brings me back down to ten. Now I can discard all those cards for mana.¡± Her expression turning smug, she turns to Ashley. ¡°The copied Drain Life is for you, Ashley.¡± The succubus furrows her forehead as she tries to follow what Willow is doing with her cards, from her graveyard, and exiling them in the process. Adding the numbers, the succubus takes her time to follow Willows actions. ¡°But that kills both of us! Show me that card which allows you to play cards from your graveyard. Who designed this shit? You can essentially do what you want once you have all three of those cards in play!¡± ¡°Yep. My whole deck is about assembling this combo. And brings me back up to sixty life! Thank you very much.¡± Still smiling, she turns her attention to me. ¡°Torment of Hailfire on you. For thirty!¡± She starts giggling madly as I lean forward to read the card. I wondered what she would use on me with her ¡®Drain Life¡¯ already used up. ¡°Repeat the following process X times...¡± Either discard a card, or lose three life, or sacrifice a permanent. I shake my head. She found another stupid card for her Black Ritual deck. I wonder where she got it from. Is it from Ascathon¡¯s collection? ¡°Nope. Force of Will.¡± I reveal the counterspell, which I get to cast for free if I pay one life and discard a card. It¡¯s sad that I have to discard my epic planeswalker for that, but better that than to die on the spot. Willow stops laughing and furrows her forehead. Her eyes wander from her now diminished hand to her empty deck. She is still sitting on a ton of life, but what use is that if you have no more cards to play and are tapped out? ¡°Why didn¡¯t you counter me sooner!? I could have played more carefully!¡±The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°I only had this one counterspell. Maybe I would have countered the Bargain if I weren¡¯t tapped out at that point. But I didn¡¯t want to discard and get even more card-disadvantage. Now you forced me to. Thankfully, you got so full of yourself that you had to use up all your resources. Thanks for killing yourself, and for the win.¡± I grin. ¡°Ooh.¡± Karin rubs her temple. ¡°I think this game is just too complicated for me¡­ there are so many rules, and all of them can change with a card. I see how it¡¯s useful to teach young magicians the basics, given the mana system. Isn¡¯t this just what Ascathon likes? Are you sure that we shouldn¡¯t invite-¡± Both, Willow and I jump up. ¡°No!¡± ¡°Never!¡± Karin shrinks back in her seat. ¡°Whoa, guys. Don¡¯t crucify me. It was just a suggestion.¡± ¡°This is the women¡¯s only evening,¡± I explain. ¡°And you have no actual clue about the freakout party Ascathon would throw if he finds out that we are playing MtG without him. He is a damn cultist when it comes to this game. Playing with him is no fun. No fun at all!¡± ¡°A really, really bad idea,¡± Willow replies quickly. ¡°I don¡¯t know what he would do if he finds out that I took some cards from his collection.¡± I gasp. ¡°You did what!?¡± ¡°Just a Necropolis and a Pit, that¡¯s all. He will never realize that he doesn¡¯t have the full playset. The cards in his ring binders are all stacked on top of each other, so even if he has a nostalgic day and goes looking through them, he won¡¯t find out,¡± Willow babbles. I huff. ¡°You should have just told me. We could have gone and raided some version of earth for the cards you need.¡± ¡°But then it wouldn¡¯t have been a surprise to you! And I can¡¯t exactly move between dimensions on my own,¡± the elemental complains. Ashley leans forward. ¡°So, you were talking about the ¡®Power Nine¡¯ earlier. Which dimension do I have to go to in order to get those?¡± ***The World*** ***Ascathon*** A cold shudder runs down my spine, and I have to sneeze as something tickles the inside of my nose. Someone must be talking about me. Where are the others? Then I remember that it¡¯s that day of the month when all the women in my life take a hike for the hills. ¡°Maybe I should consider changing back,¡± I mumble, but quickly get rid of the thought. After rubbing my nose, I return my attention to my minions, king Luxley and the religious leader of the Order of Chaos, Barnabus. After a decade, I finally bothered to remember his name. Both of my servants aged over the years, but they are still holding up. It¡¯s always the same with mortals. Just when you finally decide to remember their names, they are about to croak. I hope that I get at least seven or eight decades of service out of them. Ashley is such a dear for organizing that harem of former maids for Luxley, so we certainly won¡¯t run out of heirs. ¡°¡­ so the diplomatic relationships between us and the Alliance are breaking down. They know that we were responsible for the assassination, but they are too afraid to move openly against us. The mere fact that we managed to follow their spy¡¯s trail is enough for them to hesitate,¡± Luxley finishes his explanation of the recent developments. ¡°I don¡¯t get why they don¡¯t just declare war on us. It¡¯s not like there are any other great powers who could have a decisive influence on the outcome of the war,¡± Barnabus grumbles. ¡°They are afraid that we could have some sort of proof. Whatever they say, if they start the war and we are able to provide their more pragmatic factions with the information that their leadership was plotting this from the beginning, it might cause some internal conflicts which could weaken them in the long run.¡± Luxley rubs his hands together. ¡°There are always dissidents who use great ideals to weaken those in power.¡± The leader of the Order of Chaos harrumphs. ¡°Whatever. We are ready! Once those infidels take one step across the border, we will bathe them in their own blood. No mercy for those who violate our territory. Their weeping women can have the heads of their husbands in a box.¡± I sigh audibly after listening to their bickering. ¡°Do whatever you want. Just make sure not to waste my efforts. If it turns out that giving your scholars all that knowledge was in vain, I won¡¯t be very pleased.¡± Feeling tired, I excuse myself from the king and his bloodthirsty battle priest. The war should begin any day now and it¡¯s likely to be a very bloody and long affair. Scratching my cheek, I follow a pathway back to my workshop but can¡¯t summon the will to work on one of my projects. After arduous testing, I finally decided to plant Inglorium directly on the Nexus Point next to the planet¡¯s core. With that long-term project launched, I feel a little uncertain about what to do next. It¡¯s a little aggravating to have so many resources without the knowledge of what to do with them. I could always spend more time on the problem with the World Enchantment, but the more research I do, the clearer it gets that there is no solution without sacrifices. Sacrifices which I am not willing to make at the moment. Well, if nothing else, then it¡¯s time that I have at my hands. Giving myself one day of vacation certainly won¡¯t change the world. Right? Whistling, I stroll towards the room where I store my cards, a hobby I like pursuing no matter the reincarnation. Before I became a god, I had to reinvent the game in every world I visited, but now that I can jump across the dimensions with a mere thought, it¡¯s no problem to get myself some original cards. I may even visit some version of earth to get the latest set! Arriving at the hobby-room, I enter and open one of the cabinets, retrieving one of the many binders in which I store the rarer cards. Humming, I begin looking through the cards with the intention of building some funny deck and to test it. That¡¯s when the door opens and I find Willow standing in the door-frame. She is clothed in simple jeans and a shirt, a real stay at home attire if I compare it to her usual clothes. ¡°Willow, do you need something?¡± She steels her expression into a smile and straightens her backs, entering the room with long, sauntering steps. ¡°Yes. I was looking for you.¡± She smiles and reaches for my shirt, pulling me down to kiss me full on the lips while she rubs her hips against mine. Furrowing my forehead, I try to think of a reason for her aggressiveness while I hold onto her waist. Reaching down, she closes the binder and pushes it aside, then she positions herself in front of the table while she fiddles with my trousers. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, and all those succubi are hogging your time. It feels like you are failing to pay me the attention I deserve.¡± ¡°Oh? I don¡¯t remember you being so aggressive, Willow. You know that I am not the guy for that kind of relationship.¡± Yeah, at least not if there is no real feeling of companionship involved. Getting rid of her own trousers, she turns around and captures my erection between her legs while she guides my hands to her perfect assets. Something tells me that there must be a reason for such an aggressive behaviour, but then she starts grinding her backside against me and I groan involuntarily. Even after having it done with a succubus, I have to admit that this woman has skills. ¡°Yes!¡± Leaning forward, she rocks back and forth until she curves her back just right. Pushing herself back, she captures me inside her. Having almost forgotten how good she feels, I push her down onto the table and hold her hips in position as I start moving. ***The World*** ***Ashley*** ¡°That¡¯s so unfair!¡± I whisper while I gnaw on my fingernail and watch the pair as I peek around the doorframe¡¯s corner. ¡°The minx gets to have fun while we have to watch! Why didn¡¯t she say that her plan of distraction involves fucking his brains out? I would have been the better choice for that.¡± ¡°Sh! What if he hears us?¡± Seria asks from above me. ¡°He would certainly get suspicious if he found out that we were in his hobby-room!¡± ¡°I think my Obfuscation Charm is going to hold.¡± Karin clears her throat. ¡°Ahem, and Willow is doing quite the job at keeping him distracted.¡± ¡°Still,¡± I complain. ¡°She just went and took all the fun!¡± ¡°Master is probably getting off on it,¡± Karin grumbles. ¡°The thought of getting caught is likely giving her a thrill. She is that kind of person. Probably being watched is another kick for her.¡± What? Willow is that kind of gal? Why did I never notice? She is playing nice and meek all the time when I am around. Damn it! I am really getting old. ¡°Who would have known that he''d be done with king Luxley that quickly,¡± Seria grumbles. ¡°Almost caught us in the act.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± I chuckle. ¡°He at least caught one of us in the act.¡± ¡°That¡¯s dirty, Ashley,¡± Karin reprimands me, sticking to her strange sense of morals. ¡°I think Willow has his full attention,¡± I whisper. ¡°Should we try putting those cards back into the binder?¡± And if he notices, I could try to turn this into a fivesome. Though, Karin and Seria probably won''t go for that kind of fun. ¡°Not yet,¡± Seria grumbles. ¡°Let Willow get a little roughed up until she manages to get him out of that room. It was her stupid idea to take the cards in the first place. The least she can do is to pay him a lease for borrowing. I really hope he decides to use that amulet until she is out of stamina points! That will teach her a lesson.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I better make it a rule to never make Seria angry. The woman has the mentality of a succubus. Chapter 30 ***Somewhere in the Multiverse*** ***Seria*** I enter the Eithen¡¯s laboratory, studying the sophisticated technology which is filling the place. There are machines and equipment all over the place, from the most basic stuff to bubbling tubes of which I can only guess the purpose. To the side, there are various cages with animals of all forms and sizes, a zoo of brilliant colours and unique properties. Even though the equipment is high-tech and most of it eludes my comprehension, it''s quite clear that this laboratory''s goal is genetic research. ¡°A nice work environment. It''s actually been quite some time since I encountered technology of this level,¡± I compliment the creature who is playing tour-guide for me, ignoring the fact that the others of its kind are keeping a respectful distance. The Eithen who is in charge of the negotiations ¨C one of their thinker-class ¨C turns on its three legs, moving the barrel-like torso so that it can inspect me with its multiple eyes. The creature clicks with its tentacle-like feeding appendages, it¡¯s language being translated by a box-like device on top of what could be called the creature''s head. ¡°Thank you. It doesn¡¯t happen often that we meet polite beings like you, who are interested in our unique arts of gene sequencing. In general, the other races tend to shun us, once they learn about the focus of our research.¡± I wave my hand, hoping that the Eithen recognizes the gesture for what it is. ¡°Don¡¯t fret over it. Let¡¯s just say that I expect you to be able to fulfil my requirements for a mutually beneficial trade.¡± The Eithen folds all three of its main-arms against its torso; the meaning comparable to a human''s bow. ¡°Though, it¡¯s hard to understand why an extra-dimensional being like yourself would require our services, especially in such a strange manner. The other races would never pay us for something like a custom-designed virus. I am curious. Wouldn¡¯t your race be quite capable of achieving your wishes on your own?¡± The creature continues onwards to an oval-shaped tube with a containment field around it. ¡°It''s quite the task to trust outsiders with a project of that scale. Aren''t you afraid that this virus could be used against you and your own?¡± ¡°Do you know the term: outsourcing?¡± I ask. ¡°And no. I am not sure what your government told you, but bodies are nothing more than clothing to people like me. We can discard them and acquire a new one, should there be a need. Deploying a highly effective virus against me might work in the short term, but only until my new body is strong enough to take revenge. One could say that I ordered an expensive dress from your government.¡± There, that should be sufficiently close to the truth in order to not trip their lie detectors, while being vague enough at the same time to be worthless. ¡°You mean, like buying the workforce of another clan?¡± the Eithen asks. ¡°And yes, they mentioned that you are an extra-dimensional traveller, and not necessarily what you seem to be.¡± The Eithen spreads two of its three arm-tendrils in a helpless gesture, trying to mimic my own body language. ¡°I was just surprised about the scale of this project when it came up in my schedule. Apparently, you made the contract with my predecessor a decade ago. He retired four years ago. ¡°Imagine my surprise when the computers scheduled my timely appearance for this rather obscure project. As a project-supervisor, I am not much better than the average clergyman, because there is simply no way for me to know all the different projects which are running in this facility. Clearly, I know of the larger projects, and since this one required a sizeable percentage of our think-factory''s resources, I was quite aware of the project''s existence. Still, I was surprised to learn that the contractor who requested this project turned out to be an alien of unknown origins. You are not N''gath, Zar or Isea, or any race I have ever seen. Your body is similar to a Siltsch, but the proportions are all wrong.¡± The Eithen uses its main-arm to snatch a tablet from on top of a monitor which apparently controls the containment field with my project inside it. ¡°A virus which is capable of terraforming a planet, given that there is enough living bio-matter available. It should be able to use the genetics of several intelligent bipedal species and mold them into one race, preferably conserving their features within family units. Let me assure you that cramming all of these aspects into one was quite challenging. This wasn''t an easy task, but after a decade of research, we are finally confident in our ability to deliver a satisfying result. But instead of a single virus, we designed several different ones, with the goal to work in tandem. Something that works on plants and mushrooms, as well as animals, is almost impossible to come up with. Rest assured, though, that we are able to deliver the desired result. May I ask what you intend to do with this virus? I hope that you are aware of the moral issues since this will require the genetic blueprints of the creatures you wish to use.¡± Gods, the little guy isn''t standing much higher than my chest, but he sure has a lot to say. These people are difficult. Why couldn''t I just find some dimension with a race that would take my deal, give me goods, and say goodbye? Ciao, was nice to make business with you. Let''s not see each other again, ever! Despite my aversion to making small talk, I smile. ¡°Certainly. I intend to create a world of my own, but I lack the knowledge of a bio-engineer.¡± I stop, trying to think of a satisfying explanation. ¡°Think of me as naturally gifted in interdimensional travel and energy manipulation. I handle Life and Death in a more primordial manner than you are used to. From time to time I meddle with various fields of science, but I am not an expert in anything.¡± ¡°Primordial?¡± the Eithen asks. ¡°You mean the government''s ridiculous request to transplant our civilisation into a less hostile part of the universe?¡± It looks down at the tablet. ¡°Whoever made this ridiculous request was insane. As if anyone or anything could perform such a feat. I mean, our civilisation is restricted to our sole home-system, but there is the homeworld and three other colonized worlds, together with a whole bunch of space-stations further out in the belt. We are sitting on a population record of seventy-two billion citizens. Relocating our whole civilisation would be a racial effort which even the N''gath wouldn''t be able to accomplish. Even if they suddenly decided to deploy their whole fleet, bomb two of our three planets into nuclear dust, and evacuate just the third. Normally, I would have thought that the government is screened for insanity.¡± The creature bobs up and down a few times, showing its inability to comprehend the information it was given. ¡°Yes, like souls ''n stuff. You have a concept of the energy fields of all living things?¡± I quickly fall silent and abandon that line of inquiry when the Eithen looks at me as if I am a newly spawned baby. ¡°Just don''t worry about the details of the contract or my ability to deliver. It took me a few weeks to convince the officials from a decade ago to agree to develop this virus for me. It took them even longer to work out a contract that wouldn''t be superseded by their successors a few years later. That''s why I requested for this research to be undertaken as a semi-private project,¡± I grumble. ¡°You have no idea how bothersome it is to negotiate with mortal beings. Now that I think of it, why don''t you engineer your bodies to live forever? You certainly have the necessary technology at hand.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. The Eithen waves his tablet around. ¡°Our star system is surrounded by aggressive species. There is no room to expand without risking a war that could mean our end. Since we are suffering from population pressure as it is, it would be stupid to lengthen our lifespans. It would slow down our random evolution, making us vulnerable to biological attacks from an outside enemy. As it is, we assure that each individual has a guaranteed lifespan and the opportunity to procreate. If we gave ourselves infinite lifespans, our numbers would quickly grow to a point at which this solar system''s resources are incapable of supporting our numbers.¡± It stops speaking and studies the tablet, then looks up to me. ¡°If I may ask, how old are you?¡± Normally, I would answer with something like: ¡®You don¡¯t ask a woman her age!¡¯ But the Eithen have no concept of this basic courtesy. Hell, they don¡¯t even have genders. ¡°I actually stopped counting at ten thousand,¡± I reply. ¡°Years!?¡± the Eithen squeaks. ¡°No. Lifetimes,¡± I clarify. ¡°How often I changed to a different body, which people like me only do reluctantly, or through force. Actually, I am quite sure that I am older than this universe.¡± The Eithen stays silent and suddenly finds its tablet to be very interesting. I ignore him for the moment, thinking of their society and their communistic way of dealing with shortened lifespans. I am sure that if they were a little more aggressive, they could easily use their population to pressure and ultimately overrun their enemies. As it is, they are dooming their civilisation to stagnate. The least they could do would be to pay some of the other races to grant passage through their territory in order to launch a colonisation effort. But what do I care? This is just one world out of many which are filled with mortals. Mortals in strange bodies, but still mortals. Just because their souls had the misfortune of landing inside strange and inconvenient bodies doesn¡¯t make them any more or less valuable to the grand scheme of things. I just chose them to do my bidding because their situation made them susceptible to striking a deal while assuring that they would pour sufficient effort into this project. If they manage to deliver, it''s fine. If not, I just have to search the multiverse for another option. I have the time to wait. ¡°In any case, you have detailed explanations on the deployment of this virus?¡± I ask. ¡°Oh! Sure.¡± The Eithen pulls a transparent Data Crystal out of the tablet and hands it over... tentacles it over? I am not sure. His arms have so many segments that they seem like tentacles, but I know for a fact that there are bones inside, so they are definitely not tentacles. His arms are like those highly sophisticated robot-arms from modern factories. Actually, the Eithen may have even designed their bodies to be like this. They have the ability. The Data Crystal is a clear tube which is about the size of my finger. It''s standard technology, so I pocket it to read through the instructions later. The Eithen gestures at it, apparently unsure whether I know what to do with the information storage device. ¡°You are familiar with the technology?¡± I nod. ¡°Standard Data Crystal. Pretty common among the technological civilisations in the multiverse. Somehow, most of the thinking beings come up with similar solutions to a problem.¡± ¡°Multiverse?¡± it asks. Ah, damn. Why do I keep spouting stuff which allows the Eithen to continue the conversation? ¡°Yeah, like in universe, but with ''M'', like more than one,¡± I reply. ¡°How would I be able to watch a universe to come into existence and die, if not by watching the process from another universe? It would be pretty unpleasant to be present while the soap-bubble ¡®pops¡¯!¡± The Eithen have no neck, but I can¡¯t shake the feeling that the creature just swallowed uncomfortably. ¡°Sorry. I still can''t believe the report from the archives.¡± The Eithen points at the Data Crystal. ¡°This has the detailed user manual for the virus and all our research data, should you want to modify it at some point. What it comes down to, is that you have to release this on a planet with a decent amount of dead or living bio-matter. Which means plenty of water, carbon, and some other elements. Preferably including enough living micro-organisms and every genetic sequence you want to have on your custom-designed world. Then you just have to lean back and watch. The mutagenic abilities of the virus will weaken and completely decay over time, so you should release any animal you want on the planet within a one-year time-frame to guarantee that the virus includes it into the planet''s ecosystem.¡± ¡°So, put everything I want on the planet''s surface, smash the tube, and wait. That''s simple enough for even me to understand.¡± I nod. ¡°You should probably avoid exposing yourself to the virus,¡± the Eithen adds, his voice indicating that he still isn''t sure of what to think of me. ¡°It''s quite volatile during the first few weeks,¡± he adds helpfully, like a parent for the first time giving a knife to his or her child, adding the hopeful instruction not to cut yourself. ¡°Don''t worry.¡± I point at myself. ¡°Confirmed multi-dimensional being, remember? If the stuff gives me the sniffles, I''ll just discard this body. In any case, I think you more than fulfilled your side of the deal. But maybe you should consider using the virus on yourselves, those bodies of yours look quite uncomfortable. I once tried a non-humanoid body, and it was horrible. Seriously horrible. Like putting on my panties backward.¡± ¡°Panties?¡± Before the Eithen can continue, I release my aura, stretching my awareness out over time and space, touching the network of pathways and becoming one with everything in the area. Slowly, I allow my energies, my essence, to permeate the whole network. Instead of just using the pathways to slip from one place to another, I enter the Eternal Planes within the network while staying in place. A place where time, space, and dimensions have no meaning. Pouring more and more of myself into the network, I take complete control, tightening my ethereal grip until I am everything within and beyond their solar system. Once I am sure that I have a firm hold, I yank everything with me across space, time and dimensions, switching it out with another plane of existence. Assured that I succeeded, I slowly disentangle myself from the network. When I return my awareness to my own body, I realize that all the Eithen in the room, and probably on the whole moon and beyond, are on the floor and trembling. ¡°Hey?¡± I nudge the creature with my foot. ¡°You should be okay. It was just a little aura pressure. I fulfilled my side of the deal. Should we go outside and take a look?¡± ¡°Y- y- y- y- es!¡± The Eithen''s communication device stammers, seeming a little bit broken. It takes a few more seconds, but eventually, the Eithen and its clansmen get back to their feet. Silently, I follow their slightly disoriented bodies out of the research complex, and onto a busy street with numerous people of its kind, all pointing at the night sky, where a previously non-existent nebular is spanning the firmament. My contact is lost for words until he points at the nebular and then at some of the stars. ¡°I don''t understand. This is the Prad-Nebula, but it shouldn''t be this bright! In fact, it shouldn''t be visible to the bare eye. Yet, these are clearly familiar star constellations! What did you do?¡± ¡°I shifted this whole solar system into another dimension and exchanged it with the one that was previously here in this one. Makes the whole process easier if I stick to the ''Preservation of Mass'' thing. Bending the laws of physics is exhausting, so if I shift as much mass back as I brought here, there isn''t so much of a strain. This is essentially a younger version of your old universe, just that it started developing later. That has the added benefit that your competition hasn''t yet evolved in this universe. You have the entire place to yourselves, at least this galaxy. I think you have neighbours three galaxies over, but it''s unlikely for you to ever meet them.¡± I smile. The Eithen looks at me. ¡°W- w- why?¡± ¡°Oh, it''s just that most technology-based civilisations wipe themselves out at one point or the other. There are several evolutionary bottlenecks which could be called technological singularities. You already avoided a few of them, but the better you get at technology, the easier it gets to trip at one point or the other. If you aren¡¯t immortal beings of energy with an infinite amount of attempts at learning, you will have an accident that ruins your day sooner or later. Sorry, nothing against you guys, just a rule of thumb.¡± I click my tongue, chiding myself that I already invested too much time into these mortals. ¡°Yeah, well, I¡¯ll just take what I am owed and leave. Have a nice life then, I guess. It¡¯s unlikely that I¡¯ll come around to take a look at what became of you within your lifetime.¡± Maybe I¡¯ll take a look in a million years and try to puzzle out what happened to them by studying fossils¡­ or something like that. Chapter 31 ***The World*** ***Ascathon*** Sleep. Precious, eternal sleep. It has been so long since I slept the sleep of the righteous. Grumbling in appreciation, I shift and pull Willow closer to me, her naked form being the perfect body pillow to ward off a lonely night. Scratch. Scratch. Scratch. Nooooo¡­ Not now! ¡°Stay away, Lucius...¡± ¡°Miau!¡± The hinges creak slightly as the accursed cat prods the door open to gain entry into my bedroom. There is the soft ¡®click, clack¡¯ of a cat¡¯s claws on the stone floor, and then something hops onto the bed and runs across my body. I decide to ignore the little bugger. It moves up to my head, tickling me with its whiskers. ¡°Miau.¡± Just ignore it! I have to keep my eyes closed, showing that I am sleeping, then he will go away on his own. A cold nose presses against my cheek and I shudder. Turning away from the mischief-maker, I try to get just a few more minutes of sleep. Again, it moves up and down on top of me, little claws digging through the blanket, working me over like an acupuncture treatment. At last, Lucius decides to bring out the big guns and moves back up to my head, licking a wet and rough tongue over my ear. When I continue to play dead, it moves over to my hand and bites into my finger, softly at first, but applying more pressure by the second. ¡°Fine!¡± I pull my hand away before Lucius can break the skin. Then I shove the ghost-cat away, who had decided to take the shape of a large Norwegian Forest cat in order to bug me. His goal accomplished, Lucius morphs back into its little kitten-form, losing its ghostly shape to reassemble itself into a new one. I get up and cover Willow with the blanket. Five minutes later, I am fully clothed and ready to feed Lucius his milk; pure essence, fresh from the teats of a dragon. Boy, it was hard to get a steady supply of that stuff. Lucius lives on pure energy, so normal food wouldn''t have much value for him. With a bit of catnip added to his breakfast, I leave my quarters and run into Karin on the central corridor. Her face lights up with mischief when she sees me. ¡°Hi, did you have a good night¡¯s sleep?¡± She wouldn¡¯t ask that if she didn¡¯t know that Willow and I did it like bunnies last night. Just you wait, little trainee. ¡°I had a perfect night. You should try it once in a while, a little relaxation here and there wouldn¡¯t be a bad thing.¡± ¡°Ah, yeah¡­ better not,¡± she replies, quickly losing the wind in her sails. Okay. Maybe poking my finger directly into one of her social scars wasn¡¯t the nicest thing to do. ¡°Hey, do you want to accompany me on a quest?¡± ¡°A quest?¡± Her expression turns immediately wary. ¡°If it¡¯s the kind where we journey out into the wilds of some foreign place just to get me thrown in front of some monster, then no!¡± ¡°Relax.¡± I wave my hands to dismiss her suspicions. ¡°It¡¯s nothing like that. I just thought that you may want to accompany me to the lower levels of this facility. I need to search for some books.¡± ¡°Books?¡± ¡°Yes, books. I borrowed them a long time ago, and I figure that it¡¯s time to return them to the owner since I learned everything I could from them.¡± And after a decade, it¡¯s probably safe to return to Alexandria¡¯s library. If not for purely sentimental reasons, I could at least try to search for some more literature on world enchantments while I am there. Karin tilts her head from side to side as she thinks about my proposal. My promise to stay at home must be a big bonus point in favour of joining my quest, but what finally does her in is her own curiosity. ¡°Lower levels? I didn¡¯t know that there are lower levels.¡± ¡°Oh, but there are. Or did you believe that I would store the really dangerous experiments in my workshop?¡± I ask. ¡°Yes,¡± she replies instantly. ¡°The fusion bomb in the left corner strikes me as pretty dangerous!¡± I wave her off and blow a raspberry with my lips. ¡°There are far more dangerous things out there in the multiverse than a little bomb that sends you onwards to the next reincarnation. Come, let me show you the lower levels. It¡¯s time for you to learn about a few things, and maybe, afterward, I will even teach you some mental techniques to reach the immortal-stage a little quicker.¡± ¡°Really!?¡± Drawn in by my offer, she follows me down the corridor and towards the dead-end at the far side, lying opposite to my workshop. I tap the wall with my palm, popping out the secret code lock. Karin gasps when she sees it. ¡°Something like that was here the entire time? You haven¡¯t even secured it with magical wards!¡± I shrug. ¡°The wards add another layer of security once someone finds this entrance. This here is enough to fool most people away. At least those who are capable of magic. They are so focused on using the magical arts that something simple, like an unguarded mundane security system, doesn¡¯t even occur to them.¡± Proceeding, I punch in the code, opening the door to the hidden elevator. We enter the elevator and I notice that Lucifer joined us on our little tour of show and tell. ¡°I suppose you want me to stop at your feeding pen?¡± I ask my familiar. ¡°Miau!¡± the kitten confirms my suspicion. ¡°Okay, first stop, Lucifer¡¯s private playground,¡± I announce and punch in the necessary security code. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that someone who realizes that there are more levels in your base would just teleport in wherever he wants?¡± Karin asks, raising a valid point regarding my security measures. ¡°Yes. That¡¯s why the whole base is shielded against teleportation and the use of pathways. There is a general interference field which messes with anyone who tries to reach the living area. Only people who were taught to adjust their teleportation magic in exactly the right manner can reach this place,¡± I explain. ¡°Then there is a separate security layer for this restricted research area. Pretty much nothing can get in or out easily. Even I would have issues with leaving.¡± We arrive at Lucifer¡¯s pen and the elevator¡¯s doors open, the two silver panels sliding smoothly to the side. What¡¯s revealed is purest darkness. The light from the elevator shines into the room, lighting up a few meters of a dark cavern. It¡¯s impossible to tell what lies beyond the darkness, but Karin takes a step back when something moves just at the edge of the light. ¡°What¡¯s that? It makes my skin crawl.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°All sorts of horrible things which I let loose in here. Don¡¯t worry, Karin. It¡¯s a while yet until you are ready to test your powers against the things which I locked away in this pocket dimension.¡± Looking down at Lucifer, I nudge my lazy pet with the tip of my boot. ¡°Get going! I hate it when they try to get in here. It¡¯s always such a mess.¡± Finally, Lucifer decides to stroll into the room, and I mash the button to close the door. ¡°Pocket Dimension?¡± ¡°Yes. Just like the rest of this base. I had to make sure that the things which I locked in here stay where they are supposed to be.¡± Finally, the door closes and I sigh a sigh of relief. ¡°No slime or other gooey secretions to clean up today.¡± ¡°Ah, what exactly did you lock in that space?¡± Karin asks. ¡°Mostly things that pissed me off and were too hard to kill, those kinds of things. Over the millennia, I encountered some creatures which would see you as nothing more than an appetizer. In some cases, I managed to subdue them, but couldn¡¯t find a valid way to kill them off for good. I mean, how do you kill a Lich who bound his memories and personality to his family bloodline? If you kill him, he reincarnates in one of his descendants. Their memories and ego are replaced by him. ¡°Soul magic doesn¡¯t work, because he quite literally sold his soul to a devil, and all that¡¯s left is an alter-ego which thinks it¡¯s still the original person. I would have to find a way to travel back in time and to stop him from ever selling his soul, or I would have to wipe out three-quarters of this planet¡¯s population because their great, great¡­ something-grandfather was an insane necromancer. ¡°And I am really not willing to find out how to kill him. There are better things to do. Heck, I am not even sure if he is still alive. Maybe one of the other inmates ate him? He tried to rush into the elevator for the first few centuries after I imprisoned him. Now that I think about it, he hasn¡¯t shown himself in quite a while; and I haven¡¯t encountered him in the world either. Maybe one of the others really managed to off him for good.¡± ¡°That¡­ it seems reasonable to lock a thing like that away,¡± Karin replies after a moment of consideration. ¡°Okay, we probably should get on with it,¡± I touch the control panel and bring us down to the next level. ¡°This one is a little safer. I conducted my experiments on World Enchantments in here,¡± I explain as the door opens. We step onto a seemingly endless field of grass. About five metres ahead is a table with a ritualistic circle drawn on it. The table is hewn from black marble and was a gift from my grandmother in this life. She was a good person and taught me most of what I now know about soul magic. Or should I say that she re-taught me? Once I became a god, I later found out that I once already knew quite a lot about soul-magic. It¡¯s just that I had lost those memories somewhere in the course of my many reincarnations. It''s the reason why I took to soul magic like a fish in water. The soul and the mind are a complicated thing. While the soul can theoretically hold an endless amount of information, the mind is limited. It¡¯s like having a local hard-drive which can hold several terra-byte, while most of an immortal¡¯s memories are stored in a cloud with the capacity of petabytes. In a natural reincarnation process, you don¡¯t have all of your memories right from the start. An immortal gradually awakens to them over time, eventually reaching the limits of his organic brain. ¡°It¡¯s huge!¡± Karin looks around, searching the horizon for structures. ¡°Is this a hologram, like the beach scene in the bath?¡± I chuckle. ¡°No, certainly not. This is a really large pocket dimension, spanning several hundred square miles. I needed an enclosed space which I could purge at a whim if things got out of control. Testing self-replicating enchantments, and especially purging them, is really complicated and dangerous.¡± I approach the table, making sure that there are no lingering effects from a previous experiment. Once I am sure that it¡¯s safe, I hand Karin Yahwe¡¯s book ¡°Enchantment 101 for dummies!¡±. There are several dozen different tomes along with magical compounds and ingredients on the table, and I take my time sorting through them, passing Karin everything that should be returned to Lexi¡¯s library. Her library was like her soul, and she would want it to be complete. I don¡¯t want to know what she would do should she ever return and find her library in an incomplete state. What if she actually remembers that I have those tomes? Well, some of them I secretly ¡®liberated¡¯ from her shelves, but I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she has a way to track them, should she realize that they are gone. ¡°Enchantment¡­, The Voinich Manuscript, The Honorius Codex, Galdrab¨°k, Ars Notoria, The Soyga, The Necronomicon, THE D?MONIUM¡­ Ascathon, what do all these things have to do with world enchantments?¡± ¡°Hmm. Some of them have nothing to do with world enchantments.¡± I search the rest of the table but find that I went through all of the old books, having loaded Karin with eleven different books. ¡°To be honest, some of them are total rubbish¡­ like that one! The Necronomicon; don¡¯t ever try to learn necromancy from that shit. The guy who wrote it included so many superstitions in the text that any young necromancer who reads it will be led astray for centuries until he or she realizes where things went wrong.¡± ¡°Okay, but you haven¡¯t answered the previous question.¡± ¡°Right. World enchantments are a very complicated matter. I think I already explained how they are essentially just miniature enchantments which use the latent mana in the air to replicate. A very nasty idea, and almost impossible to get rid of. I searched those other books for ideas on how to dispel a world enchantment because, to be honest, I still have no clue how to do it properly.¡± I shrug and gesture for her to head back to the elevator, whose door is embedded in a large, white obelisk which emerges from the otherwise empty landscape. She turns around and heads back, carrying the books. ¡°What would be an improper way of dispelling the World Enchantment which is holding you and the others?¡± ¡°One way would be to design a World Enchantment of my own which is aimed at dispelling other magical effects. The downside is that I would have to make sure that the effect reaches every nook and cranny all over the world. Designing it to only stop after it detects no more targets is potentially dangerous since I have no clue if there are places in this world where the magic can persist. My base would be just one such example. If I were to go that route, I would have to scrap this place for sure. Not to mention that it might not work. Or worse, it does work and renders everyone on the whole world incapable of using magic ever again!¡± ¡°I thought this place is heavily defended and warded.¡± ¡°Yes, but when I designed it, I had no clue how world enchantments operate. Tjenemit bound the world enchantment to freely replicate as long as its within the unique influence of this world¡¯s nexus point. Which means that other worlds are safe, just not this one. When I entered this base after I was cursed by these idiots, I brought the World Enchantment with me inside.¡± We enter the elevator and I give in the code for our next destination. ¡°Where to now?¡± ¡°There is one more stop before we head back. It¡¯s the lowest level. There are more, but I¡¯ll show you those another time,¡± I reply. The door opens, and Karin has to squint her eyes against the bright light that enters the elevator¡¯s cabin. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Extradimensional Research!¡± I exclaim as I leave the elevator. ¡°I feel sick, like something is trying to warp my innards and my mind at the same time.¡± Karin leaves the elevator, her face turning green. She studies the rip in reality in the middle of the large cavern, which is contained by force-fields and several rings of spinning energies in blue, red, and black. ¡°Just don¡¯t barf on the books. As I know Alexandria, I bet they are originals and priceless.¡± I walk forward and reach the pedestal which is located in front of the magical construct. On it, is a large tome, its pages constantly flipping over, seemingly going in both directions without ever reaching the beginning or the end of the book. Just looking at it creates a nauseating effect. ¡°You still haven¡¯t explained what this is,¡± Karin prods for an explanation as she steps next to me. She manages to take a look at the wildly changing runes inside my book, but has to quickly look away. ¡°It started out with me taking personal research notes. Then it ballooned to a research project about my own nature. I wanted to understand my place as a god and myself. For that purpose, I created something that reflects my nature and opens a pathway to a plane which is like me. Did Willow teach you about the colour-wheel of magic, and it¡¯s meaning for the gods?¡± Karin nods. ¡°Every god''s nature is different. How much power you have depends on how much you believe in yourself, and how much insight you have into your own person. There is a wide variety of aspects a god can personify, and the more a god realizes his own nature, the more powerful he or she gets.¡± I nod and slowly close the book. With it, the rip in reality closes, the rings of spinning energy closing in on the thing which shouldn¡¯t exist in this world until everything is a small pinpoint of light. And then it¡¯s gone as the book¡¯s binding falls shut, a small magnetic lock closing the tome to everyone who has no right to read it. Lifting the big book in its black blinding, I wrap it in red cloth for protection. ¡°So what was the place beyond the portal? It felt terrifying. Like stepping into it would be my complete unmaking.¡± ¡°That¡¯s probably because you aren¡¯t meant to be there. It¡¯s unlikely that you share my nature. Every god¡¯s nature is different.¡± I purse my lips and heft the book beneath my armpit. ¡°You have to discover your own nature on your own. That¡¯s something nobody can help you with. Actually, when I stepped beyond that gateway, I found myself in a place which was disgustingly familiar. Some may want to stay in the place that reflects their nature forever, but it wasn¡¯t for me. It felt too right.¡± ¡°So what was it?¡± ¡°It was neither a place nor a time. It was nothing and everything, neither good nor evil, neither dangerous nor inviting,¡± I turn to look at her, grinning. ¡°I guess the most fitting way to describe the place beyond the portal would be ''Primal Chaos''.¡± We return to the elevator and I enter the code to bring us back to the living quarters. ¡°So, how would I go about discovering my own nature?¡± Karin asks. I scoff. ¡°Girl, first we have to get you to the confirmed immortal-stage. Then you can try to discover your nature. And before you ask, no, I have no clue what you could be. Seeing how you took down your village, you could be a deity of revenge, or a maiden of insecurity because you don¡¯t want to enter a relationship with the other gender. Your nature depends entirely on yourself. Heck, for all I know, you could turn out to be the goddess of fluffy feelings and happy unicorns.¡± I wince, realizing what I just said. ¡°No. Forget that last one. Unicorns are actually pretty scary. Karin, take this advice, and never mess with unicorns.¡± Chapter 32 ***The World*** ***Seria*** Myrm hadn''t gotten any worse since I decided to take action against her deteriorating mental state. Sadly, she hadn''t gotten any better either and was still stubbornly fixated on her personal crusade against Ascathon who she perceived as her personal archenemy. It wasn''t that much of a surprise that the latest political ploy of Ascathon''s minions was like a slap to her face. The assassination of Magnolia''s king, a little, neutral patch of land between the Alliance and the Empire came as a surprise to the Alliance. They thought that they had covered their tracks well enough, right up until King Lucius responded with force. Myrm thought that she had the little city-state in her pocket and with it a perfect way to infiltrate the Empire. I chuckle at remembering the expression on her face when she read the message while I was in her office. But their leader''s death caused a complete turnaround in Magnolia''s city-council. Within a few days, which is practically overnight on a political time scale, the city''s remaining leadership closed off all friendly connections with the Alliance. The Alliance''s agents and operations were kicked out, leaving only a small diplomatic core in the city. Together with the returning exiles, the Alliance''s government got a nice little letter. Its contents were an elongated rant about how Magnolia would return to its valued neutrality, honouring the old ways of its wise and peaceful ancestors. I assume that Myrm''s original plan was to abuse the Empire''s weak military defences along Magnolia''s border in a Blitzkrieg manoeuvre. They would have marched unchallenged through the neutral country, aided by their spies'' intelligence. The only problem was that the Empire had noticed this plan and reacted by amassing troops of their own on their side of Magnolia''s border. I chuckle involuntarily upon studying the map which I have on the wall of my little domicile. It''s located on a patch of land which is floating freely in the skies above the world, a little trick which I learned from my father a long time ago. The leadership of Magnolia saw the war between the Alliance and the Empire coming from afar, which would have made their intelligence and foresight commendable. Sadly, they failed to honour their neutrality. Staying true to their outward ideals wouldn''t have guaranteed their non-involvement in the war, but it would have been the safer bet in my opinion. Myrm is an idealist and so are her followers. It''s true that the Alliance reached out to Magnolia''s government, but had the king simply said no, Myrm would have stayed away. With Ascathon and his puppet, Luxley, it would have been a different story. They certainly wouldn''t hesitate to overrun a little neutral country it there was any benefit in it, but they also wouldn''t unnecessarily go out of their way to wage war on everything in their sight just because they can. Had they insisted and honoured their neutrality from the start, I am sure Magnolia''s strategic position would have been unimportant enough to stay out of the line of fire, even in an all-out war. They would have been pulled into the war eventually, but it would have been a slow and gradual process. There are far more important resources and natural strategic positions to hold than either the Empire or the Alliance are able to take care of in their current state. Magnolia''s leadership created an easy opportunity to exploit by inviting the Alliance in. With their own actions, they created the very situation they wanted to avoid. Now, instead of being a neutral country, the city-state is caught between the front lines of both sides'' armies. Magnolia''s territory would be turned into the first battlefield of a war with an indeterminable outcome. In their desperation to safeguard their home, they doomed what they wanted to protect. Both sides had access to vast resources and manpower, their populations roughly equal from a military point of view. Each also had a god on their side, an immortal being which guaranteed a steady flow of knowledge and good advice. I knew Ascathon had a slight edge in that department. There was hardly a being in existence who could challenge him on the fields of the technological sciences and magic. On the other hand, Myrm was no slouch either, and I have no doubt that she would bring in assistance from other worlds, should her people turn out to be in need of education. Ascathon had already taken this step. Also, Myrm herself was a genius when it came to biological and genetic research, which meant that she could rival Ascathon''s ability to share arcane knowledge. I already dread the thought of the both of them teaching their followers ways to utilize nuclear warfare or to deploy purpose-built biological weapons. Once those gloves came off, the world would quickly turn into a wasteland. This place was never really peaceful, and somehow there was always a war to fight. But somehow the inhabitants of this world had always lacked the means to do permanent damage. Well, there was this one incident in which Ascathon''s former alter-ego blew up the centre of the continent; which was originally called the Eternal Battlefield. Now they call it the Blight because nothing grows there. The radiation poisoning is still strong enough to kill off even plants. As it is, things could get nasty very quickly even if there are only mortals involved on both sides. With two or more immortals entering the playing field, I wasn''t quite so sure that the world itself wouldn''t suffer. After all, I was quite certain that Myrm had managed to rally at least some of the other deities of our impromptu pantheon for her campaign. There were three or four who I am sure are firmly in Myrm''s camp, aiding her in one way or the other. I have to laugh at the ridiculousness of it all. Looking around, I leave the small bungalow on the floating island. It''s not much, just a little single-story abode with four rooms, kept in an eastern-style. Made out of wood, it''s located in the centre of the floating island, which isn''t much more than fifty metres in diameter. A few steps through the perfectly maintained garden take me to the edge. The little robot which acts as my gardener ignores me, busy with maintaining some flowerbed. Looking down at the world, I start wondering why anyone of my calibre would concern her- or himself with such a little ball of dirt. The answer is: Nobody. Aside from the youngest and the weakest of the gods, none of us would be bothered by the fate of a single world. That''s why the Council''s actions bother me. I understand that they wish for control, but why in this manner? They surely aren''t concerned with the mortals, or Tjenemit would have stopped what''s developing between Myrm''s and Ascathon''s followers. What they must be after are the potential new gods, but why? Because nobody would mourn for them if they joined the ranks of those who mysteriously disappeared? Because one thing is certain, the Council''s control will slip further out of their fingers the more gods go missing. Our personalities are cut out for survival, so most of us duck their heads and disappear inside some hole when the shadow of disaster looms over their heads. But if things go on like this for much longer, people will start thinking that it''s only a question of time before it''s their turn. Once that thought takes root, there will be those who will decide to fight openly.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. My silent musings are interrupted when I feel the World Enchantment''s pull. Reacting quickly, I wrap myself in a shroud of confusion and shadow, making myself invisible to the mortals. It''s a practise that became standard doctrine for me. Instead of interacting directly with the mortals, it''s much easier to fulfil the World Enchantment''s terms in more subtle ways. I appear in a line of soldiers, some of them praying to whatever deity they chose as their patron god. One glance is enough to tell me that they are from the alliance. Their leaders chose to defend a small hill amidst fields of corn. Facing them is an army which is very similar in its makeup. Amidst medieval infantry which is mostly equipped with spears, they have some siege weapons and cavalry. In the skies above both armies are flying airships, huge monstrositiesjust like I remember them from the Eternal War. And there I thought that artefacts of that potency were lost to history. They must have either found the airships mothballed away in some hidden cave, or Ascathon and Myrm both taught their followers how to create and repair these things. If they are fully functional, things will get ugly for the ground-pounders down here. No wonder that they are already praying for an easy passing to the afterlife. From what I can see, the Empire''s forces are smaller in numbers, but they look much better equipped. Without a doubt, they also have quite a few undead among their ranks. Those can be counted as four of five normal soldiers. Their disadvantage in numbers is more than compensated by the fact that they have three airships on their site, while the Alliance just has two. In days long forgotten to the world, there were entire fleets of these things, sailing proudly to their doom in gigantic air-battles. I am still considering the situation and my role in it, when the two armies start marching towards each other, following some hidden signal. The lines of soldiers are generously placed twenty metres away from each other.This makes it unlikely that too many soldiers get caught up in a spell, should one get through the magical defences. It also makes it easier for each magic user to protect the group of soldiers under his care. The Empire''s forces approach the hill, while the Alliance''s troops move to meet them halfway up the gentle incline, probably hoping that the lay of the land would give them some slight advantage. Generally, fighting downhill can be seen as an advantage, but I doubt that it makes much ¨C if any ¨C difference with the number of mages and magical devices involved. All soldiers are heavily supported by magical enhancements. Maybe I should just strike down those who are praying for an easy death, just to get home. But I promised Ascathon and Myrm to stay neutral. It probably wouldn''t do to sow the seed of fear among the Alliance''s ranks by striking down one of their soldiers out of nowhere. Either way, it doesn''t happen often that the Goddess of Life and Death gets summoned to a battlefield. Those who pray to me often wish for an easy departure to the afterlife or a safe delivery at birth. Both are things which rarely happen on a battlefield fuelled by mortal greed and hatred. Feeling a slight tug on me, I follow the World Enchantment''s compulsion and stay close to the mortal who summoned me in his fear. Despite his obviously unfit state to fight on a battlefield like this one, he stays in line with his comrades, chanting the prayer that summoned me like a mantra. I saunter after them, making sure to keep my distance while I rely on my protections to keep me safe. My shrouding may keep me invisible to the normal man, but people will notice if spells don''t behave like they should upon hitting me. I am not here to influence the outcome of the battle. Falling in step with the advancing soldiers, I listen to the beats of their drums, their cries of challenge. Magical siege engines and ballistas join their cacophony, and above them, the airships charge up with the ¡®whirr¡¯ of strategic-class spells. It¡¯s the old song of mortal folly, kindled by immortal players behind the curtain. I don¡¯t blame Myrm or Ascathon for what they are. They are simply an eternal constant in this round dance. It¡¯s the mortals'' own fault if they join the dance. After all, they could have just said, ¡°No,¡± and walked away. The airships launch the first strike almost simultaneously, making it impossible to tell who struck the first blow. Lances of plasma and balls of fire light up the sky, quickly followed by orange cascading force fields deflecting the destructive energies of their counterparts. Some of the energies get deflected in random directions and hit the battlefield below, claiming the first casualties as wards and defences are overwhelmed by much more powerful magic. As if the crescendo of exploding magic was a signal, both armies charge, still feeling the relative safety of the magic users who are assisting the ranks, providing magical protections. Sensing their turn, the twanging of arrows and the sizzling of spells joins the symphony. Most get caught by previously erected wards and countermagic, while others get through, stunting the advance of both sides. I raise my hands in an attempt to conduct this musical play, remembering Ascathon''s peculiar behaviour when he is on a battlefield. Is that what he does when he plays with his hands while overseeing a battle? Is this his way of coping with what¡¯s happening, with the cruel reality of the world? Or is he so unfeeling to towards the mortals that he simply doesn¡¯t care, and his actions are fuelled by his own amusement? Maybe it¡¯s all just one great game to him. But no. That can¡¯t be the case. Whatever he is, he isn¡¯t uncaring. He is a man with certain principles which he follows unerringly. That¡¯s his way of coping with the ways of the world. When the first ranks of soldiers clash into each other, the cries of encouragement and sounds of powerful weapons are quickly joined by the shrieks of the maimed and dying. I listen, taking note of the short, pain-filled sounds. Unlike in the movies, a person in real, mind breaking pain doesn¡¯t let out a single, continuous scream. They try to scream, and any human being would recognize the sound instinctively. When a person tries to announce his pain to all the world, trying to reach anyone who might help. They try to raise their voice as loud as possible and the emitted sound climbs an octave by the second, right until their vocal cords fail and their voice breaks in a rather unmanly manner. Then there is the blood and the gore, the severed body parts and the stink of shit and piss. It makes me want to wash. That¡¯s something none of the tales of glorious battles share with the audience. That this worshipped moment of glorious battle was ¨C and is in truth ¨C a rather gruesome affair. Some strange spell lands right in the ranks in front of me, breaking through the defending mage¡¯s protections. When it passed through, it wasn''t much more than a small ball of light, somehow bypassing all defences. But as soon as it is inside the shields, it activates and unfolds all its power into a conjured mass of blades. The small ball of ghostly plasma turns into a whirlwind of slicing death, shredding its targets like a meatgrinder. Blood sprays, body parts fly, men scream and die. I coo, appreciating the craftsmanship of this magical construct. It¡¯s a far cry from anything an immortal would have the time to come up with, but if the caster was a mortal, then I have to acknowledge his ingenuity. The spell caught only a few men, not enough to change the outcome of the battle. Had the soldiers simply ignored it, the rest of them would have been fine. But as it often is with flashy magic, the spell draws attention and makes an impression. Seeing a comrade turned into itty-bitty-little pieces has that kind of effect. Maybe the spell was even intentionally made with cruelty in mind, instead of just blowing the enemy up. It¡¯s the frightened man¡¯s fault, the one who summoned me with his fear. He turns and runs, fleeing the battle like a startled sheep, going so far as to drop his weapon. Seeing his frantic escape, several of his comrades lose their calm and give in to the fear of death. The battle-line quickly dissolves into chaos as formerly brave men abandon their positions. The only one who doesn¡¯t break ranks is the mage who was in charge of protecting the platoon. Instead of wasting his energy on protecting the mundane deserters, he retracts his wards, concentrating on those who are flooding in from neighbouring positions in an attempt to fill the gap. I sigh, seeing the end coming as a mage on the other side notices a bunch of juicy, unprotected targets. A ball of necrotic-green energy rises into the air and comes screaming down on the deserters. Exploding in their midst, it releases sparks of deadly energies, dissolving flesh and bones in a nova of green death. It''s low energy spell, easily blocked by any kind of shielding, but the men who chose to flee had no such protections. The coward who started everything gets caught in the spell and falls, opening his mouth to scream as some magical effect, plague or curse ripples through his flesh. It''s finally my turn and I fulfil my duty to the World Enchantment, ripping the mortal¡¯s soul right out of his body with a wave of my hand. His bonds easily come loose, very much unlike when I try to take the soul of a god. He is already dead when his empty flesh hits the ground. I relieve the others who were hit of their suffering, even though they didn''t pray to me. Looking at the battle which is now all around me, I wonder if that little bit less pain in the world had any meaning at all if there is so much of it. One of the Empire''s airships comes crashing down, taken out by one of the Alliance''s siege engines, a large floating ziggurat, which I only now realize was an anti-air defence platform. I take a little more time to watch the mortals'' brutal handiwork, the thing they are best at, no matter when or where in the multiverse you look. Sick of it, I return home. In a way, I am no better, so I shouldn''t judge them. What I am planning will create death on an even larger scale than just a single world. Chapter 33 ***The World*** ***Ascathon*** ¡°The war isn¡¯t really going anywhere. We lose some land in one area, we win some in others. Overall, it seems that we are pretty evenly matched with the Alliance of Light. Our airships outclass theirs by a great margin, but they have a pretty good ground-to-air defence, and a lot of it to boot. More often than not, our ships are taken out because we weren¡¯t able to spot their anti-air cannons in time,¡± Ashley explains while I listen and play with a bone, sitting on top of the altar in Luxley¡¯s family crypt. It turned into something like a ritual to hold our weekly update on ''mortal-affairs'' in this place. The gloomy room certainly fits the mood. My thoughts drift off while Ashley informs me of the latest news. The little trip to Alexandria¡¯s library didn¡¯t get me anything important. After a decade of keeping my head down, it was relatively easy to gain access. The Council clearly no longer cared about the place after they had made sure that there was no forbidden knowledge hidden away in some dusty shelf. Oh, I am quite sure that they overlooked something, given that Lexi was never big on keeping her records up to date. But I have the digitalized version of her library, and rummaging through her dusty books would take time which I don''t want to spend. Even after years, the library was in pristine condition, as if it just awaited the return of its owner. Sadly, there was nothing obvious to be found that would have given me any closure about Alexandria¡¯s fate. After two hours of searching the library¡¯s warped pocket dimension, I had to give up and surrender Lexi¡¯s books back to where I took them, giving me at least that little bit of satisfaction. Not that I ever had a bad conscience about stealing stuff, but I regarded Lexi as a friend ¨C with outrageous benefits. I just don¡¯t understand how it¡¯s possible to make so many gods disappear without a trace. Not that it¡¯s impossible. In fact, I know several ways of achieving such a feat. There are ways to damage a god''s soul to the point that they are nothing more than a shadow of themselves when they reincarnate. Nobody would recognize them anymore, should they ever manage to climb their way back to the top. Funny enough, many of the people who are regarded as mentally-ill have the souls of former gods and immortals who were unlucky enough to cross the path of a soul-mage or some other creature who is able to affect one''s afterlife. What¡¯s so agitating about this situation is that whoever is responsible has a perfect track record. By searching through the annals of history, I found out that there were always gods who vanished, some of them reappearing after a while. It would be foolish to think that all the cases are linked. Some deities surely just hidein an attempt to avoid unnecessary attention from those in power. A wise move on their part. What it comes down to, is that I simply cannot believe how someone would be able to vanish person after person with a perfect track record, not ever slipping up or making a mistake, not a single one escaping whatever is happening. And if my research is to be believed, there must be hundreds of thousands of such cases. Maybe millions! It''s as if someone is throwing these people into a black hole, just to be never heard of again. I certainly wouldn''t be able to achieve such a feat. At some point, something would go wrong and the secret would come out into the light of day. Returning my attention to the bone in my hands, I split it apart with a little burst of mana, studying how it looks on the inside. It¡¯s definitely a human bone, clearly recognisable by size and structure. But what else should it be? I picked it up in a human crypt. ¡°¡­ so I am afraid that this war will neither be quick or easy,¡± Ashley concludes. ¡°Now I really have to ask if you listened to anything I said. And why are you defiling the bones of Luxley''s grandma? Put it back, or the poor sod will throw a temper tantrum when he catches you with it.¡± ¡°Don''t worry, Ashley. You just said what all of us were expecting from the start. That some of the other deities are clearly on Myrm¡¯s side, just as you and your girls are on my side. That the Alliance¡¯s forces are just as well equipped as ours.¡± I look at her and smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. In the end, all these mortal affairs don¡¯t truly matter. We perform this play to draw any attention away from what¡¯s really important.¡± ¡°Finding a way to dispel the World Enchantment?¡± Ashley concludes. ¡°Exactly.¡± I nod. ¡°Let the mortals fight their war¡­ just¡­ see to it that we don¡¯t lose too badly. Okay?¡± She smiles a wicked grin. ¡°If we are already fighting a war, then would you blame me should I accidentally win it?¡± I return her smile. ¡°I am afraid that should we go all out, there would be no winner or loser. In fact, should the two ultimate authorities get involved, there will be no more war.¡± ¡°You really think that Myrm is strong enough to oppose you?¡± she asks, turning worried. Shrugging, I drop the bone back to the stash of bones from where I took it. ¡°It doesn¡¯t really matter who the stronger one is. Now that we are both on guard it will be extremely unlikely to catch either of us by surprise. If we fought each other, we would have to break through the opponent¡¯s aura, which is a god¡¯s main-defensive measure. By channelling huge amounts of energy through our bodies, we create an almost impenetrable shield, making us impervious to most ailments or damage. Fully releasing our auras is essentially turning us into beings of pure energy. ¡°Breaking through such an aura is the real problem. If Myrm doesn¡¯t budge and decides to take the fight elsewhere, I would have to unleash energies powerful enough to break through Myrm¡¯s defences. That alone would very likely be enough to shatter the continent. I once fought another god openly, serving as Tjenemit¡¯s henchman. He refused to acknowledge the Council¡¯s authority and had to be punished. Let¡¯s just say that there wasn¡¯t much left of his planet when the battle came to a conclusion. And that was with both us fighting carefully.¡± ¡°Carefully?¡± ¡°Yes. Which means that both of us tried to focus our attacks enough to break the opponent¡¯s defence, without wasting too much of our power.¡± I purse my lips. ¡°In the end, it didn¡¯t matter anyway. I suppose we could have gone all out from the start and the result would have been the same, even if not holding back meant that the first blow would turn the planet into an asteroid field.¡± Ashley looks at me, a little bit of doubt creeping into her expression. ¡°You would be capable of such a feat.¡± I laugh. ¡°Easily, if I put my godly powers to the test. But what would I achieve by doing so? I am already fairly certain that I could dispel the World Enchantment by unleashing a Disenchantment spell with all my power behind it. Unfortunately, it would also damage my magic and disrupt all the magic in the world. All higher life forms would be fried and I would be left with a dead world. The World Enchantment would be gone, but the Council would know for sure that it was the doing of a god. They would know that someone knows, and eventually track the source back to me.¡± I shake my head. ¡°No. I have to find a better way. Something that makes it look like the World Enchantment failed on its own. If they think that their experiment was a failure, they may abandon it altogether, allowing me to do as I please.¡± ¡°Hm. I guess I understand,¡± Ashley replies after a moment of consideration. ¡°I don''t think that you are the kind of person who would hesitate to destroy a world. The only thing you really care about is free will, but that doesn''t necessarily mean that you are concerned about the well-being of those who you wish to be free. I don''t understand the philosophy behind it, but who am I to judge a god?¡± ¡°The philosophy is easy,¡± I explain. ¡°I don''t really care about anything but myself and those I hold dear. Everyone is the master of his or her own fate, and it isn''t my responsibility to see to the well-being of every little creature in this world. In fact, every being has the responsibility to see to its own survival. As you see, my purpose is purely self-serving. As is my wish to visit punishment on anyone and anything that wishes to take away this responsibility to decide your own fate.¡± She tilts her head, considering my logic. ¡°So, by their own actions, the Council already turned you into their enemy. Simply because they wish to control you?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± I nod. ¡°Has Karin ever told you how we met?¡± ¡°She only said that you saved her.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. ¡°I didn''t,¡± I reply. ¡°That would be a misconception on her part.¡± The succubus raises both eyebrows questioningly. ¡°Karin saved herself,¡± I explain. ¡°One could say that I killed her enslaver, but that was a matter between him and me. Had I walked away right then and there, she would still be a slave. She would also still be a slave had I picked her up and took her with me.¡± ¡°I am afraid that I don''t quite understand.¡± ¡°Karin was a slave of her own volition, simply because she and her mother accepted the rules others imposed on her. All I did, was lend her the power she lacked, the power she needed to oppose her oppressors. Even after I gave her that power, she could have chosen to remain a slave, a tool in the hands of others. She chose not to. The choice to say ''No'' to the system was her own, and not even I as a god could have made that choice for her,¡± I finish my explanation. ¡°That''s the true reason why I took her in. Even in her final hour, being offered absolution by Myrm''s hand, she rather chose oblivion than to serve another master. Had she chosen to be a sheep, I would have left her there and not looked back.¡± I jump off the altar and decide to retreat for the day. Ashley gave me a lot to think about. ¡°Inform me if there is something that needs my attention. I suppose that Luxley and our other minions are doing a decent job?¡± ¡°As decent of a job as a mortal can do.¡± Ashley waves her hand. ¡°Don''t worry about it, if he gets senile or starts doing stupid things we will replace him. I saw to it that there is a steady stream of successors. Linda is in charge of keeping the royal line uninterrupted. She is quite adept at selecting suitable females with excellent skills and a good background, and arranging happy accidents for Luxley''s successors.¡± I purse my lips. ¡°That sounds almost a little too much like a breeding program. Are you locking them in a room until they start rutting, or what?¡± Ashley doesn''t answer. Instead, she just narrows her eyes and crosses her arms beneath her chest, pushing it up so that I get the hint of not insulting her craft. ¡°Right,¡± I admit after deciding that I don''t want to piss off my manager of worldly affairs. ¡°Succubus from the Infernal Plane of Lust and Pleasure. How could I forget that.¡± She raises her nose, satisfied. ¡°We take pride in our ability to arrange suitable matches. Linda has more skill in her little pinky than any dating service from the mortal planes. If she selects two people, then I can assure you that they stay together without locking them in a room.¡± Oh, but I am quite sure that she makes generous use of her ''unique'' skillset. ¡°Do you want to say something?¡± I quickly shake my head. ¡°No. I better take my leave now.¡± ¡°Don''t forget that Nix will visit tonight. She was quite ecstatic when she heard that you decided to show yourself on the infernal planes,¡± Ashley adds quickly before I can flee the scene. ¡°She came all the way from her own castle in the Netherrealm.¡± My face scrunches up involuntarily, and I make an attempt at denying reality. ¡°Nix?¡± ¡°Yes. Don''t tell me you forgot about your daughter.¡± I make a show of studying my hands as if the wrinkles in my skin are suddenly very important. ¡°I wasn''t even aware that she is still alive.¡± She must have several thousand years on her back by now, given how much time passed since my time as a demon. Clearing my throat, I polish my fingernails on my robe. Ashley smiles. ¡°I don''t get why you are so wary of Nix. You should be proud that you fathered at least one succubus daughter back in the day. Most demons never get chance to have offspring with a succubus, and Nix truly loves you.¡± I scowl, remembering the schemes of her mother. And as the centuries showed, the daughter turned out no better. ¡°That''s exactly the problem. Her ''good girl'' spiel! It''s a mask and she is a spoiled brat.¡± Worse, I can''t say no to her. If I remember correctly, that was the reason why I ultimately left that reincarnation behind, aside from utter boredom. ¡°Don''t be like that. She grew up a lot since you left. It''s been a few thousand years for her. She has her own castle in the Netherrealm, and a whole set of admirers. There is even a rumour that she will establish her own demon-clan.¡± Ashley waves her hand dismissively. ¡°I am sure that she won''t stay for long. Just say hello, show her around, and then she will go home.¡± ¡°Why should she?¡± I ask, imaging a set of ridiculous demands the brat would surely make. ¡°I''ve arranged for her mother to be there.¡± Ashley''s expression turns evil. ¡°Isabel is the reason why Nix left my castle in the first place. The two of them just don''t get along.¡± I draw in a deep breath and let out an even longer sigh. ¡°I don''t understand how you are doing it.¡± ¡°Doing what?¡± she asks. ¡°The whole family thing. You are surely unable to count the number of relatives you have,¡± I gesture at her. ¡°Just so are you, if we take all your reincarnations into account.¡± She shrugs. ¡°I don''t get what''s bothering you.¡± The fact that I am related to her, yet I am not. At least no longer in a genetic sense. ¡°It''s about your emotions,¡± she decides without allowing me to answer. ¡°Look. It''s really simple. If you decide that you two grew too far apart from each other to consider her as family, then that''s fine. She is a grown woman and should be more than able to deal with that. As for how I am doing it, I consider all my daughters who stay at my castle as my family. When one decides to leave and doesn''t show her face for a century, she is a stranger to me. It''s as easy as that. The thing is that Nix didn''t have a choice about seeing you since you were the one who ran off without settling things between the two of you.¡± ¡°Fine, Fine. I''ll greet her, and then we are going to talk a little about old times,¡± I relent, then call for an expeditious retreat. ***The World*** ***Karin*** ¡°I still can''t believe that that woman is his daughter,¡± I mumble, more towards myself than to strike a conversation. ¡°She is so bubbly, friendly and happy.¡± It''s almost like a facade. Over at the table in the living room is Ascathon, who is talking with the succubus who I know as Isabel, and her daughter Nix. Ashley replies while she sets up a kettle of tea, ¡°I know. Nix is so cheerful, totally unlike her mother, Isabel, or any other demon I know. I really don''t know where she got it from.¡± Isabel and her daughter, Nix, are both red-skinned with green hair. Isabel has hers in a pony-tail, while her daughter seems to prefer hers as a mane of curly locks. It''s a little strange to see them next to each other since both look like they are in their twenties. ¡°No, forget that,¡± I mumble and turn my attention to Ashley. ¡°I can''t believe that he has a daughter! Ascathon doesn''t seem like daddy-material to me. And why didn''t you have any children with him? Can you tell me the story behind his demon days?¡± Ashley snorts and dips her finger into the bubbling water to test the temperature, apparently completely unaffected. I have to wince just from watching her. She shrugs. ¡°As if any demon is parent-material. Our society isn''t like yours. And the whole story between Ascathon and Isabel would fill a book, so I will stick to the short version.¡± She furrows her forehead, clearly trying to think of where to start. ¡°Demon females pop out a new demonling every few decades while we are young. It can account to quite a few until we get too weary to lay eggs. Normally, we give our young into a hatchery, where they are safe until they grow up. Only in rare cases, when the child is promising to become powerful, we keep them around. We Succubi only take care of our offspring when it''s another succubus. The regular war-demons all end up in the hatchery. During the time in which Ascathon stayed at our castle, I was already too old to want even more children, as were most of my daughters. Isabel was my youngest and her blood was fresh and boiling, so when she saw that young, handsome demon, she just had to grab him. At the time, I wasn''t so happy about her rash behaviour.¡± ¡°Don''t tell me you are now going to tell me some version of Romeo and Juliet.¡± I roll my eyes, unable to imagine someone like Ascathon in such a role. I mean, the god of Chaos and Magic in a love story? Who would believe that? Ashley blinks and throws some crushed tea leaves into the water as she considers the idea. ¡°Not quite. It''s more akin to a story of the powerful Demon Lord Zikiel and his harem of forty-two succubi, of which one decides that she is bored of the old stud. Instead of giving him the chance to father her first egg, she decides that she wants to have the choice. So she finds herself that alluring young demon who is too inexperienced for his own good and lures him with her teasing tail into the Lord''s house and his service, where the thing that must happen, happens. The Lord finds out that his worthless underling was getting it on with one of his women and, of course, confronts this young upstart to show him who is boss.¡± I gasp. ¡°Isabella did that? What happened next?¡± It sounds like Romeo and Juliet, but not quite. ¡°They got into an argument, and the underling almost managed to talk his master down, offering him reparations as an apology for defiling his territory. Normally, that would have been the end of it.¡± Ashley pauses for dramatic effect, using a spoon to stir the leaves, then she readies a sieve. ¡°It almost looked like things would go down without a bloodbath ¨C something we demons are quite fond of in our society ¨C when our Juliet entered the scene and unrobed in front of all the Lord''s minions.¡± She smiles wickedly. ¡°That was quite the spectacle.¡± ¡°That''s...¡± I furrow my forehead. ¡°I don''t get it. Don''t succubi run around naked all the time?¡± At first, I always felt ashamed when one of Ashley''s daughters was showing off her body, but by now I am quite tolerant of nudity. ¡°It''s quite different when the succubus in question has a belly with a clear baby-bump and ¨C to add insult to injury ¨C she announces that she is pregnant with another succubus and intents to keep the child. Then she points at that young demon in the Lord''s employ and announces him to be the father. If it had been just another egg, the Lord would have forced her to give it over to a hatchery, and that would have been the end of the story.¡± She waves her hand and pours the tea through the sieve into a jug. ¡°But with a succubus daughter, Isabel had all her sisters on her side. Zikiel would have had to endure watching a child not of his own growing up in his house. It was like a public announcement that the Lord of the house was unable to satisfy his women and that he is unable to keep his harem under control.¡± ¡°I assume that didn''t go over well,¡± I comment. And I feel kind of bad for this Zikiel character. To be cuckolded like that must not go over well with a guy. Though... does anyone really need forty-two wives? Can a guy please that many women? Though, we are talking about demon-males here. Maybe they can? If not, no wonder that some of the women sought out their fun elsewhere. Ashley nods, a savage grin on her face. ¡°It worked out exactly as the hot-blooded succubus intended it to. The Lord proclaimed that he would rip the child out of her belly and cast her out, which the young and inexperienced demon couldn''t accept. It was his child after all... and then one thing led to another and everything turned into a bloodbath.¡± She sighs happily. ¡°And that''s how we got ourselves a new husband. In hindsight, I must admit that Isabel was right. Zikiel was a little used up and behind the times. Replacing him turned out to be a good idea.¡± Ashley hums happily and carries the tea over to the three people who are catching up on old times, while I stay behind in the kitchen-section of the living room. I just shake my head, baffled that Ashley doesn''t seem to be bothered byher story, not at all. ¡°Demon society must be a hell to live in... and now I know that Isabel is not to be messed with...¡± Or her daughter, if she is anything like her mother. No wonder that the two don''t get along. Chapter 34 ***The World*** ***Ascathon*** With a smile plastered onto my face, I wave Nix goodbye as she leaves through the portal to the Netherrealm with her mother in tow. As soon as the portal closes, I drop my hand, stop smiling, and let out an exasperated breath. ¡°Finally! They are gone.¡± What a luck that I managed to convince them that I have really no time to take a look at Nix¡¯s new home. ¡°I still don''t get why you refused to take a look at Nix''s castle,¡± Ashley comments from next to me with a smug grin on her visage. ¡°Because I am a god now,¡± I reply, trying to sound sincere and earnest. ¡°I have a world to take care of, so I can''t just run off into a dimension with a different flow of time.¡± Not to mention that I would go insane if had to be around those two arguing females for another second. ¡°I think you are just using it as an excuse,¡± Karin observes. ¡°After all, Ashley and the others are taking care of the ''mortal'' affairs, while you are playing with your experiments.¡± I press my lips together. ¡°Isabel decided to take a look at Nix''s home, so we are now lacking her talent for at least a few months, given the time dilatation.¡± Ashley rolls her eyes. ¡°I have about a dozen of my daughters over in this dimension, and they are regularly switching places with those who are running our castle. Nobody will even notice Isabella''s absence.¡± ¡°Eight hours!¡± I snarl, my voice a little shaky. ¡°You promised that Nix would leave after a short chat! I listened to the two of them for eight hours!¡± Raising my hand, I show them with just a little space between my thumb and index finger how close I came. ¡°I was this close to blowing up!¡± ¡°One might think that youwould be happy about meeting family,¡± Karin teases. I cross my arms in front of my chest. ¡°I am! But I can take Isabel only when she is naked and bent over a table! And Nix preferably far away! The two of them together are like water to my fire! There is only so much I can take.¡± I shake my head. ¡°Even back in my demon days, mating with Isabel was the biggest mistake of my life!¡± Karin turns her gaze to Ashley, looking a little worried, but the succubus matriarch just snorts and waves her hand at the young woman. ¡°Please, Karin. Don''t look at me like such a thing would bother me. First, he is right, and second, do you really think a demon-male has a choice when a succubus decides to mate with him?¡± ¡°No?¡± Karin replies questioningly after a moment of consideration. ¡°Given all you''ve taught me, any inexperienced manwould beputtyin your hands.¡± The succubus matriarch chuckles and launches into a story. ¡°Oh, he was. Did you know that his demon reincarnation went a little awry, and that he barely had any memories of his past lives at the time. He was such a pure and innocent soul ¨C for a demon. Any lady who showed interest in him could have twisted him around her little finger...¡± I shudder and decide to leave them to their conversation. ¡°It''s really nice of you to tell Karin all that stuff, Ashley, but please try not to corrupt her completely? She was such a nice and innocent girl when I picked her up.¡± Karin blushes, while Ashley snorts in disbelief. ¡°An innocent girl who slaughtered a whole village, indiscriminately of whether they are man, woman, or child.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Karin straightens herself, unexpectedly standing up to Ashley. ¡°My madness ''had'' method!¡± The succubus looks at her charge, raising an inquisitive eyebrow. Instead of answering, she just tilts her head, taunting our little apprentice. ¡°I didn''t kill a single slave,¡± Karin explains. ¡°Everyone else went to the chopping block.¡± ¡°How about the innocent civilians?¡± Ashley asks smugly. ¡°Guilty by default. Everyone who didn''t stop the slavery assisted it by not speaking up, even if they had no slaves themselves.¡± The young woman replies immediately without remorse or doubt. ¡°I won''t say that they were responsible for the actions of others, or that they should have gone on a crusade against slavery, just because they knew of it. But those people lived in that village for years. They walked past the slave-market every fucking day, and every fucking day they did nothing. That is what makes them guilty.¡± I laugh. ¡°So the gods are not guiltyeven thoughwe could do something about humanmisery? Are we not passive observers?¡± She clenches her teeth, working the muscles of her jaw. ¡°I must admit that when I called upon you, I thought you no better than those who walked past my cage, ignoring me and the other slaves. But, back then, I was under a wrong assumption. Believing the temple''s teachings, I thought that the gods were always watching, willfully ignoring their creation. Now I know that you are not omniscient, and that you would rather be somewhere else than to watch the misery of a slave-pen. It doesn''t make you a good person, but it does make you a little less guilty. Given that you have to consider the entire multiverse as your home and how large it is, you can hardly be expected to watch the mortals forever. Heck, you did that shit for over a thousand years with your Mirai Empire, and they managed to pull it through the dirt within a few generations. I did this job only for a few months, and I already want to quit!¡± I excuse myself after listening to a few more heated arguments between the two women. I can see what Ashley is trying to do, and I want no part of it. She is trying to goad Karin into giving up on her code of morals, or at least to realize that she is a little hypocritical. Not that this is a bad thing. I myself am perfectly fine with being a hypocrite, as long as I am happy with it. If Karin is ever to ascend the final steps to immortality and ultimately godhood, she has to go onto a journey of self-recognition. A wise woman once told me that the path to immortality is strewn with the corpses of the ignorance of our nature. For a long time I didn''t understand what she meant by that, but over the centuries I came to realize what she might have meant. It''s as true for immortals as it is for gods. With time, we grow ever more powerful, while we stay the same at our core. We may change everything around us, but we can''t change ourselves. Deciding that I want to be alone, I head into the facility¡¯s lower levels, the high security tract which is only accessible to me. Taking the elevator past the imprisonment level, I exit on Level 5, a high security area for dangerous objects. Humming silently, I wander the empty hallways of the level, studying the lockers and doors which lead to various storage areas. The dark obsidian on the floor and walls gives the environment a gloomy and threatening feeling. Thankfully, I saw to it that there is generous lighting when I designed the level, with more than enough mage-lights on the ceiling to light up every corner. It was time to inspect the level anyway, so I might do it while I have nothing better to do. As I walk, I pass large blast-doors which allow access to the more dangerous objects. From time to time there is a row of simple lockers on the hallway, storage for the stuff which is safe enough as long as nobody gets his hands on the objects. The stuff which I am storing here may not be ¡®alive¡¯ in the traditional sense, but some of the things on this level may as well have a will of their own. It¡¯s only prudent to make sure that security wasn¡¯t breached during my absence, especially since some of the objects have the potential to destroy the world several times over.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. As I round a corner, my wanderings through the silent hallways take me to a locker which was left open. Hesitating, I narrow my eyes as my pulse increases and a sudden jolt of fear runs down my spine. There shouldn¡¯t be anything left open on this level. Suddenly, the area doesn¡¯t feel as safe as it did a moment ago, and I experience the irresistible urge to flee, to run and lock down this whole level, never entering it again. Something prickles in the back of my neck and I turn around, making sure that there is nobody behind me. Of course, there is nobody there. The hallway is empty, aside from the lockers which I already checked. Clamping my hands into fists, I release a measured amount of my aura, bathing in the cold, muddled sensation of my chaotic energies until the strange and unreasonable urges subside and vanish. Normally, I am not this skittish. I am perfectly fine with darkness and dangerous situations, so why am I freaking out? There must be something messing with my mind! Drawing in a deep breath, I tighten down on my mental defences and turn to the open locker. Approaching slowly, I take a look into the locker and find it empty. Old memories flare up in the back of my mind. A long forgotten experiment. I take the file which was pinned to the locker¡¯s frontside. My eyes quickly fly over the document and I sigh in relief when I realize that the situation isn¡¯t as bad as I thought.
Object 00-19-11-2330 Object: Locker, dimensionally shifted Classification: Safe Description: The object in question was created during dimensional experiments. It will randomly shift places and dimensions, regularly appearing in ¨C or close to ¨C its point of origin. Object 00-19-11-2330 escapes so far all attempts at analysing its nature. All attempts at containing the object to a single location failed. Superficial inspections of other dimensions which are related closely to this one revealed that all objects similar to 00-19-11-2330 disappeared, making it the only one of its kind. Repeated attempts at destroying 00-19-11-2330 failed. It¡¯s possible to destroy 00-19-11-2330 down to the molecular level, but once whatever remains are left behind disappear, the object will reappear completely intact. Mortals should not be brought close to 00-19-11-2330, as they will experience intense feelings of irrational fear of the unknown, resulting often in the use of violence ¨C just to get away from the object. An uncontrollable wish to flee is experienced. It suggests that the item in question somehow affects the fight or flight reflex. Apparently, mortals can feel that something about 00-19-11-2330 isn¡¯t natural and shouldn¡¯t be in this world. This may be a side-effect of the dimensional shift. Addendum1: But, as I am no psychologist, I don¡¯t give a shit. Just remember that this stupid thing appears all over the facility. Remember to give it a good kick, as damage will make it disappear faster. And please for the love of god, don¡¯t put anything dangerous inside. Who knows where this thing goes when it pulls off the vanishing act. Addendum2: Should I ever wish to risk another reincarnation, I might just climb inside to see where it takes me. Sadly, the fact that there is never something inside the locker, even if I put something inside, isn¡¯t promising for my well-being.
I close the cursed locker, wondering where it has been for the last three decades. Then I pin the file back onto the front side and kick the thing, denting it. A few seconds later it just vanishes without a trace. As if it never were there. Nodding, I cross my arms behind my back and continue the inspection, promising myself that I would remember the damned thing the next time it appeared. After an hour of wandering the corridor and checking the more dangerous containment areas, I arrive at a large, metal door. Pursing my lips, I suddenly feel nostalgic and approach, taking the file which was pinned to the wall next to it. It has been a long time since I had to lock this thing away, and it was one of my favourite items.
Object 00-01-02-1809 Object: Enchanted mask, faceless without features, made out of dragon-bone Classification: Extremely Dangerous Description: The object¡¯s original purpose was to enhance the user¡¯s perception. Various enchantments (look at Details) have been placed on 00-01-02-1809 over the centuries, leading to something that could be called enchantment-overload. 00-01-02-1809 has reached and exceeded the limits of how many enchantments can be safely placed on the material, leading to a breakdown of the magical field. This, and maybe a mistake by the enchanter, caused it to behave in unexpected ways. 00-01-02-1809 is safe, as long as it isn¡¯t worn by a humanoid. People in the vicinity of 00-01-02-1809 will experience the wish to put the object onto their face. This wish will continue to increase in strength, even against the person¡¯s better judgment. Should the exposure to 00-01-02-1809 exceed one hour, people will start fighting over 00-01-02-1809, eventually leading to a person putting it on. In rare cases, 00-01-02-1809 will levitate towards a suitable bearer, trying to attach itself against the person¡¯s will. Catching or deflecting 00-01-02-1809 with the bare hand before it can attach itself has proven to be an acceptable protection. Once 00-01-02-1809 is attached to a person¡¯s face, unless it¡¯s someone with extreme mental defences, that person has to be considered deceased. The bearer of 00-01-02-1809 will henceforth be designated as an Instance of 1809. Any Instances of 1809 show extremely high magical and necromantic skills. They will attack any living humanoids in their vicinity with extreme force until they are either terminated, or 00-01-02-1809 is removed from the face. In a case in which the Instance was left alone, it continued its destructive tendencies until its biological body broke down and ceased all higher functions, at which point 00-01-02-1809 can be retrieved without problems by an individual with sufficient mental defences. Once an Instance is freed of 00-01-02-1809¡¯s compulsion, the Instance will go into a catatonic state and decease shortly afterwards. Analysis of the body by an outside source showed that all synapses were overloaded, causing a breakdown of the nervous system. Any attempts at damaging 00-01-02-1809 have only proven that the object can repair itself, even if ground to a fine dust. 00-01-02-1809 will slowly reassemble itself until the original function is restored. While 00-01-02-1809 is in the process of reassembly, all its other functions cease. Further attempts at destroying 00-01-02-1809 were not made since it¡¯s a sufficiently *safe* object if stored correctly. Addendum1: Things to be learned from this failure: Remember not to enchant things while drunk. Always record what you are doing when playing with magical artefacts, even if you made them yourself. Don¡¯t try to mess with the coding of such a large enchantment without having technical assistance. Most importantly! Don¡¯t imbue your godly powers into an object that requires high precision and logic to function.
¡°Hmm.¡± I scratch my cheek where a light beard is starting to grow. My eyes wander to the containment cell with the mask inside, and an idea is starting to form in the back of my mind. Tjenemit warned us several times not to interfere directly with the world, but what is a direct intervention? At which point does an indirect intervention become a direct one. Can I provide my followers with resources? Do I cross the line by giving them nuclear bombs? It would be quite obvious that me lifting a hand against the mortals wouldn¡¯t be taken well. But what about leaving an object out in the wild? What if that object is ¨C if left alone ¨C not dangerous? Would it be my fault if a hapless mortal were to pick it up? Quite sure of myself, I reattach the report to the wall and open the cell. Black darkness greets me from inside andif I wasn''t still channellingmy aura from earlier, things might have taken a bad turn. But I easily catch the white thing which comes flying out of the darkness, directly at my face. My fingers close on the white mask, which now looks quite different from what I remember. Turning it around, I study the thing, feeling a malicious aura coming off of it. Instead of the faceless mien, it displays the angry and snarling visage of a male in his twenties, with a single horn coming out of the forehead. ¡°Tried to give me a jump-scare, did ya?¡± I chew on my inner cheek, trying to decide whether my idea is ingenious, or actually pretty stupid. But it¡¯s not like I am in the habit of putting my sign onto my creations. I mean, it would be incredibly stupid to let this thing out into the world if there was ¡®Made by Ascathon, God of Chaos and Magic!¡¯ stamped onto it. Just to make sure, I turn the mask around, studying every inch of the surface. One never knows what I might have, or not done, when I was drunk enough to mess up the enchantment. Actually, this thing was once one of my favourite items. Being unable to use it safely was quite the mood dampener, but I got over it. There are many old pictures out in the world, showing the Necromantic Empress with a smile and a white mask in her hand. After studying every inch of the surface, I nod to myself, reassured that there is nothing that hints towards me. While the sudden change in appearance is worrying and new, there doesn¡¯t seem to be an issue. In fact, it comes in quite handy with my plan. Humming, I leave the high-security area and take a pathway towards the battle-line between the Alliance and the Empire, appearing quite a way within the Alliance¡¯s borders. After a last look at the mask, I shrug and drop it above what¡¯s likely to be one of the major roads. Someone should be sure to find and pick up the thing. It slips out of my fingers and tumbles down to the ground. "T¨¡ r¨¦n zh¨© w¨´ w¨¦i li¨¢ng sh¨©," I mumble, remembering an old saying about learningfrom mistakes. Then I take a pathway back to my base. Chapter 35 ***The Crystal City*** ***Seria*** ¡°He is using the war to conduct immoral experiments!¡± Myrm screeched as she spoke, clearly at the edge of losing it completely. Her voice was like a loudspeaker and I wouldn¡¯t have been surprised had the mana crystal within her vicinity shattered. To show her outrage, she waved her hand impotently, her armour clanking along in tune with her movements. All the collected gods and goddesses in the room flinched at Myrm''s unexpected outburst. Even Tjenemit had to cover his ears in a rather undignified manner, pulling a face as the sonic assault ravaged the whole of Studio 7. I watch as Marigold, who is sitting right next to Myrm, reaches up to wipe at his suddenly wet ear, only to find it covered with half-orc blood, clearly recognisable if not by smell, then by the slightly greenish tint to it. He blinks as if he can¡¯t believe his own eyes. ¡°I need a healer,¡± he comments stoically, still looking at his hand, unable to comprehend that a mere scream could have injured him. ¡°Don''t interrupt me!¡± Myrm snaps at him, disliking him drawing the attention. ¡°What!?¡± The half-orc looks up to her, clearly unable to understand the danger he is in. He opens his mouth wide and hits the side of his head as if he is trying to dislodge something inside his ear. ¡°I think my eardrums are ruptured,¡± he explains unnecessarily loudly what everyone else already concluded when we saw the river of blood flowing out of his ear. Sighing, I cast Minor Heal on him, wondering why any god would neglect to learn at least one healing spell. We may be almost indestructible when our auras are fully released, but it''s hardly practical to run around with a fully released aura all the time. Releasing one¡¯s aura among other gods is a clear sign of hostility, so most people refrain from letting their powers run uncontrolled. If we didn¡¯t have this custom our society would be unlikely to be able to function as it is. So thereare still plentyofpossibilities to get injured, either in an accident or by intention. Having some form of healing is only prudent in such a situation. Tjenemit opens his mouth, yawning in an attempt to relieve the ear-pressure, then he flicks a finger next to his head, testing his own listening faculties. When he is satisfied with the result, he returns his attention to us. More accurately, to the god who is ¨C for all intents and purposes ¨C behaving like none of this has anything to do with him. ¡°Ascathon, is it true that you are using the war between the mortals to test some of your experiments?¡± the ancient god asks, looking down from his heightened podium at the front. ¡°No,¡± the God of Chaos answers without hesitation. Myrm is about to explode again when Tjenemit raises a hand, stopping the outburst before it can begin. The Council member gives the God of Order a reprimanding look. ¡°Myrm, if you launch another scream like the one before, there will be repercussions. And remember, this is just the annual meeting to determine everyone''s success.¡± He returns his attention to Ascathon. ¡°Yet, most of the things that ''happened'' to get loose in the world are clearly your creations. I¡¯ve read up on this war between your followers and Myrm¡¯s, and I must say that I simply don¡¯t care as long as you two do your jobs. But it¡¯s an entirely different situation if your squabbles affect other deities!¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± Ascathon purses his lips. ¡°May I ask how you are linking these ''things'' to me? It would be very helpful if I knew exactly what you are talking about.¡± The Council member clenches his jaw, clearly disliking Ascathon¡¯s attitude. ¡°I know because you are not the only person who can read a magical signature.¡± Tjenemit looks down at the broken mask in front of him. The object shaped into a white, demonic grimace with a single horn jutting out where the forehead should be. ¡°This thing reeks of you. So, please explain how this one ¨C and other experiments ¨C are not connected to you? Is there someone running around who can copy your magical signature? If that''s the case, I suggest for you to catch this person asap.¡± Ascathon shrugs but looks like someone who has been given an uncomfortable task. ¡°Look, I can hardly be responsible for every idiotic mortal who wanders into a closed-off dungeon to retrieve powerful artefacts which they can''t handle.¡± ¡°So the mask ¡®is¡¯ yours?¡± Tjenemit raises an eyebrow and looks down at the artefact which is one of the causes for this assembly. It''s lying on the table in front of the Council member, a large crack splitting it in two. But even as we watch, the mask seems to repair itself, slowly flowing back together like water in slow motion. ¡°You have no idea how much trouble this thing caused. It even took over one of our lesser deities, so that I had to get involved; and I don¡¯t like getting involved.¡± The Council member looks at a minor deity, someone by the name Sajurm. I think Sajurm is in charge of wishes and desires, but I could be wrong. Since he is just a minor deity it doesn''t matter much. The problem lies in the fact that he belongs to Myrm''s faction and that Tjenemit got involved in the whole affair. As far as I understand it, Sajurm investigated a series of strange disappearances on allied territory which had gone on for far too long. For decades, the Allied Forces were plagued by a strange being which they just called the White-Masked Devil. This strange and apparently insane being would randomly appear and attack anything in its vicinity, displaying power no mere mortal could stand against. By the time any help could arrive, the Devil would have been gone. It was Sajurm who finally managed to solve the problem, or better to say, to become a problem big enough to warrant the attention of a true god. Sajurm managed to arrive at the scene of the incident in time to catch the White Devil in the act. Sensing the divine-touched power of the being, he then proceeded with an attempt to take the creature prisoner. Finally, he managed to dispatch the White-Masked Devil, only to fall victim to the mask''s influence. It looks like the source of the legend which grew throughout the border region was a magical artefact which drove its wearers insane. Every time someone found the mask, that person would become the White-Masked Devil, just to run off and die somewhere where the mask would be found again a few years later. Compared to the overall war which is currently going on between the Alliance and the Empire, the losses caused by the mask weren''t worth the effort to launch a full investigation. That is until the mask managed to take over a lesser deity who subsequently wiped out a sizeable part of the warring forces in the immediate region. When it became clear that the cause for the massive loss of life was some masked deity, Tjenemit got involved, subduing the rogue deity who turned out to be Sajurm. Even though Tjenemit showed surprising restraint in subduing Sajurm, the deity in question didn''t get away unscathed. A few days passed since the incident, but the man is still as pale as a ghost, even though several healers diagnosed him as physically healthy. It''s also notable that he is uncharacteristically meek compared to his previous behaviour. The cause is likely that the damage he took from being dominated by the mask wasn''t as much physical, as it was mental.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Shuddering, Tjenemit places a finger on the thing and presses down, breaking it yet again. Then he shoves the pieces away from each other, making sure that it''s harder for the artefact to reassemble itself. ¡°Sajurm was lucky that my first reaction was just to punch him in the face. Had I been forced to consider other options we would very likely be down one participant in our little project.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Ascathon replies after careful consideration. ¡°Hah!¡± Myrm calls out as if she just won a major victory. ¡°I remember having made such a mask in the distant past,¡± Ascathon elaborates quickly. ¡°But I lost it, maybe six hundred years ago.¡± ¡°Lies! You clearly intervened in the mortal''s affairs and violated the rules, even harmed another god!¡± Myrm points accusingly at her foe. ¡°Nobody sane would just ''lose'' a dangerous object like that!¡± Ascathon blinks slowly, then looks at the mask and back at Myrm. ¡°I would hardly call that mask ''dangerous''. It''s a failed creation of mine. Yes. Do I have the responsibility to keep track of everything I create? No. That would be much too bothersome. I''ve haunted that world for over two thousand years. There are countless abandoned facilities, lost artefacts and treasures, even abandoned workshops all over the damned planet. How is it my fault if someone digs up an ancient ruin?¡± ¡°Why would you abandon a whole workshop?¡± Tjenemit asks, stupefied. Suddenly Ascathon turns defensive. ¡°You know... things happen... for the sake of... of science! One thing leads to another and there is a tiny, little accident... and then you have to abandon the workshop.¡± The Council member doesn''t seem satisfied with the answer but decides to follow a different route of questions. ¡°At the moment, I am very displeased with the situation. How many of these dangerous artefacts do you have loose in the world?¡± ¡°Ahem... do you need exact numbers? Because, if I have to list every little thing, that could take a long time. Not to mention that not all of my creations are inanimate objects. What about the sentient ones, or those that can move? I can hardly be expected to lock away that poor golem I made a century ago. He is-¡± Tjenemit raises his hand, stopping Ascathon. ¡°Just the things that can be dangerous to lower level deities and above.¡± ¡°Okay...¡± Ascathon looks perturbed. The Council member sighs after a few seconds of guilty silence. ¡°What''s the problem?¡± ¡°I am just thinking.¡± Ascathon gestures at the mask on the table. ¡°Because that mask isn''t really dangerous if you don''t happen to have the intellect of a mouse.¡± Several of the lower-ranked deities in the room gasp, while others start whispering with each other. ¡°What I want to say,¡± the God of Chaos continues, ¡°is that it will take some time to make a list. I never expected the mask to be able to affect a deity, so a few of my previous ''assumptions'' might be wrong.¡± He laughs, sounding genuinely amused. ¡°I mean, who in this day and age runs around without active mental defences?¡± Several eyes wander to Sajurm, who is watching the wall in front of him, trying hard to blend out that he is the topic of conversation. ¡°I just want everyone to know that it''s probably impossible to ''find'' and ''retrieve'' everything I have left lying around over the years.¡± Tjenemit doesn''t look pleased in the slightest, considering that answer. Ascathon spreads his hands. ¡°What do you expect from me!? I am no Oracle! How could I have known that you would decide to use that exact planet for your experiment!? It''s not like you didn''t have a multiverse full of other choices!¡± The Council member sighs, admitting defeat. ¡°I suppose that''s a viable argument. Maybe we should have chosen a more controllable environment for the first test-run.¡± While Tjenemit does his worst at solving the issue between Ascathon and Myrm, I have the time to thoroughly ponder the situation. It took me a long time to realize it, but Tjenemit might actually want Ascathon to be distracted. Aside from me, he is also involved in the Council''s business, and they are aware of his unique skills. Aside from that, Ascathon is much more of a loose cannon and a free spirit. As am I, but I''ve gone through a great deal of grovelling to hide my true intentions from the Council. Having Myrm and Ascathon distracted by each other might actually not be such a bad thing for the Council. I let the thought linger as I check it for mistakes, but I find no issues with this line of logic. Tjenemit wants them at each other''s throats so that they are easier to control. It might seem like Ascathon and Myrm are causing issues, but one world of mortals doesn''t matter to Tjenemit in the slightest. Compared to the time when Ascathon used to spend time in his office in the Crystal City, the city became outright tame. He certainly didn''t kill another deity since he got busy with the world... aside from that one fellow. My eyes wander involuntarily to the little, green goblin who looks rather dejected at his new body, a mirror in hand, picking at his skin. He has been doing that ever since I brought him back, which is disturbing. Everyone else would freak out at waking up as a goblin, but this guy didn¡¯t say a word. Either he is still in shock after having seen Lucifer¡¯s true form, or worse, he actually likes being a goblin. Anyway. The big difference is that this was more of a public show of force... okay... throwing the fellow to Lucifer was an execution. But! The big difference is that Ascathon didn''t run off with the challenger''s soul. Tjenemit also didn''t get involved. Insofar, the current situation can be considered a win-win for the Council. Growling, I decide that something has to be done about this damned war. The mortals have to bleed while Ascathon and Myrm are throwing verbal pebbles at each other. All the while Tjenemit is holding court as if he is the ruler of some mythological pantheon. The fact that Tjenemit is holding this shit-show is only owed to unfortunate circumstances. Hadn''t that little deity been too weak to withstand a simple mind-altering effect, everything would have proceeded as normal. After all, this is just another excuse for Myrm to accuse Ascathon of doing something bad, hoping that the Council would do her job for her. What the stupid woman isn''t realizing, is that the Council doesn''t want to punish Ascathon as long as things aren''t going totally out of control. I was biding my time, hoping to get my chance of recruiting Ascathon and Myrm to my cause, but that prospect looks bleaker the longer I watch the situation unfold. So, what to do? How could I turn this war of mortals into a war of the gods? My unique position would allow me to play both sides, and I had to take advantage of that for as long as possible. I purse my lips, deep in thought. Taking action against either party would almost certainly result in a quick escalation, and I would have to do my best to stay on top of things. For all intents and purposes, this won''t be easy if I don''t want to lose certain people. The planning would have to be perfect, assuring my presence in important cases. The only question is, who do I want to save at all costs? Who is worthy of saving? ***The World*** ***Ascathon*** ¡°Ascathon?¡± Ashley calls out as she enters my workshop. ¡°Have you seen Lilli and Anna?¡± I look up from where I was working on a device that may be able to change the status quo between me and the World Enchantment. Turning to face Ashley, I quickly scan my recent memory for the last place where I encountered Ashley''s two daughters the last time. Or should I rather say... where they jumped me? ¡°I am actually not certain,¡± I reply. ¡°Your girls are into that whole body-change-thing, so I am never a hundred percent sure who I am dealing with. But weren''t they assigned as priestesses to the northern front? I can recall meeting them when I was there for a visit.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ashley places her hands on her hips, frowning. ¡°I was hoping that you sent them on a special mission, but if you haven''t seen them either, then they are missing.¡± ¡°Missing?¡± I ask. ¡°How is that possible?¡± ¡°I don''t know, but they haven''t reported to me in a week.¡± Ashley huffs. ¡°Either they are having an orgy and forgot to invite me, which would be really rude, or something happened to them.¡± I bite my own tongue to keep myself from launching a witty reply. Who would want to invite his own mother to an orgy? But then again, these are succubi, crazed sex demons. And I''ve lived with them for quite some time and while Ashley is right about her daughters being capable of engaging in an orgy for days on end, it would also be a huge insult not invite the matriarch to such a party. I let out a long sigh. ¡°You are right. Something must have happened to them. I was fearing the other side would involve you guys sooner or later. That''s why I told you to stay at home.¡± Ashley scowls. ¡°My girls and I went into this knowing full well that we are risking our lives, so don''t dare to sound that whiny ever again. Do you even know how boring life becomes after a few thousand years? Insufferable! So don''t even think that we would blame you if something happened.¡± I clench my teeth. ¡°Still. Attacking the other side with divine force is forbidden according to the rules, and nothing less than divine force could smite one of your daughters.¡± Getting to my feet, I walk towards the exit of my workshop but stop halfway there. ¡°Do you think that this could be a retaliation for the mask-thing?¡± I ask. ¡°Didn''t you say that Tjenemit forgave that transgression when you provided him with a list of locations which lists all the dangerous items?¡± I look at Ashley. ¡°I never said that I suspect Tjenemit to be responsible. At least in this case. Myrm might have become tired of trying to goad the Council into action.¡± Chapter 36 ***The World*** ***Ascathon*** No matter what Ashley says, or how indifferent the demons are to the fate of a family member, the disappearance of two of my girls isn''t acceptable. ¡°That''s all well and good,¡± I reply, ¡°but we can''t just accept this attack and go on as if nothing happened! At the very least, we have to ensure that they know that such attacks won''t happen without repercussions!¡± ¡°Ah, but that Tjenemit dude doesn''t care,¡± Ashley replies, suddenly sounding worried. ¡°I am not even sure if we are included in that rule of his. After all, as demons, we aren''tmuch more than demi-gods, we don''t even count as lesser deities.¡± ¡°Who says that we will bring this matter to Tjenemit? That''s what Myrm has been trying to do for decades and it resulted in nothing. Tjenemit has no interest in anything we do, as long as it isn''t concerning the divine,¡± I grumble. ¡°As far as I understand it, the whole purpose of this project of his is controlling us while searching for potential new recruits.¡± I shake my head. ¡°No. If we want to send a message, then we have to lay down the law ourselves.¡± Raising a fist, I squeeze it to make my point clear. Ashley fidgets around, like a child who was caught by her parent. ¡°What is it?¡± I ask, noticing her odd behaviour. ¡°It''s just that you are so angry over this! I haven''t seen you like that in millenia, with your eyes glowing red and blue sparks coming out!¡± she explains hastily. That brings me quickly back down to face the facts and to realize my own emotions. She is right. I am getting carried away here, and that may be exactly the thing Myrm wants to achieve. Normally, I had planned my revenge on Myrm to be far away in the future. It would come swift and be a surprise to everyone. These new circumstances don''t change anything, aside from the level of punishment which I''ll visit on my enemies. ¡°You are right. I might''ve been a little-¡± ¡°Seeing you like that gives me shivers. It gets me all hot and bothered.¡± The demoness bites her lower lip. ¡°Say, don''t you want to take ~advantage~ of the fact that I am all wet before you do whatever you intended on doing?¡± ¡°I, er-¡± Somehow, I don''t know how I should react to that. I''ve always known that all the succubi around me are deep down cold-hearted bitches, but... I guess that I expected at least a single tear for two of her daughters? Then again... they more than likely see each other as nothing more than competition. I have to remind myself that the place which spawned thesepeople is called Infernal with a capital ''I'' for a reason. While Iwas still taking my time with being puzzled about Ashley''s reaction, the succubus matriarch threw herself to the ground to roll around like a cat in heat, managing to stimulate a reaction within me, despite the off-putting situation at hand. ¡°Sure, I guess?¡± Why waste a chance to participate in some succubus relaxing techniques? If I am going to kill people permanently, I may as well do it with a grin on my face. One hour later, having taken care of the worst of Ashley''s mood, I leave the workshop, ready to do some improvised murdering. It would be a little overconfident to go right for the head of the lion since I think that Myrm should be at least as capable in a one on one fight as I am. And that''s only by judging the other god''s aura. Sadly, I have absolutely no idea what tricks he might have up his sleeve. Which doesn''t mean that I don''t feel confident to take on some of Myrm''s supporters. A few decades of silently watching this fake-pantheon of ours were enough to make out who is on whose side. Surprisingly, most of the roughly two dozen gods are in Seria''s camp. Which means that they want to have nothing to do with the battle between ''good'' and ''evil'', and prefer to stay on the sidelines, playing the neutral party. Then there is my faction with... me! I suppose that I shouldn''t count my succubi as any help against a full-fledged deity. Let''s not forget that there is Karin who is also useless at the moment. I suppose I could force Willow to awaken in hopes that she may become somewhat of a power-house. But that wouldn''t just put her at risk from the Council, it will also very likely be hard to explain where I hid an immortal formillennia until she managed to awaken into a full goddess. Nope. Let''s just forget the thought of getting any support. As always, it''s me against them, which just means that I have to get them one after the other. Or in small portions, if I can take them. Then there is Myrm''s faction, which counts around eight or nine members, of which three are on-and-off-again people. Sometimes I''ve seen them interact with Myrm, taking his side, but most of the time they prefer to stand on Seria''s side of the table. I suppose that they themselves don''t know what they want. Which means that if there is a fight, they will be the first ones to quit. That leaves Myrm and four ¨C maybe five ¨C hardcore followers, of which three are gods in their own right. One is a middle-class deity, and one a lesser. Maybe if I send the whole squadron of succubi, they can take care of her. The problem is that if the lesser deity decides to run by using the pathways, there is nothing a succubus can do. I walk down the corridors of my base until I arrive at what Ashley and her daughters dubbed the ''intelligence room'' where they are gathering all the important information regarding the war between the mortals. Even if my succubi are no warriors, they are the perfect spies. There is no question that they can provide me with the information of when and where. ***The World*** ***Ulbion*** ¡°I really don''t see a reason for investigating this shut-down facility,¡± I mumble and kick a pebble as we walk through the abandoned corridor of an old Mirai temple, supposedly one of Ascathon''s old research facilities. ¡°Just look around. This is a ruin.¡± ¡°It is,¡± Rustik affirms, throwing back her brown hair while studying the walls, ground, and ceiling with high attention. ¡°But the Alliance''s spy-network got reliable information that something is happening down here. Some adventurer mentioned that the old machinery came back to life, and that people were mysteriously disappearing. Myrm wants to be on top of things, just in case another one of Ascathon''s experiments is about to get loose.¡± ¡°Who cares.¡± I glance at the ceiling, expecting it to come down on top of us at any moment. ¡°Ascathon was right when he said that this planet is riddled with abandoned projects of his... or her... never sure how to address the gender-confused sicko.¡± I chuckle. I wouldn''t call myself prejudiced against people with certain tendencies, but if need be, I certainly prefer the womanly types who are sure of their role. Like Rustik, with her finely chiseled nose and those cute perky... ahem... yeah...If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. She would probably rip my head off if I had said that aloud. ¡°You better make sure he never gets to hear that, or he will rip you a new one,¡± Rustik replies as the lesser deity enters a large room where some of the ancient machinery seems to be still active, despite millenia of decay. I look around, silently admiring the insane god''s handiwork. Even if I can''t approve of his behaviour, his creations are built to last. There are runes bathed in a purple light all over the surface of the great hall which we just entered. Glowing lines of power are running towards a central piece, something akin to a pool in the centre of the room. The water inside the pool is perfectly still, providing a mirror. ¡°Great,¡± I rant. ¡°I bet one of the stumbling adventurers who found this place activated the thing by accident.¡± ¡°Looks to me like a portal,¡± Rustik suggests as she approaches, hands in her pockets. ¡°Let''s hope that it''s not a doorway to the infernal planes. Ah, and please don''t touch anything.¡± ¡°Nah, don''t worry. I am not that stupid.¡± But just to be sure I put my hands into my own pockets. Rustik has a point. Good intentions can be easily overcome by curiosity. ¡°May I just remind you that in case of that cursed mask, touching wasn''t even necessary?¡± I quickly check my mental defences and try to make out any inexplicable urges or feelings which should be out of place. ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t worry.¡± She shrugs and bends over the pool in the ground. ¡°I am nowhere as incompetent as Sajurm.¡± I follow her lead and take a good look into the water. Aside from our reflection, thereis nothing inside it. The water is completely clear and seems to be about two metres deep, but it¡¯s hard to tell because of the reflection and I have no desire to jump in just to test its depth. ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem like a portal if you ask me.¡± ¡°Now that we got a close look I am not so sure either, but what else could it be? Rustik points at the ring of runes which surrounds the pool. ¡°I recognize those, and they are certainly connected to portal magic.¡± I chuckle. ¡°But it¡¯s a pool? Do you think Ascathon struck the fancy, so he built himself a magical bathtub?¡± She pulls a face. ¡°Please, forgive me if I call bullshit on that theory. Aside from the fact that this setup,¡± she gestures at our surroundings, ¡°is just impractical, there are various reasons why a magical bathtub wouldn¡¯t need teleportation runes.¡± I nod, still studying our grey reflections in the water. ¡°Okay, so we confirmed that this place is something beyond the mortal¡¯s kin?¡± ¡°Yes, let¡¯s leave and nuke this entire area. Better to get rid of this stuff than to let the mortals play with it. Who knows what this thing does.¡± ¡°Hmm, okay. Let¡¯s head back out the normal way to make sure that there are no adventurers inside when we light the place up,¡± I suggest and head back out, not the least bit interested in solving the mystery of the pool. If experience taught me anything, then it¡¯s not to mess with anything that was touched by a soul-mage. Nuking it from as far away as possible is certainly the safest option. We quickly retreat from the mysterious room and through a seemingly endless set of tunnels which are in various states of decay. It¡¯s clear that the rest of the complex was housing one or the other critter at various points in the past. The ground is littered with the bones of creatures, most of them small humanoids which I would guess to be goblins. It¡¯s clear that the place was a monster-den for a long time. Without a doubt it was cleared out several times by adventurers, just to be settled anew some time later. There are more than enough dangerous creatures with a high reproduction rate in the world ¨C dangerous for mortals. Some old ruins in the groundare the perfect breeding pit for them, given that they are strong enough to claim the place as their home. Yet, something about this place isn¡¯t right. ¡°Say, Rustik?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± She turns to look at me. ¡°Don¡¯t you think that there is something strange about this place? I mean, everything outside the pool-chamber is in various states of decay, while the chamber itself seemed to be in a reasonable preserved state. Isn¡¯t it strange that the creatures which clearly inhabited this place at some point in the past didn¡¯t stray into the chamber?¡± Rustik shrugs. ¡°I would assume that the entrance to the chamber was somehow blocked until the adventurers who reported it did something to open the thing.¡± Pressing my lips together, I try to reassure myself that it must be the correct explanation. We travel the remaining way without finding or sensing any mortals within the complex. ¡°Fuck!¡± Rustik curses suddenly as we step beyond the entrance which is covered with plants and liana, allowing only a single human to get inside. Outside is the dense jungle of the Sawood Forest. ¡°What is it?¡± I ask. ¡°Try to use the pathways!¡± Rustik turns around, searching our surroundings. ¡°We are cut off!¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± I quickly tryit myself, but they aren¡¯t there. They just aren¡¯t there! ¡°P- pathways can¡¯t just disappear like that!¡± ¡°No, they can¡¯t,¡± a voice replies from behind us. ¡°It¡¯s surprising enough, but you are right, though, it¡¯s likely that you just guessed?¡± Stepping out of the shadows, Ascathon appears from the dark entrance to the facility, clad in a dark attire which looks slightly baggy on him, but probably gives perfect freedom of movement. He must have been following us the entire time! ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Rustik asks. She reaches for the amulet around her neck and presses a yellow gemstone in its centre. ¡°Myrm? Are you there? We could need some help here.¡± Ascathon crosses his arms behind his back and sways slightly back and forth on his heels. ¡°Sorry. That won¡¯t work either. There is nobody on this planet who could hear you.¡± ¡°What did you do?¡± Stepping in front of Rustik, I call on my holy magic and summon a spear of light, imbued with my pure essence it should be able to cut through any aura. ¡°You stepped through the Portal of Inversion.¡± He spreads his hands, indicating the world around us. ¡°I myself am not quite sure of the physics behind it, but the artefact shifts those who step through it into another dimension¡­ no¡­ that¡¯s not right.¡± He tilts his head. ¡°Let¡¯s just say that we are phased-out of our normal reality. Not quite out of our dimension, but also not quite in the other. That¡¯s why there are no people on this world. Didn¡¯t you notice that everything is slightly greyer than it should be?¡± I gulp, noticing the strangely shifted colour of the plants for the first time. Inside the dark tunnels, I didn¡¯t take notice of the strange effect. But now that he mentions it, in the daylight, it¡¯s quite obvious that all the colours seem off. ¡°But we never stepped into that damned pool!¡± I whisper to Rustik. Maybe he is just trying to fuck with us, wanting us to panic. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s a ploy to get us to attack him. He surely has a camera somewhere.¡± Ascathon heard me nonetheless. ¡°Are you sure? You see, the portal is a little peculiar in that regard. You don¡¯t step through, but rather, look into it. That¡¯s enough.¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± Rustik asks. ¡°Why are you going through the trouble of bringing us here?¡± He sighs, looking disappointed. ¡°I just need to take you out of the game. Sorry, it¡¯s nothing personal. In this place I can go all out. The damage won''t transfer to the real world.¡± Then he smiles, showing his teeth. ¡°But hey, you have to see the bright side! As soon as it¡¯s game-over for you, you no longer need to play Tjenemit¡¯s guinea pigs.¡± With that, he releases his aura and I feel some incorporeal weight pressing down on my very soul. Releasing my own aura, measly as it is against his, I call out. ¡°Rustik, you have to get out of here and search for a way back. Tell the others while I hold him off.¡± ¡°There is no point. This whole planet is like a large void zone as far as it concerns the pathways. It¡¯s the perfect place for a good battle. In fact, I am very certain that the Council uses a similar effect when they hold their sanctified tournaments every few millennia.¡± Ascathon steps forward, summoning a blue orb in his left hand. ¡°I have no problem with dispatching you one by one, but your chances would be better if you fight together.¡± Still not fully believing that he would be insane enough to go through with this, I point my spear at him. ¡°You will never get away with this. The Council won¡¯t ignore our disappearance. Tjenemit will start an investigation, and once they compare our whereabouts they will know. Do you really believe that these amulets of ours don¡¯t come with a tracking function?¡± His grin widens. ¡°Oh, they certainly do¡­ But!¡± Reaching for his collar, he pulls the cloth aside. ¡°Which amulet are you talking about? As far as the World Enchantment is concerned, you went into the ruins and never came out. I wasn¡¯t even anywhere close.¡± Rustik¡¯s eyes widen slightly and the both of us finally have to admit that he really set this whole scenario up with the intention to kill us. ¡°Rustik, try to get back to the pool and activate it somehow. Jump into it if need be. Don¡¯t think about me.¡± Seeing us at the end of negotiations, I charge, putting a sizeable part of my power into the effort. Aiming the orb of glowing energy at me, Ascathon jumps upwards, not holding back any of his power, distorting the ground beneath him. I can only swing my spear, deflecting the simple blast of energy as the area around us is torn asunder by the sheer strength of Ascathon¡¯s unrestricted movement. It¡¯s only thanks to my own aura that I am able to hold my position without being blown away like a leaf in the wind. Before I know it, I am hovering inside a crater, a hundred metres wide, with Rustik next to me. ¡°Why are you still here, you idiot!¡± I ask, as somewhere in the far distance the spell of blue energy hits something with the force of a nuclear explosion. Rustik only smiles and looks downat the crater beneath us. ¡°Do you really think that there is anything of the tunnels left after he created a localized earthquake and compressed the ground like smashing a meteor into it?¡± ¡°He must have another way back!¡± I reason quickly. I don¡¯t really want to play the hero, but Ascathon is a damned powerhouse. Everyone knows it and the Council is even using him as one of their hunting dogs. The only reason why they try to refrain from doing so, is because he is a damned nutcase. ¡°Forgive me,¡± Rustik points up into the sky, ¡°but I really don¡¯t think that you would be able to stand against that. Or that I could find a way back within the little time you could buy me.¡± She pulls down the corners of her mouth. ¡°Our chance of running without access to the pathways is next to zero. The only way I see is to beat him up and make him tell us how to get back.¡± Even as I follow her indication to look up, my heart falls upon seeing the red star in the sky above us. I chuckle and lower my spear in resignation. ¡°I always knew that you have a few screws loose, Rustik. There is no way we can beat that! The bastard was holding back.¡± We aren¡¯t anywhere near that level. With that power, he could challenge a Council member in a one on one duel. Rustik shrugs as the spell of red energy descends on our position, its mere aura clearing away the jungle as far as the eye can see, painting the pale world in a haze of red. ¡°How do they say? It¡¯s a good day to die?¡± Chapter 37 ***The World*** ***Seria*** The world was not yet ready for Myrms reaction to the disappearance of two of her followers. Of course, there was never any definitive proof as to who should be held responsible, but that didn''t matter to a half-mad, mind-influenced goddess like Myrm. Though her reaction to the disappearance of two of her followers still surprised me. If I thought that she intended to unleash total war on the world before, then I was wrong.Oh, boy, never before have I been that wrong. From my floating island domicile, I watched the mortals as decades turned into centuries, and centuries into millennia, while the world beneath me burned in the flames of war. And to think that the reason for that was just the disappearance of two demi-gods. My feelings of guilt were somewhat mitigated by the fact that aside from Ascathon and Myrm, the mortals under their influence knew even better how to hold a grudge than the two gods themselves. The mortals started indoctrinating their children, and their children, in turn, committed ever more gruesome atrocities on the opposing faction as generations went by. A spiral of hatred and violence that didn¡¯t need to be taken care of to continue as long as there was a breathing mortal to carry on the legacy. What was fascinating to watch was that the two sides slowly took in the teachings of their deities and their doctrines as they turned into a bad facsimile of what they worshipped. The Alliance¡¯s most accomplished troops, The Monks of Light who stood at the frontlines of each battle, used their god¡¯s teachings of internal mana to overpower their enemies with superhuman feats. Being faster, stronger, and more resilient than any other mortal man gave them the edge in any close range encounter. Striking hard and fast was also the perfect way to fight a user of external magic, who needed time to cast their spells. Contrary to that, the Empire followed a more traditional style of using the arts of external magic. Their elite troops, the Knights of Chaos, were capable of fighting in the front rows, but over the decades it became clear that this wasn¡¯t their forte. As most who joined their ranks nowadays were magical casters, they preferred to stay behind the front-lines, launching devastating spells at the enemy. Their disadvantages were more than compensated by the fact that multiple magic casters were able to combine their power to cast ever more powerful spells. Driven by war and through the influence of their gods, both sides advanced in leaps and bounds, researching magical technologies on the side of the Empire, while the Alliance¡¯s focus lay on genetics and alchemy. Their ¨C in one way or another ¨C enhanced soldiers were more than capable of keeping up with the enemy. It surprised me that Ascathon and Myrm weren''t already at each other''s throats, but it was only a question of time. All I had to do on my end was to wait and watch, patiently giving the kettle time until it would reach a critical temperature, at which point it would be up to me to act quickly and decisively. Most people, even immortals, wouldn¡¯t have had the patience to wait that long for their plans to come to fruition. But I did. For countless millennia I had done nothing else but waiting. I, the Goddess of Life and Death, hadn¡¯t always been like that. There was a time when I was hot-blooded and impatient¨C when I would always do as I pleased. But ever since the war of the gods I had learned patience the hard way. In a time in which we fought other gods as readily as the mortals, I had the misfortune to be cast away into a void zone ¨C an area of space without pathways. And without pathways, there was no way to escape my exile. There, in isolation and alone, my only choice was to either grow with the experience or to turn insane. When I emerged, I realized that everything I had known was gone. Time hadn¡¯t stood still while I was gone and friends, family, and home had departed for unknown shores. In their place was the perversion that called itself the Council of the gods. They were inhabiting the holy halls of my predecessors like rats inside the den of a dragon, defiling it with their presence. The centre of all things was no longer a place of enlightenment and freedom, but something to be feared by those too weak to oppose the rule of the strong. My silent musings are thankfully interrupted when the door to my living room opens. ¡°Here is your tea,¡± Lilli informs me as she enters the room, carrying a bottle and a cup. The demoness smiles bewitchingly and puts the cup down on the knee-height table in front of the sofa where I am sitting. The hot fumes which escape the bottle quickly spread the smell of lemon throughout the room and I hum in appreciation and expectation of this little tea-party, even if my two maids are unlikely to join me willingly. Ever since their abduction, Lilli and Anna have been unwilling residents of my floating island with its little, Chinese-style bungalow. I pull my eyes away from the map of the world on the wall across from me. During my silent musings, it was a pleasant distraction, showing the state of the war and other political affairs by automatically updating itself with information gained through spy-satellites and other means. Not that there is anything much to see nowadays. All the available land is either marked as uninhabitable or as controlled by one of the two major forces. ¡°Thank you, Lilli.¡± I take the cup from her and allow the demoness to pour me some lemon tea. Then I swirl the hot liquid around inside its cup, blowing twice before taking a careful sip. I could simply channel my aura to protect myself and ignore the temperature, but there is something soothing about doing it the old-fashioned way. Anna enters the room, carrying a tray with house-made cookies. She puts the tray down next to the tea-bottle, then retreats two steps to stand next to her sister. The two succubi watch me having lunch, something eager in their expressions. I smile, watching the two of them in their china-doll dresses, something I chose solely to preserve the style of my little domicile. When the two of them don¡¯t become bored of watching me, I feel a little bit of suspicion in the back of my mind. Normally, they would steal themselves away to sulk in another part of the house. The demons themselves might not admit it, but their culture is highly sociable aside from their treatment of each other. They are like broken sadists, unable to properly show their affection. When they truly want to punish another being, they do it by isolating the other party as much as possible, whether they are aware of it or not. So their open interest in me eating their cookies makes me at least somewhat suspicious. The two aren''t happy to play servants for me, so why would they suddenly want to stay in the same room if they don¡¯t have explicit orders to do so? Furrowing my forehead, I take a cookie and stuff it into my mouth while I watch them warily. Abducting two demi-gods was the easy part, but keeping them restrained and locked up for millennia proved quite a bit taxing. I could have just killed them and taken their souls for my project, but I thought that they may be helpful in the early stages of my plan. After all, I would need someone to help me guide my bright new world, and I already decided to use quite a bit of demon for the genetic base of its new inhabitants. My stomach rebels suddenly and I retch a little, forcing back the heartburn. To counteract the unpleasant sensation, I circulate some of my healing energy through my body and take another sip from the tea while I munch on the cookies. The succubi''s eager expressions turn first confused as the mountain of cookies shrinks down to a handful, then to silent resignation as I continue watching the world map contemplatively.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Lilli turns to Anna, and Anna looks back at Lilli. ¡°Are you sure you put it in?¡± ¡°Of course I am sure. Are you sure that you concentrated the essence properly?¡± ¡°O¡¯course! I am sure! Maybe it wasn''t enough?¡± ¡°It was enough to-¡± The two succubi slap at each other in their attempts to disclaim the fault for their failure. I decide to interrupt before their attempts to accuse the other party of a mistake end up in an unfortunate catfight. They are just demi-gods, but that was enough to ruin my little domicile several times in the past until they finally admitted that I can subdue them as easily as toddlers. ¡°Did you two change the recipe for the cookies?¡± I ask, smiling. ¡°Both the tea and the cookies tasted a little different from what I am used to.¡± Narrowing my eyes, I make eye-contact with Lilli, then with Anna. ¡°Whatever you used, I am fine with it being inside the cookies. It gives them a certain sting, really fitting in combination with the lemon tea.¡± Looking down, I study my empty cup. ¡°But the stuff really doesn''t fit into the tea. It overshadows the lemon.¡± The two succubi nod quickly. ¡°Of course, we will refrain from experimenting with the tea then.¡± Anna laughs. ¡°See, Sis? I told you that it can be tasted quite easily among the lemon.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± I affirm. ¡°I just would like to know what you two used and how you got it. I thought that I made sure you can''t leave the island or send any messages.¡± The two demons stiffen when they realize that I am aware that they tried to poison me. There is a prolonged silence during which they refuse to meet my eyes. I sigh. ¡°Look. I told you about my plan, and it''s okay if you don''t like it. I am not even mad that you are trying to escape from the island, or that you are trying to kill your jailer. But I can''t allow you two to leave. If you don''t tell me what you did, I will have to get the information by force.¡± ¡°It was deathflower seed,¡± Lilli admits dejectedly. ¡°A full handful in the tea and in the cookies. You should be on the floor, puking your liquefying guts out!¡± I probably would be, if it weren''t for my life magic. ¡°And how did you get so many seeds?¡± More importantly, why didn¡¯t they tell everyone that they are alive if they truly found a way off the island? ¡°I caught a seed in the wind before the gardening robot could get to it. Then we grew the flowers behind the bungalow, on the other side of the island. The shield around the island isn''t perfect. It lets air and small particles through, just like the airborn deathflower seeds.¡± I nod sagely, silently thanking myself that they didn''t breach the containment. If they somehow got away and told the others about what I did, that I am the reason for how fierce the war became, then that could have all sorts of repercussions. I don''t think that Tjenemit would actually punish me. All I did was to abduct two of Ascathon''s servants. But at the very least I would lose Ascathon''strust, and that would make it so much harder to control how things turn out. Sometimes I just wish that Lilli and Anna would join my cause, but they don''t see the bigger picture, my reason for doing all of this. ¡°That''s okay.¡± I smile. ¡°You can catch seeds and grow all the flowers you want. Somehow, I wish I could share that bit of information with the rest of your siblings and your mother. Growing plants sounds much more like something that angels would do. It¡¯s hilarious to imagine a gardening demon.¡± Anna''s expression turns horrified and she turns on Lilli. ¡°I told you! We should just kill ourselves! Being locked on this island for that long messes with our heads! We are getting soft! Not to mention that there is nobody to fuck aside from her.¡± She points at me. ¡°And you!¡± Anna adds disgustedly, pointing at her sister. ¡°If we didn¡¯t have Ascathon¡¯s amulets, we would have shrivelled away like dried up corpses.¡± Lilli just sighs, looking defeated. ¡°You know, passing the time with gardening wouldn''t be so bad if there were at least some flowers from home. Like my snatcher-plant.¡± She giggles and covers her mouth. ¡°Or the man-sized venus fly trap.¡± Anna shakes her head. ¡°It took you a thousand years to breed that thing and I still don''t get how you managed to add the tentacles.¡± ¡°~That''s a trade secret,¡± Lilli swoons over her plants while pressing her hands to her chest. For a moment, I play with the thought of getting them some plants from their home dimension so that they would feel a little better, but I abandon the thought quickly. I have no sufficient knowledge of the capabilities of their biosphere, and importing stuff that could help them in an escape attempt would be bad. Worse, if something like that venus trap gets off my island it could have an impact on the world below. Even if it¡¯s Ascathon who would most likely get blamed for such an event, I don¡¯t want to be the one who is responsible for having the world covered in man-eating plants. And wouldn¡¯t I have to bring in living food for those things? No. Better to leave things as they are. If the two succubi really wanted to groom those plants in the garden I am sure that they would ask. ***The Crystal City*** ***Ascathon*** ¡°You called for me?¡± I ask as I peek into Tjenemit¡¯s office which is a large room with an even larger desk. Standing behind it and looking outside the window is Tjenemit, his arms crossed behind his back. Not wanting to feel like a school kid who was called to see the principal, I stroll into the room when I see that the Council member is currently unoccupied. ¡°Indeed.¡± He turns around and studies me without saying a word. Deciding that I can use silence as well as he does, I say nothing and just wait for him to collect his thoughts. There must be a reason for calling me into his sanctum. I would like to think that it has something to do with the world, but I know of no reason that would require my presence. Tjenemit gestures at an empty chair in front of his desk. ¡°Sit.¡± Knowing well enough that it wasn¡¯t an offer, I sit down and wait for further instructions, all the while fuming inside that I have to take orders from that cretin. If this was solely between the two of us, I would have ripped him a new one aeons ago. ¡°I want an update regarding Eris. You are still seeing her as a part of the treatment process as far as I understand?¡± I nod, wondering why he is approaching this topic in such a strange manner. Eris, Goddess of Strife and Discord was mindwiped by something I¡¯ve never encountered before. It was Tjenemit who ordered me to repair her mind, whatever it took. Turned out, it wasn''t quite as easy as I first thought. Especially with a bunch of incompetent fools looking over my shoulder and questioning every action I took. ¡°I do. Your doctors are ready to release her, but there is still some damage,¡± I explain, trying to stick to the facts. If Eris¡¯s treatment were completely up to me, I wouldn¡¯t let her go anywhere. ¡°She is restored as far as her mind is concerned, but I fear that she still lacks control over her impulses. It comes with her domain, so I wasn¡¯t able to fix that through conventional means. If your people would allow me to use some advanced techniques-¡± ¡°I fear that¡¯s not possible,¡± Tjenemit cuts me off. He reaches up to massage his chin. ¡°Anything our own healers aren¡¯t able to verify harbours the possibility that you put some control trigger inside her. I know you well enough to know that ¨C given the chance ¨C you would likely do so without batting an eyelid.¡± ¡°Okay. Then what do you want? The other mind mages who are involved in putting her back together can tell you that much. Why am I here?¡± I ask. ¡°Just for verification.¡± He shrugs. ¡°So, you are saying that she is better, if only a little more of a loose cannon than she was before?¡± I purse my lips. ¡°If you want to define someone with the domains of Strife and Discord who lacks the ability to restrain herself as a loose cannon, then yes.¡± Sorry, but letting a goddess of her calibre run loose in the multiverse is a bad idea. ¡°And there is nothing left that you can do for her, with it being controllable by our physicians?¡± I press my lips together. If those incompetent fools weren¡¯t interfering with Eris¡¯s treatment sessions and looking over my shoulder at everything I do, she would have been up and running around long ago, not confined to her personal quarters. Then I suddenly realize why Tjenemit is doing this. He is trying to verify that he has done everything he can do within reason for a fellow Council member. But his distrust of me doesn¡¯t outweigh the fact that he wants for Eris to get better. He is probably as displeased about me rummaging through her mind as I am. And let¡¯s be real, they will never give me a chance to turn a Council member into one of my puppets. So why am I fighting this development in the first place? I just have to tell him that the rest of her affliction will take care of itself with time. It would be a blatant lie, but people change all the time. Who would know for sure that Eris isn¡¯t the Eris she was always meant to be? ¡°I think that if you are unwilling to accept an unconventional treatment, one that your trusted physicians are unlikely to understand, then we have done everything we could do to restore her mind. She will be different after her experience, but she is a functional individual and even if her soul was damaged, she will most likely recover with time. The main reason why she still seems like a recluse is that she doesn¡¯t get to talk to many people inside that facility of yours. You have to remember that she lost a large part of her memories.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± He turns back to look out of the window. ¡°So she needs interaction with the world to recover the rest of the way?¡± ¡°It would help,¡± I reply. Well, it would help, but probably not as much as he hopes. He sighs without looking back at me. ¡°You are dismissed. Please take care of your own business from now on. You have no longer a responsibility to take care of Eris¡¯s treatment.¡± I nod and get up, then I leave his office and close the door behind me. When the door is shut I can¡¯t hold it in anymore. Pumping my fist I scream, ¡°Finally!¡± startling Tjenemits secretary who just came back into the reception room with a stack of papers in her hand. Twitching, she drops it, scattering everything on the ground. Being a real gentleman, I leave without caring for her clumsiness, ignoring the woman¡¯s glare. Chapter 38 ***The World*** ***Ascathon*** The beach, the sun, and a bunch of beautiful females in swimsuits to watch. There isn¡¯t anything better in the world to forget about the mortals and their squabbles. I allow myself to take a peek at Ashley and Willow who are playing volleyball against each other, bouncing happily around the playing field without a care in the world. The elemental chose a green two-piece, while the succubus decided to attend as she was born, showing not the slightest hint of embarrassment at her nakedness. Admittedly, there isn¡¯t a piece of her body that¡¯s not worthy to be shown off. When Willow made a comment about her attire, she just pointed out that all the people present had already seen her nakedinnumerable times. ¡°Hey, eyes here!¡± Karin complains. ¡°I thought that you were going to teach me something new! Instead, you are ogling the market.¡± ¡°Oh? So you would like me to ogle you instead?¡± With a smirk, I return my attention to the beautiful woman who was once nothing more than a girl. Her fusion with the draconic core and the enchantment on her eye meshed well. With time, she managed to master the abilities I bestowed on her. She blushes. ¡°You know exactly what I meant!¡± Her red hair is hanging down into the sand as she does her best to balance on her left hand while keeping a complex spell matrix ready for casting in the other, angled ninety degrees away from her body. Thankfully, her slim and athletic figure doesn''t cause any problems with gravity upon performing such a unique exercise. At the same time, I ordered her to levitate three fist-sized stones around her, one clockwise, the others counter-clockwise. As if to thwart Ashley, Karin chose not to follow in her succubus teacher¡¯s nude debauchery and went for a simple, blue one-piece which allows for perfect freedom of movement, while providing the most prim and proper attire for a beach-scene, seeming not too prude at the same time. I can''t stop being amazed that even after all this time she refuses to adapt to Ashley¡¯s moral teachings. It doesn''t mean that she didn''t learn everything the succubus matriarch had to offer in terms of magical knowledge, but she still stuck proudly to her own morals. ¡°It seems to me like you are doing fine,¡± I reply with a grin, watching her practising the exercise which I suggested for her further development, a mixture of martial arts and magical training which requires both physical control and mental fitness. ¡°Yes, it took me a few hours, but I am doing fine now,¡± Karin comments, balancing steady on one hand which is complicated by the sandy and therefore unsteady ground. I smile, well aware that her eyes are glued to the stones which she is smoothly circulating around, with her body as the centre. While she made decent progress, she still has to reassure herself visually on the positioning of the objects, something she has to correct before we can proceed to the next training step. Reaching up, I flick a finger at one of the stones, sending out a pulse of force magic. Surprisingly enough, Karin manages to keep her concentration and the stone wobbles only a little bit out of its intended path. ¡°Hey!¡± she complains, but I have none of it, sending another pulse to poke her lightly in the belly, right where her navel is. ¡°Gyargh!¡± Her spell matrix collapses as her musculature stiffens and she instinctively tries to jerk away from the contact. Then she topples over like a felled tree, her whole body slamming into the sand. Thanks to her draconic upgrades, her increased weight causes the sand around her to shake, just as if a ton of mass thudded heavily onto the beach. No longer controlled, the stones fall to the ground, following the laws of physics. Snorting, huffing, and puffing, she gets back to her feet. ¡°That was unfair! I am ticklish there,¡± she complains, rubbing her belly. I shrug and gesture for her to get back to practice, knowing very well that what I did couldn''t possibly have hurt her. ¡°It just shows that you aren¡¯t ready yet. Get back to training. You have to be proficient enough at this to avoid getting interrupted by such little interferences. I will keep testing you when you least expect it and we won''t continue to the next step until you manage to endure.¡± Grumbling, she tries to shake the sand out of her hair, but gives up quickly. There is no way to get rid of it all without a thorough shower. Going for a fancy somersault backwards, she lands on her right hand this time, using the left to form the spell matrix. Resuming her previous position in reverse, she channels energy through the spell matrix and picks up the three stones with force magic. ¡°I don¡¯t get the point of this. It requires practically no energy, and thanks to my draconic perks my muscles don¡¯t tire at all.¡± ¡°He just wants to watch your lithe figure in lewd positions~¡± Ashley calls over from her part of the beach, which Willow promptly uses to her advantage, slamming down the volleyball in Ashley¡¯s side of the playing field. ¡°~Aw!¡± The succubus pumps one hand in indignation at the loss. Karin narrows her eyes and looks down at herself ¨C or up in this case, given her position ¨C making sure that I don¡¯t get to see something I shouldn¡¯t. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her, she just wants to mess with you.¡± I sigh. ¡°Seriously, I have enough female companionship as it is. There is no reason to lust after someone who is more like an adopted daughter than anything else.¡± ¡°Then why the strange exercise?¡± she asks, her suspicions rising thanks to Ashley''s comment. ¡°To train your concentration and your ability to multi-task,¡± I explain. ¡°The higher order spells require less power and more ability. Add to that the fact that, as a god, you won¡¯t lack so much in power, but more in ability.¡± ¡°But I am not a god. I am not even immortal?¡± She cutely furrows her forehead, searching for the meaning behind my words. ¡°Ah, about that immortal-bit I wouldn¡¯t be so sure. You managed to survive for quite some time, despite going on dangerous missions to influence the war. Your aura has grown strong over the years.¡± I look back at the holographic image of the sea, considering if I should switch the scenery for something more exotic than a Caribbean island. Then again, doing something like that would require switching out the real items too, or the whole setting wouldn''t fit anymore. ¡°R-really? Are you sure?¡± Karin asks, sounding more eager than before. ¡°Do you want to test it?¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°Are you sure? With me around, you can avoid a large part of the memory loss. I just have to catch your soul''s anchor before it starts degrading.¡± ¡°I am certain,¡± she replies quickly, knowing very well that testing her immortality would require her death.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. I huff, sad that there won''t be verification today. I would have even killed her in a manner which wouldn''t have hurt too badly. ¡°Then you have to trust in yourself. In any case, you have reached a point at which an increase in raw power is hard to accomplish, and it¡¯s best for you to learn to use what you have in the most efficient way.¡± Using force magic, I pick up another stone from the shore and toss it to Karin who struggles to add it to the exercise. ¡°You have learned pretty much everything I can teach a mortal and you already managed to come up with some noteworthy spells of your own. The best way to proceed is to work on your control and to develop your own style of magic. I can help you with the former, but the latter is entirely in your hands. Then we can only hope that you will be ready, should you ever be forced into a situation in which you happen to ascend.¡± ¡°How exactly does this ascension-thing work? And aren¡¯t we trying to avoid that from happening?¡± I give her a brief nod. ¡°In Willow¡¯s case, yes. But ascension is hardly a conscious process. You don''t reach a certain point and simply choose to do it. Willow is at the pinnacle of what¡¯s possible for immortals. Be assured, you aren¡¯t in immediate danger of turning into a god. As for the ascension itself, it usually happens in a situation of mortal danger and high stress. Your mind has to transcend the limits of your body as you use your power to its utmost.¡± Karin remains stubborn. ¡°Then I don¡¯t understand why I have to focus on control and concentration, instead of using my power to its utmost. Wouldn''t mastering that be a better preparation for the inevitable?¡± ¡°Because, once any of you ascends, it will very likely mean that all of us will have to fight for our lives. The Council won¡¯t turn a blind eye to a new god, and they will most certainly take notice when it happens,¡± I explain. ¡°The more control you can exert over your godly powers right at the beginning, the better for us. Being a god means that you have access to almost unlimited power reserves. Newly ascended deities, even the weak ones, don''t struggle with a lack of power, but with actually being able to use everything they have.¡± I snort. ¡°Many of the gods aren''t weak because they lack power, but because they are unable to use what they have effectively. In a fight with another god, what use is the ability to set off an explosion strong enough to shatter an entire world, if you are unable to focus all that energy enough to actually break through your enemy''s aura? ¡°That''s the main difference between some of the mid-level deities and the Council members. Those who don''t have control over their powers may blow up the world while the other party is cooly standing inside the blast as if it''s nothing more than a light breeze. In return, their enemy takes all that power and shoves it into a space as large as my thumb, slicing cleanly through the target''s aura.¡± Karin¡¯s expression finally turns serious. ¡°So this training exercise aims at splitting my attention so that I can cast many different spells at once. The more I can do at the same time, the more of my power I can use?¡± I tilt my head from side to side. ¡°In a way, though there are spells which are so complicated to form that you need to assemble them from several different spell matrices. That''s where I want you to get.¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s the goal of your exercise?¡± She points a perfectly shaped leg at me, twisting her body to keep balance. ¡°Using force magic to create a little sandstorm around yourself seems hardly taxing.¡± Furrowing my forehead and wondering what she means, I look down at the ring of sand which is circling me at hip-height while I am sitting cross-legged on the beach. ¡°Hahaha,¡± Willow laughs upon hearing Karin¡¯s question. ¡°Little butterfly, didn¡¯t you realize that he is doing the same exercise as you? He is controlling each and every grain of sand individually.¡± ¡°What!? That¡¯s impossible! How many are there?¡± ¡°Do the math yourself. I am playing with about a fourth of a cubic metre of sand.¡± I shake my head. ¡°I thought you realized what I was doing, but now it seems that we have to take a step back and repeat the whole perception-training.¡± ¡°P- please no! I will even take some more stones! Here!¡± Reaching out, Karin picks up a few more stones from the shore, turning her exercise less into a work of beauty, and more into a case of struggle. ¡°See?¡± ¡°Just drop them before you give yourself a headache.¡± I sigh. ¡°You can increase the numbers one by one once you have complete control over the current four. I also don¡¯t think that going down that route all the way as I did is the right thing for you to do. For your purposes, having sufficient control over twenty independent objects should suffice. It''s enough for the spell-set I intend to teach you.¡± ¡°Then, why are you training with so many?¡± ¡°Preparation for the battle to come. I am afraid that this thing with Myrm won¡¯t end without us butting heads. And his martial arts are the perfect counter to my spell-casting. The only way I can win is by overwhelming him. I have to be one step ahead of him at every point. For that reason, I need as much control as possible. Myrm went down a path of complete control over his body and there is no way for me to match that in my current state, nor do I want to. So if he has control over himself, then I need control over the battlefield, it''s as easy as that.¡± Taking conscious notice of the little cyclone around me, I direct the sand to form a cloud around me, then guide them to surround myself with ever more complex glyphs and spell-circles. Adding to the complexity, I have them spread out along different paths. I frown in displeasure when I notice that I am reaching the limits of my control, as some of the carefully crafted symbols start fraying at the edges. It took me an eternity to train myself in entering a mental state in which I would be able to perform this trick without having to put my complete attention to the task, much like an expert juggler has to stop consciously thinking about his actions at some point. Or like most people aren''t even aware of the beating of their own hearts, while others who perform extreme sports managed to enter a state of mind which somewhat allows them to control their own heartbeat. With my trance-like concentration broken, I become aware of the myriads of grains of sand and quickly lose my wits as I inadvertently try to consciously control them. Giving up, I sigh in frustration and cut off my magic, allowing the sand to fall back onto the beach. ¡°So much for my own control. Seems like that''s my limit when it comes to showing off.¡± Returning my attention to Karin, I realize that she turned away from me and sat down on the beach with her knees pulled up to her chest, doodling nonsensical symbols in the sand. ¡°How many millennia will it take me to get even close that? I can''t even imagine how someone would be able to do fifty at once...¡± ¡°I think you broke her.¡± Ashley comes over and pats Karin on the head. ¡°There, there, young one. Didn''t he say that you don''t necessarily have to follow in his chosen path?¡± ¡°I don''t understand. How can anyone do something so...¡± Karin searches for the right word. ¡°Insane! Yes, that''s it. Unbelievable! I don''t believe it! He must have used some cheat! Maybe a mental augmentation device from a technological dimension?¡± ¡°Hey!¡± I raise my voice at the accusation. As if I would ever do that! Haven''t I already taught her that using such things interferes with someone''s ability to wield magic? Which isn''t to say that some deities decide to use such short-cuts, crippling themselves in the process. ¡°Don''t worry, dear,¡± Willow comes up to join Ashley. ¡°Once, I asked Seria about it and not even she can achieve such a feat. She thinks it''s because he messed with his soul that he is able to do something like that, split personality and identity crisis and all that...¡± ¡°Heey!¡± Quit insulting me. ¡°I don''t have identity problems!¡± ¡°Then what''s with that second body in your workshop?¡± Ashley asks. ¡°Or with the fact that you are still using it from time to time?¡± Willow adds. I purse my lips, hard pressed to find a proper answer. ¡°I... have to use it... from time to time... or I would grow unaccustomed to the different... proportions.¡± Wait, no. That''s not the correct reply. All three women look at me with smug expressions, knowing very well that I only dug my own grave a few feet deeper with that retort. ¡°Why are you ganging up on me!?¡± I snap. ¡°Because you are a man,¡± Ashley replies with a tone that someone would use on a little child. ¡°It''s the natural thing to do for those of the female gender to hold together. And Karin deserves some extra attention, especially with an insensitive teacher like you.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Willow joins the man-bashing. ¡°Who would have a student train for hours on end, giving them hope at progress, just to shatter it all by pulling off such a show?¡± I raise a finger. ¡°Can we stop, please? I have a feeling that this conversation is derailing quickly. I messed up and apologize.¡± That counts for something, right? Just get back to what you were doing before. It was so peaceful just a few moments ago. Karin''s eyes widen. ¡°Who cares whether you can control ten thousand independent objects reliably or a million? Both numbers are insane for a normal human mind!¡± Gah! ¡°Well! That''s what I am teaching. Either take it, or leave it. It''s not my problem if the student is too intimidated by the task ahead of her. If someone withyour life-experience isn''t able to handle the fact that there is more in the multiverse than any single person can ever learn, then maybeyou should search for another teacher.You are an experienced adult, so stop messing around.¡± The three women study me for a few moments before they give me their verdict. ¡°Socially inept.¡± ¡°Unable to adjust.¡± ¡°But his skills in bed make up for a lot of his failings...¡± Ashley swoons. The other two women look at the succubus as if she just betrayed all of womankind. She just shrugs upon realizing that she is suddenly the focus of attention. ¡°What do you want from me? I just have different priorities compared to you two. It''s my nature.¡± Chapter 39 ***The World*** ***Seria*** ¡°They are overdoing it...¡± Nazareth comments dejectedly as we watch one of the Empire''s flying fortresses pound away at the shields of an Alliance border station, a vastly overpowered defensive installation. In return, the Alliance forces answer with spells of a wide variety. Their spell projectors light up the night, painting the scene with a deadly spectacle of flaring energies as they dance across the fortress¡¯ shields. I huff, knowing very well that the whole exchange is futile. Their defences are just too formidable, making it almost impossible for either side to break through the shielding of the other. For the most part, the Empire is just testing out the Alliance''s border security. ¡°It''s like a ritual to them,¡± I analyse. ¡°They know well enough that the Empire will retreat as soon as their shields are in danger of failing.¡± Shaking my head, I turn away from the scene. ¡°Their fight stopped being a war long ago. By now it¡¯s all they know with their hatred so deeply ingrained into their souls that they wouldn¡¯t stop if their gods ordered them to.¡± Not that that would ever happen. Marigold shrugs. ¡°The more they are involved with each other, the fewer people are praying to me, so I guess that it¡¯s a good thing?¡± His brother snorts. ¡°Like always, you care only about your own hide.¡± I ignore their bickering, for the time being, studying the battle beneath us. Despite the power which is brought to bear, it¡¯s by no means some attempt at a decisive battle, but more like a border skirmish. An attempt to test out the opponents'' strength and if he would reveal any weaknesses. Nazareth and Marigold invited me to watch for some reason or the other, but up until now, they kept their lips shut about the reason. Instead, we were just observing the proceedings in this godforsaken borderland between the Empire and the Alliance. Over the millennia magical and scientific weaponry took their toll on the land. The ongoing raging war widened the former dead zone in the centre of the continent. What was previously just called ¡®The Blight¡¯ is now just ¡®The Border¡¯, a piece of wasteland which clearly separates the two forces and their ideologies. Sadly enough, it¡¯s profound enough to be visible from space, cutting a jagged line of brown over the otherwise green main-continent of the world. Turning back to the two deities, I ask briskly, ¡°So, why did you want me to observe this?¡± ¡°We want you to stop it!¡± Nazareth replies. ¡°We think that this has gone on for long enough.¡± I sigh, feeling like I already had this conversation far too often. ¡°And what makes you think that I can do anything to stop it?¡± ¡°You have influence on the two people who are responsible for this,¡± he explains, waving a hand down at the battlefield above which we are hovering. Keeping my voice under control, I to explain it in as simple terms as possible. ¡°It¡¯s true that I have some influence on Myrm and on Ascathon, but both of them are too strong in character to simply listen to me if I told them to stop. Why don¡¯t you go to Myrm and tell her that she should stop?¡± ¡°Because she doesn¡¯t listen.¡± Nazareth shakes a little fist impotently at the world. ¡°It¡¯s no different for me.¡± I gesture down at the battlefield. ¡°Besides, I think this has gone far beyond the point at which Ascathon and Myrm could step in and just tell their followers to stop. Fighting the other side is ingrained in their blood by now. It¡¯s nice that you want to stop it, but I think it¡¯s wishful thinking.¡± Marigold clears his throat. ¡°Excuse me, Seria, but it¡¯s a little more than that. Did you have contact with Myrm¡¯s faction recently?¡± I pause, trying to understand his meaning. ¡°Of course. All the time.¡± He shakes his head, looking downcast. ¡°I don¡¯t mean Myrm herself, but her followers.¡± Furrowing my forehead, I grow suspicious. Did I miss something major going on? It¡¯s highly unlikely since I am very confident in my spy-network. ¡°No? Is there something wrong with them? They are all idiots as far as I am concerned.¡± ¡°They are up to something, I tell you!¡± Nazareth informs me, holding up a warning finger. I just roll my eyes at that brilliant observation. ¡°They are always up to something. That¡¯s nothing new. Ever since Ascathon lost two of his demi-gods and two of Myrm¡¯s followers disappeared, both sides are watching each other like hawks.¡± It¡¯s honestly surprising how they managed to keep the status quo all this time, but Ascathon¡¯s retribution made Myrm a little more cautious of him than I hoped for. So, ever since the disappearance of two of her followers she has been building up her power. Annoyingly enough, the keg is always right at the point before it boils over, but not quite. I am ready to step in should it happen. Of course, I could interfere, but just by doing so the first time I already leaned a little farther out of the window than I wanted to. No. If my age taught me anything, then it¡¯s patience. I just need the patience to wait and things will happen on their own. Having made sure that everything is in place is more than enough. ¡°Normally, I would agree with you, Seria.¡± Marigold floats a little closer, his voice taking on a conspiratorial tone. ¡°But this is something different. Over the last month, Nazareth and I have been mingling with Myrm¡¯s crowd, and they are up to something. We have nothing definitive to go by, but there was talk that the insanity would soon end. I think that they intend to attack Ascathon¡¯s base of operations.¡± I narrow my eyes and look down at the battlefield below us where the fortress decided to retreat out of range of the enemy¡¯s weapons, just as I predicted. ¡°How would they even know how to get there?¡± Aren¡¯t I the only one who even knows that he has a secure base? Marigold shakes his head. ¡°Seria, you are powerful. Even worse, you are smart and patient, but sometimes you are as dense as a brick. You shouldn¡¯t underestimate the weaker deities, just because they can¡¯t wield your level of power. They are still smart enough to figure things out after a few millennia of being involved with this world. I doubt that there is any deity who doesn¡¯t have at least a solid guess at what¡¯s going on.¡± Nazarath nods quickly. ¡°And if I am correct, then Myrm doesn''t realize or care that those shitheads intend to break the status quo. Myrm is calculating enough to know that a direct attack on Ascathon would end with no victors, but her crowd isn¡¯t that smart. Even if they ultimately fail at whatever they are planning, their idiocy will force Myrm to take action.¡±A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. I cover my mouth with a hand and run it down to my chin, considering this new information. ¡°Was I really too blind to see that?¡± Of course, I was. I made the mistake of thinking of Myrm¡¯s supporters as a group of dogged little helpers who would just follow her orders without having thoughts of their own. But they are gods. People who manage to ascend have always strong and wilful characters. Keeping such people in check indefinitely is only possible if their leader has an impressive amount of strength and ability in leadership. Otherwise, they would sooner or later question whether their leader would truly have the wisdom and power ¨C and therefore the right ¨C to lead them. Myrm has both of those qualities, but what nobody knows is that she is seriously hampered by the world enchantment and therefore by her inability to slam a fist onto the table to bring her followers to reason. It doesn¡¯t help that the Council hasn¡¯t shown much interest in us over the recent years. ¡°Are you sure? Will they act soon?¡± ¡°I have absolutely no clue,¡± Marigold admits. ¡°The only thing we are certain of is that they are about to do something stupid. I think that all of us know what will happen if Ascathon is pushed into a corner. And we shouldn¡¯t forget Tjenemit. Recently, he hasn¡¯t shown much interest in his little project and allowed things to flow freely. That¡¯s why those idiots think that they can get away with their little plan. A few centuries of inattention and they already think that they can go back to doing as they please.¡± Nazareth nods. ¡°Those braindead maggots think that they can take the Mad One, but if I am any judge of character, then I would say that Ascathon would sooner wipe this world clean of life than to do nothing. As of now, there are some things that are holding him back. Whether that¡¯s the few people he cares about, or the fact that he doesn¡¯t want to rebuild his base, doesn¡¯t matter. If they provoke him and something happens to the reason for him holding back, the gloves will come off faster than they might think!¡± It''s no good if this new development would take me by surprise. I had enough time to make contingency plans, and the contingency plans of the contingency plans, but implementing those would take time and I am forced to work with limited womanpower ¨C myself. I must admit that Myrm''s followers acting on their own accord would have taken me by surprise. Operating under the assumption that nurturing a close connection to Myrm would be enough was a mistake. ¡°Would you be willing to keep an eye on them? It''s really important for me to know when they are about to strike.¡± ¡°Nonono.¡± Nazareth waves his hands as if trying to stop me. ¡°You misunderstood! We want your help to stop them before everything gets out of control!¡± Damn! How can I get their help without telling them too much? I assume it would be bad to tell them that I actually want everything to go down the sewer. ¡°Listen, I have a plan, but I don''t think that you will like it,¡± I offer tentatively. Marigold raises an inquisitive eyebrow. ¡°What''s this plan of yours?¡± Wetting my lips, I gather my thoughts to present this proposition in the most benign light. ¡°Listen, you two, I really don''t think that we can stop what''s going to happen. Even if we succeed, it will only adjourn the hour zero.¡± I pause, giving them time to come to terms with the thought. ¡°It might be better to see to it that the damage is limited.¡± ¡°You are kidding, right?¡± Nazareth throws his hands up. ¡°There will be no saving the world when Ascathon and Myrm butt heads. I''ve seen Myrm fighting, and I''ve heard rumours about Ascathon battling that Dragon Patriarch who thought it would be a good idea to oppose the Council.¡± ¡°I am not talking about the world.¡± Now it''s time to hammer down the hard truth. ¡°I was talking about everyone who doesn''t want to take part in Ascathon''s and Myrm''s fight. And maybe we can pick up the pieces of what''s left when everything is over and done.¡± Marigold furrows his forehead and looks down at his feet. ¡°But the Council-¡± ¡°Will be dealt with by me,¡± I interrupt, hoping that I sound confident. ¡°I know, it sucks, but sometimes you only have bad options to choose from.¡± ¡°If you want to involve the Council, then why don''t we go and warn Tjenemit right now?¡± Nazareth suggests. ¡°Before-¡± ¡°No!¡± I call out with a firm voice, deciding that now is the time to persuade the two and to pull them onto my side. ¡°Right now is the worst possible moment to go to Tjenemit. All you can do at this point is to point fingers and make accusations. In the best case he will decide to do nothing, in the worst case he will deal out punishment in an attempt to cow us into submission. And most likely it will hit the innocent as well as the guilty. He has shown a lot of leniency, but only because the cases were a little blurry and there was no clear information. If you tell him that a group from his little pantheon is planning a premeditated attack, the gloves will come off.¡± ¡°So you suggest for us to wait until everything is over, then call in the Council once everyone has clearly associated himself with one side or the other. Let the truly guilty be punished, rather than to take the risk of putting ourselves on the line,¡± Marigold summarizes. I nod. ¡°I haven''t become this old because I tend to fight battles I can''t win.¡± Making eye-contact first with Marigold, and then with Nazareth, I hope to convince them. ¡°This is clearly a case in which it''s better just to cut our losses and to move on. We can¡¯t change what¡¯s bound to happen. The only thing we can do is to save those who want no part in the fighting.¡± Nazareth shakes his head, making it clear that he doesn¡¯t buy the load of bullshit which I just tried to sell to the brothers. His expression says it all, namely that he thinks that I could stop the war if I just stood up and gave a demonstration of my power, cowing those idiots who allowed themselves to be pulled into this maelstrom of war and hatred. I wouldn¡¯t be able to say if he is right or not. Maybe I could take control over this pantheon and put everyone to heel, make them lick my shoes in terror. Over the aeons, I amassed more than enough power to rival the Council. However, that¡¯s not my nature, nor my wish. I am a God of Life and Death and something tells me that this world has reached the end of its lifespan. In addition, my goals reach far beyond this puny world which is currently nothing but an obstruction to my plans. Ultimately, not even the Council matters, but what comes after. If I were to set my plans in motion I wouldn¡¯t repeat the mistakes of the past. Thankfully, Marigold seems to be of a different opinion than his optimistic brother. The big half-orc lets out a long sigh and looks down at his better half. ¡°Brother, I hate to say this, but she may be right.¡± Nazareth gasps and turns to face his brother, looking like Marigold just delivered the ultimate offense. ¡°How can you say this! I asked you to come so that you could help me persuade her, not stab me in the back.¡± ¡°She is right, though. We can¡¯t go to the Council and stopping those maniacs will be nothing more than a little reprieve. Sooner or later they will find a reason to jump each other like manic beasts. And it¡¯s not even their fault. Under normal circumstances, we may have been able to distract them enough from each other¡¯s machinations so that the ultimate conflict could be avoided. But this cursed World Enchantment is pitting us against each other again and again. Some people just can¡¯t deal with that kind of provocation forever.¡± He turns to face me. ¡°I can¡¯t say that I am happy about your suggestion, but I will try my best to be of assistance when things blow up. Though I have no clue how to go about this. Our faction, the neutral one, may be bigger than Ascathon¡¯s or Myrm¡¯s, but that doesn¡¯t mean that the battle-lines will be clear. People have gotten to know each other across the factions and I am sure that there are quite a few who count themselves as neutral, but would be drawn into the fighting one way or another, and if it was just in order to help a friend.¡± I nod, affirming what I assumed to happen right from the start. ¡°This won¡¯t be a clean and easy battle as the light-aligned deities may think. This will be a war of the gods and there won¡¯t be much left afterwards. I suggest you stretch out your feelers and try to discern who is worth helping and who is better off being left to his or her fate.¡± ¡°I have another proposition,¡± Nazareth intercedes. ¡°What if we join them?¡± Looking down at him, I feel a sense of dismay at his refusal to see the world as I want him to. ¡°Seria, I don¡¯t know what you see in Ascathon, but I know that even if you meet with his friends regularly, you are no friend of his. What if we solve this issue by convincing everyone that he has to be taken down? The whole pantheon can take him down. We would have to deal with Tjenemit, but we could argue that it had to be done to prevent worse. Everyone knows his reputation. The Council will believe us if we cook up a convincing story.¡± He nods to himself. ¡°We don¡¯t even have to touch his followers. I am sure that if we get everyone to work together, with Myrm and her people on our side, we could keep the damage to a minimum. And then we start cleaning up this mess.¡± A wry smile steals itself onto my face, but I banish it quickly as old memories of a long-forgotten time drift to the surface of my consciousness. Memories of another war of the gods, and how the true creators of the Crystal City fell. It was so long ago that even the memories seem like a blurry dream, but I somehow ¨C forcefully ¨C kept them in the back of my mind. If not to give me something to strive for, then not to forget the important lesson I learned that day. ¡°No.¡± I return my attention to the presence. ¡°Sure, if you take everyone in our pantheon and pit them against Ascathon, you will take him down.¡± Nazareth¡¯s left eye twitches in annoyance. ¡°What¡¯s your deal? You say no, but then you imply that we can take him.¡± I nod. ¡°You will take him, but when you are done, you most certainly won¡¯t like the price you had to pay,¡± I explain calmly, then return my attention to Marigold. ¡°We do what I suggested.¡± Thankfully, the half-orc nods. Chapter 40 ***The Crystal City*** ***Ascathon*** ¡°What''s taking so long?¡± I ask for what must have been the seventh time, glaring down at the clerk behind his desk. The man isn''t fazed by my intimidating demeanour, knowing that the Council¡¯s laws grant him protection ¨C for now. Instead, he continues to concentrate on his documents. ¡°Patience. There was some delay with an unexpected candidate. Just wait over there until we are ready. We are doing our best to catch up with the appointed schedule.¡± I narrow my eyes, wondering why I am the only one who has to wait, while others are pushed up the line of waiting people. ¡°Then tell me when I can come back. You already kept me waiting here for two hours. I refuse to waste even more time with bureaucracy.¡± ¡°Now, now.¡± The clerk looks up from his papers. ¡°You know as well as I do that the millennial check-up on a god''s powers and abilities isn''t voluntary. The Council has decreed that the powers of every deity under their rule has to be catalogued. Failing to show up would automatically turn you into an outlaw. And we don''t want that, do we?¡± Grinding my teeth, I return to the waiting area in the back. ¡°Stupid paperwork. Would it be so hard to give a warning that everything is delayed by two or three hours? Feels like I am back to being forced to obey some idiotic mortal government...¡± ***The World*** ***Karin*** ¡°Are you sure that we can''t call Ascathon about this?¡± I ask Willow, watching worriedly as the Alliance forces advance all over the border between the Empire and the Alliance. They already took horrific losses for running into our fortified positions, seemingly not caring about paying every inch of ground with their blood. The fighting has gone on for as long as I can remember, but there is something fishy about this recent attack. They never tried an all-out war like that. Up until now, they cared at least as much as us about their people. An hour ago Ashley called us into her command room, a part of Ascathon''s secret base which the succubi turned into their spy-centre. And from there the bad news started coming in. The walls are lined with computer workstations and there are several desks which are covered with maps and documents. Four of Ashley''s daughters are dutifully doing their work, showing their competence in something that not everyone would associate with their kind. In the centre of the large room is a human-sized projector, creating the three-dimensional vision of a large globe floating freely at the ceiling. Currently, the world''s main-continent is highlighted with several red zones marking areas of conflict. Whichever parts of the border aren''t marked in red are tinged in orange to indicate the threat of an impending engagement, either because of troop movements or for some other unknown reason. The atmosphere is heavier than usual, making it clear that everyone has suspicions that something fishy is going on. ¡°Yes, we have to deal with this ourselves. Ascathon said that he would be busy with getting his license as a citizen of the Crystal City updated. The Council is very strict about that, so we can¡¯t expect him back before that¡¯s done.¡± Willow shakes her head. ¡°But you are right. I am afraid that this is just a distraction. They must know that our mortal followers won''t fall that easily. It may seem like they are winning at the moment, but with the losses, they are taking they won¡¯t be able to hold those territories once our reinforcements arrive. They will either have to retreat, or leave their core-territories vulnerable, so there must be a bigger plan behind this attack.¡± ¡°Don''t worry,¡± Ashley replies soothingly in an attempt to keep Willow calm. ¡°He wouldn''t be able to help in this matter anyway. Remember the rules? Our mortal puppets should be more than-¡± Her words are cut short when the ground suddenly shakes, reminding me of an earthquake. ¡°Earthquake?!¡± One of the other succubi in the room asks, just to be reprimanded by one of her sisters. ¡°Don''t be ridiculous! We are too deep inside the planet to feel tectonic movements!¡± Realizing that she is right, I quickly walk over to one of the computer terminals and call up the base¡¯s environmental information. ¡°The enchantments are drawing more power than usual and it says that the shields are under more stress than would be normal.¡± I gasp when the base shakes again. Willow finally realizes what''s going on and waves her hand to get everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Somebody is trying to get through the shields! We have to get out of here.¡± The succubus matriarch reacts without hesitation and I step further away from her so that I am not in the way. Ashley is in the midst of opening a portal when suddenly the ground jumps right into my face. I must have blacked out because when I regain my senses it''s dark and the room is only illuminated by emergency lights. Willow pulls me to my feet by unceremoniously gripping my shirt, which causes me to silently thank myself for wearing only sturdy, high-quality garments. Having my shirt ripped off would be the height of my day right now. ¡°We have been breached,¡± one of the succubi, Lea, informs us as she pulls herself back to her feet punching a large button on the wall next to her. ¡°Activating security protocols!¡± ¡°Get your act together, kid.¡± A slap from Willow brings me back out of my stupor. I didn''t even realize that I had been zoning out, totally shocked at having the only place attacked at which I ever felt truly safe and at home. ¡°We have to get out of here,¡± I affirm, hoping that I won¡¯t freeze up that easily again. I want to protest being called a kid at my age, but I guess if someone has the right to, then it''s people like Willow, Ashley, and Ascathon. Willow pulls me towards Ashley who is trying hard to open another portal, succeeding even though there is a deep cut on her forehead. The portal opens as a red ring chaotic energies, slicing a table in two which was unfortunate enough to be in the way. A quick kick from me clears the rubble, allowing us easy access. Things go completely to hell when there is a bright flash of light, and some incomprehensible power presses down on me as some being beyond my pay-grade materializes inside the room. I immediately know that it must be a god, having felt this presence from Ascathon at more than one occasion. He called the effect an aura. It still overwhelms me, locking my muscles in place and forcing me to fight, just to keep standing. Cursing, Willow shoves me through the portal as Lea falls screaming, her chest run through by some bolt of light which originated from the newcomer. Another of Ashley¡¯s daughters steps towards the intruder, but a blast of power snaps her upper body like a twig, flooring all of us. Again, it¡¯s Willow who shoves me through the portal, thankfully following close behind. Willow and two of Ashley''s daughters make it through before our attacker decides to charge Ashley when he realizes that we are getting away. Barrelling into her like some enraged boar, he takes her off her feet before she can step through the portal. As she loses control over her spell, the last thing I get to see from the succubus matriarch is her writhing beneath her attacker before the portal closes.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°That''s not good,¡± one of the succubi observes calmly and I realize that it was Isabella who made it out with us. Still worried about Ashley, I pull my gaze away from the spot where the portal was and turn my attention to our surroundings. What greets me is another world, a lush grassland with strange and unnatural seeming plants... and a burning castle. What strolls out of the castle''s gates is another deity, someone I recognize from the intelligence reports. Holding onto a mangled wing, he pulls one of Ashley''s succubi after him through the castle''s broken gates, her body maimed and mutilated beyond recognition. Clenching my jaws, the only thing I can do is to hope that the woman had a clean death, but it doesn¡¯t look like it. Lesh, God of Morals, smiles upon seeing us and bows with a flourish. ¡°Welcome home, my lovelies. I already thought that I wouldn''t get any action at all when they told me to wait here in order to pick off any survivors. But it seems like I actually got to do most of the work! That castle was a pool of sin and debauchery like I have never seen before. I just had to cleanse the wretched place. It helps that this is a different dimension. Tjenemit said not to interfere in the world, but I doubt he meant this place, so I don''t think that someone would be able to blame me for breaking the accords! Hahahaha.¡± Growling like some animal, Isabella launches herself at the god, spitting some curse in a strange and guttural tongue. Lesh doesn''t even bother himself with her and just waves a hand, picking Isabella up with force magic and launching her body into the castle wall behind him. She impacts like a cannonball with a sickening ''crunch'' and crumbling stone, causing an entire section of the wall to collapse. I want to jump forward and help her, but something tells me all I would achieve would be sharing her fate. Shaking his wrist, the deity looks at us in dismay. ¡°Too much force on this one. I have to hold back if I don''t want this to be over too soon.¡± ***The World*** ***Ashley*** I writhe against the man''s grip, trying my best to wriggle free, but the god holds me tightly as if I am nothing more than a toddler. He just killed two of my daughters in front of me and I couldn''t do anything to stop him. How did he even get in here so quickly? There should have been more than enough time to flee in case of a security break. They must have somehow known what to expect when they prepared this attack. Maybe they found a way to slip one of their numbers in? ¡°Hold still.¡± He forces me down by leaning his full weight onto me. ¡°If you don''t resist you have a chance at surviving this. We just want a few hostages, that''s all. Once we have dealt with Ascathon you are free to return to the infernal planes for all I care.¡± His voice breaks through my instinct to fight and, finally, I manage to regain my wits. Succubi don¡¯t fight their fists! I overreacted, but it¡¯s been a long time since anyone dared to physically attack me. Allowing my magic to flow out of me and around us, I breath out deeply, directly into his face in an attempt to charm him. Cooing, I cup his cheek in my hand as his pupils dilate in lust. ¡°You are Malfious, Deity of Truth and Righteousness? I think we haven''t met before?¡± I giggle. ¡°At least not in person.¡± He blinks, trying to clear the fog in his mind. Then he grabs my upper arms and forces them down to my sides so that I can¡¯t touch him anymore. ¡°I was warned about your kind. Quit trying to play those mind-games with me.¡± I silently applaud him. Most mortals would be already inside my skirt. But he also didn¡¯t catch just any succubus. Instead of trying to push him away, I raise my legs slowly as not to startle him and close them around his waist, rubbing my pelvis against his crotch. ¡°If you aren''t trying to kill me, then why don''t we have some fun?¡± ¡°No...¡± He shakes his head in an attempt to free himself from my charm and blinks rapidly. ¡°I have to... get you... to...¡± He clearly struggles against my mental suggestions as I spin a web of my mana around us, but thanks to him being so close to me, he is also under the full effect of my pheromones. Seemingly aware of the danger, he leans away from me, still holding onto my upper arms. Following his movements, I lean forward and ¨C thanks to a little shapeshifting ¨C manage to lick the bare skin on his neck, causing him to shudder. His arms buckle a bit and I use the chance to plant my lips on his, pushing my tongue into his mouth. Meanwhile, I perform a little miracle with my tail and loosen his belt with the tip. There is so much power within him that it''s blinding my senses, but it isn''t something I am unused to after years of having happy evenings with a certain other god. I just hope that we have the time to finish this before someone shows up looking for him. He is resisting, so any interruption might mean that he manages to break what little sway I have on him. ¡°Ah~¡± I let out a moan of delight as I manage to slip my tail between his skin and clothes, pulling down his trousers, causing his cock to spring free. Shimmying around, I free my chest from the black leathers I am wearing and rub my moistness onto his genitals. ¡°Damn!¡± He bucks involuntarily and lowers his upper body a little, lessening the distance between us. Using my tail, I pull my panties aside. ¡°Mh~¡± Feeling the burning fire in my belly, I hook my ankles behind his buttocks and pull myself closer, positioning myself just so that his tip touches my entrance. He seems reluctant to take the final step, but when I give a little encouragement with my tail he lunges forward and buries himself deep within me. Moaning and crying encouragements, I allow him to rock back and forth on top of me until he lets go of my arms to get better purchase. Embracing him, I smother my breasts against his chest, complimenting him on that splendid six-pack of his. Hearing my approval, his movements grow urgent and erratic until he moans and spills himself deep inside of me. Pushing him up a little, I give him a show of my flexibility by turning around, moving my legs without letting him pop free. Now on all fours, I grab his arm and, rocking my bottom backwards, pull him on top of me until he gets the idea and cups my dancing breasts, returning to his duty. He rides me to another climax and I make sure show my delight with little squeals when he bumps my burning core with his erection until he groans and shudders on top of me, reaching his second climax. Getting into an upright position on his knees, he pulls out, which leaves me with an aching emptiness, so I am quick to turn around and to deepthroat his erection inside my mouth. Using all my muscles to suck and purr around him, I cover him with my saliva until he loses control of his spinal cord. With him sinking down onto his back I am quick to be on top of him, plunging him deep into the burning fire inside my belly. Going for a final ride, I make sure to contract and relax my abdominal muscles in an attempt to unleash the feeding frenzy which I always deny myself with Ascathon. Urging him on, I feel the magical channels throughout his body, now clearly sensible thanks to my own magic seeping into him throughout our intercourse. Ever so slowly, I gain complete control over his body, weakening the bonds within him. With a final shudder, he pushes up into me and I lose control of my fire as my lower body takes on a life of its own with him exploding inside me. Moaning, I feel him spill his essence into me as if an unending flood broke loose within him. Weakly, he tries to push me off of him as he finally realizes what''s happening. ¡°Wha... what are you doing?¡± Growling, I slap his feeble hands away and pin them down next to his head. Smiling, I feel his life flowing into me, giving me so much pleasure. His pathetic writhing turns annoying, so I lie down on top of him, pushing my chest against him to seal his movements. Then I whisper into his ear to complete the ancient ritual. ¡°You are mine now. Thou have given yourself to me thrice, freely, and without strings attached, so you are mine to take.¡± ¡°M- m- m- Monster!¡± ¡°Aw~! Have you never visited the Infernal Planes? There is a reason why many immortals stay well away from that dimension.¡± I lick my elongated tongue across his cheek, relishing the taste of his fear. Then I feel my muscles clenching around him involuntarily, giving me a rush of excitement as I sit up and lean back, shifting into my original form. Spreading my large wings behind me, I feel my horns elongate and catch fire. The ancient runes which are carved into my skin burn with the pain of renewed pleasure. ¡°Do you feel that? That pull on your soul? I think you are ready.¡± Grinding against him, I cup one breast and place a hand on the symbol which is glowing in a deep red on my abdomen. Rubbing the area, it¡¯s almost as if I can feel him twitching inside as my lower half starts sucking on him ¨C not only in a physical sense. His eyes roll up in their sockets and he starts twitching as if he has an epileptic attack. Foam is coming from his mouth and his teeth chatter, but it doesn''t matter to me as I feel his soul loosening from his physical body. He resists my pull for a moment, and I relax my hold on him expertly as to give him false hope and the moment he relaxes, I rip him free. Screaming in delight, I clench my legs together and raise his hips off the ground with mine as delicious energy, his soul, and something more flows into the churning fire within me, flinging me over the edge. ¡°Whoa!¡± It takes over a minute for me to come down from the rush of taking a god''s soul. ¡°A girl could get used to this.¡± Looking down at his dried up and empty husk, I notice that the symbol on my abdomen has grown in size and intensity. Additionally, I feel like I got something more than just a mere soul from him. ¡°Mh, maybe I should have taken the risk of drinking a god dry a little sooner. Who knew that there is something to gain from that?¡± But the only one who ever dared to visit me was Ascathon, and he was always such a cute boy. It would have been like snapping a kitten''s neck, so I couldn''t bring myself to do it. At last, my abdominal muscles finally unclench andthe empty husk slips free from my nether''s grasp, allowing me to stand on shaky legs. Then I inspect myself. ¡°Why do men always have to make such a mess?¡± Looking down, I spit on the corpse and step on his still erect flag, crushing it. ¡°That''s what a succubus calls ~Well Fucked!~¡± Then I kick his head. The dried up flesh and bone break easily and his head flies against the wall where it shatters. ¡°And that''s for my daughters.¡± Chapter 41 ***The Infernal Planes*** ***Willow*** ¡°Felicia, Karin, run while I buy you time,¡± I instruct the remaining succubus and my pupil. At the same time, I do my best to unleash all my power, hoping to break down the restrictions I put on myself with Ascathon''s help. There is no time to pay any more attention to them, the being in front of me is just too dangerous. Hopefully, they will be smart enough to open a portal at the earliest opportunity to escape. Raising my hands in a defensive posture, I channel pure mana through my body and a halo of light surrounds me as I inadvertently lose control of some of the energy. By applying the techniques Ascathon taught me for control in reverse, I do my best to forcefully break through to the next stage of my development. There is no doubt that forcefully ignoring millennia of self-imposed limitations will have a price. That is if I even manage to ascend. As far as I am aware, no immortal ever tried to forcefully suppress the ascension. Maybe my divinity will be like an atrophied muscle, stunted and weak compared to even the least of deities? First, my skin tingles, then my muscles cramp up from the surge of power within me, but I don''t back off, demanding ever more, more than a mere mortal body would have to give. Pain wrecks through me as I quickly reach my limits, seething agony demanding for me to stop, but I ignore it, clenching my teeth. Lesh, God of Morals, tilts his head ¨C his expression en evident show of bemusement. ¡°You wish to challenge me in order to protect your friends? Who do you think you are?¡± His eyes wander over my body, staying stuck where they definitely shouldn¡¯t be. The pupils emit a glow in a dim golden light as he tries to assess the power leaking away from me in waves. Too weak for a god, but too strong for a mortal. ¡°I am Willow,¡± I smile, barely able to hide the effects of channelling so much power. ¡°And I will be the one who kills you for doing this to my friends.¡± ¡°Hahaha.¡± He shakes his head. ¡°Not a chance. You are an immortal at most ¨C someone who is able to reincarnate. I feel no spark of divinity from you, even with you pulling off this light-show.¡± He is trying to plant the seed of doubt in my mind. ¡°I hope to correct that in order to protect my friends,¡± I announce haughtily, trying my best to banish even the smallest sliver of indecision. If Ascathon is right about a god''s power depending purely on their own state of mind, then I have no room for any feelings of insecurity. I can do this! Millennia of preparations, just for a moment like this. I am ready. I was ready for a long time. Lesh, God of Morals, smiles and raises a hand towards me, apparently intending to just wipe me from existence. The blood on him is in stark contrast to his golden-haired, angelic features. He has a sleek, almost youthful face, right at the edge to adulthood. Weren''t it distorted by an expression of cruel excitement, I would have considered him dating material. In a church, attaching a halo to his head and pinning some wings onto his back would have turned him into a perfect angel. I blink and ready myself for the blow which is about to come. There is no doubt in my mind that this fellow¡¯s appearance is just a mask. It¡¯s just too perfect. He stops, looking at me in a contemplative manner. ¡°You know, protecting your friends, that¡¯s an act I can agree with. It¡¯s a noble thing to do, even if it doesn¡¯t matter whether they run away or not. I¡¯ll find them wherever they go.¡± Or not! I am sure that Karin and Felica are opening a portal as we speak. Even if they can¡¯t walk the dimensions like real gods, they should be able to get away. Waving his hand in a circling motion he gestures in the direction where Karin and Felicia ran off to. ¡°Why don¡¯t we make a bet? It doesn¡¯t matter to me whether two weaklings like them get away. So, I¡¯ll play with you a little ¨C without using my full strength. And if you manage to get past one minute without being broken, I won¡¯t pursue them.¡± He smiles, making it seem like he just gave me the offer of all offers. I clench my fists in a futile attempt to control the raging energy within me. Only by digging my fingernails into the skin of my palms, I manage to distract myself from the pain in my chest. ¡°You will regret this! Transmutation!¡± Raising a hand, I throw my magic at the ground beneath him in an attempt to encase him in a wave of earth, one of my favourite spells. ¡°Teleport!¡± Appearing behind him, I am just in time to witness him incinerating the entire area in front of him with a huge jet of flame, turning hundreds of meters into a raging inferno and cancelling out my spell by interrupting its spell-matrix. Unable to appreciate the performance, I raise both hands against Lesh¡¯s back. ¡°Disintegration!¡± A ray of red energy spills forth from my hands, hitting him dead centre in the back. But his shield catches the incoming energy, dispersing and breaking the channelled spell, resulting in our surroundings being cut to pieces as the ray fragments. Whatever remained of this dimension¡¯s strange flora quickly surrenders to my magic. ¡°More!¡± I need more power! Unimpressed, Lesh turns around, lazily swiping a hand at me. The force spell hits me like a brick, and for a moment my world turns black as I feel myself tumbling through the air like a thrown doll. It doesn¡¯t matter. ¡°More...¡± I teleport again, conserving my momentum to appear just to his right in order to ram my own shield into his. Surprised, Lesh stumbles sideways as if someone shoved him. Surely more by giving in to his combat instincts than from having respect for his opponent, he teleports by using the pathways. The spark of lightning feels similar to when Ascathon took me to places and I reach out for that power, following in Lesh¡¯s wake. When I appear in an unfamiliar landscape, probably far away from the castle, I feel the high of a small victory. Not wanting to lose my momentum, I pull on more power and repeat hurling myself into his shield. Unconcerned with the resulting shockwave of our collision he regains his bearing as our immediate surroundings and a part of a distant lake are torn asunder. ¡°More!¡± Clapping my hands together, I aim a sonic attack at Lesh, assuming that his defences have trouble with protecting him against attacks with a physical component. He didn¡¯t waver when I attacked him with a pure energy-spell, but he countered my earth-attack instead of taking it head-on. Ramming him with my shield showed also more results than the Disintegration spell. The self-proclaimed god winces and retaliates with a ball of glowing, golden energy. Again, my shields are tested to their limits as I just barely avoid the attack, only to be blown away by an explosion on the scale of a small tactical nuke. Somehow, I notice the rest of the lake being dispersed amidst the agony raging through my body.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. It really seems like I am not ready for a forced ascension. ¡°More.¡± Something shatters in my chest and I feel power pouring forth like an endless ocean. With me still flying in free fall, Lesh appears right in front of me, delivering a kick to my belly that sends me flying like a broken toy, his foot covered in golden flames. A mountain passes beneath me, and it still doesn¡¯t seem like I am on the height of my ballistic trajectory. The humiliation! I am not a football! Thankfully, the thought of my own humiliation allows me to regain the right state of mind and using force magic, I halt myself mid-air and wait, stretching out my senses. Using the pathways might be more natural to a god and superior to a normal teleport-spell, but it¡¯s also flashy, announcing a person¡¯s arrival just a moment before they can orient themselves. This time I catch his use of the pathways early enough to counter-attack. Noticing the incoming flash of conjuration ripping the natural fabric of the multiverse apart, I pull back my fist ¨C but not for a simple punch. By creating the spell-matrix directly on my knuckles, I intend to guide a channelled force spell directly at my enemy, which should allow for the most force possible. Spinning my whole body, I strike right into the blinding light beneath me, summoning all my power, imagining it pouring forth from my fist in an explosive discharge that goes on, and on without end. ¡®Crack!¡¯ My hand shatters upon impacting something, and then the mountain range beneath me comes apart as if hit by a projectile. Even though I just put everything I had behind this single attack, my mana rapidly replenishes and the pain within me quickly turns unbearable once more. Raising my good hand, I follow up with a simple fireball, pouring power into it without care. What was intended as a simple fireball turns into the resemblance of a meteorite coming down from the heavens. The red flame descends downwards to where I suspect Lesh to be. Moments later the earth comes apart where my spell hit, erupting in a mockery of a super-volcano. Something wells up from inside me, giving me heartburn, and I try not to puke. Instead, I swallow what tastes like blood. It¡¯s better to think of me having eaten something bad. Yes, no reason to stop now. Lesh appears in front of me, looking worse for wear, but well enough to fight on. His left eye is closed, with blood welling up from inside. It looks like I gave him the mother of all black eyes. Additionally, his clothes look a little singed, so it¡¯s likely that my last two attempts managed to get through his shield. ¡°It seems like I underestimated your potential. But you are clearly unable to keep this up indefinitely.¡± He tilts his head, causing his spine to creak as misaligned bones reset themselves. Unable to help myself, I grin, revealing what he somehow noticed anyway. Blood pours fourth my mouth and I gurgle to recite the mantra I decided upon. ¡°Mg¡­ ohr¡­ re...¡± More Power! Enough power to smite my foes and to protect my loved ones. He won¡¯t get to Karin or the others. I¡¯ll stop him before that. Propelling myself into him, we collide, but he holds his ground as pure energy cascades away from the point where our shields intersect. It¡¯s still not enough, so I press forward, willfully abandoning the sane option of retreat, but in my mind, I have already committed. There is no retreat, and likely no victory after I broke my limits. But the least I can do is to take the fucker down with me. Our shields shatter, but we are still held apart by some invisible force ¨C an aura ¨C I realize. ¡°More!¡± Reaching out, I push into his defences with my bare hands, trying to force the power which I can¡¯t hold out of my palms and into his shields. There is another feeling of something with me breaking. Lesh¡¯s face is a mask of intense concentration as he gives his everything to hold me off. The strange feeling in my chest registers in my head, but it doesn¡¯t matter. My hands are through, and I scream in triumph! Who cares that the skin is flaking off? Or that the world turned white all around us? I have my hands on the asshole¡¯s neck and he won¡¯t get away. Ignoring his wriggling and kicking, I squeeze until there is a satisfying ¡®crunch¡¯. Then nothing. Lesh stops his struggles abruptly, going limp in my hands. ¡°I¡­ am¡­ more¡­¡± My head feels suddenly as if it¡¯s packed in cotton. Feeling dizzy, I let go of Lesh, his eyes wide open in disbelief and his face bright red from being strangled to death. His body falls, down, down, into a sea of molten red. I just have time to realize that the landscape we fought in is gone, replaced by a field of magma as far as I can see. Deep down, Lesh¡¯s body turns to ashes in a puff of smoke as it impacts the surface. Good. My whole body sacks as my power wanes and I try to grasp for the slightest bit of energy, just a little bit for a healing spell. But there is nothing¡­ the feeling of a pool of mana in my chest is just¡­ gone. Someone grabs my good hand, holding me aloft with force magic. Turning my head just right, I look at the newcomer. ¡°Seria?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The blonde goddess smiles at me sadly. ¡°Seems like I just came in time to collect.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t feel so good...¡± I cough out, feeling something rasping in my lungs and instead of blood, there is just a thick, red foam, keeping me from breathing properly. ¡°Yeah, dying sucks.¡± She shakes her head. ¡°You broke both of the cores Ascathon gave you as a safety measure to keep you from awakening. Why did you have to run off to another plane? If it hadn¡¯t taken so much time to follow, I may have been able to prevent this from happening.¡± Ah, so that was the strange sensation? Ascathon, you weasel. ¡°So¡­ the cores¡­ were a¡­ safety-fuse?¡± He always told me that they would increase my power, but in truth, they were limiting me. ¡°Something like that. I would heal you, but you broke this body by awakening in the way you did. There isn¡¯t just physical damage.¡± ¡°Karin?¡± I ask, wanting to know at least that much. ¡°She and Felicia are fine. I, uhm, brought them to safety while you decided to have a stand-off with that other god. Didn¡¯t want to show myself as long as there was a chance of him running off, you know, keeping my neutrality and all that. I also hoped that he wouldn¡¯t be too eager to kill you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ okay¡­ then¡­ you helping¡­ now?¡± I try to exhale the bloody foam, but all I achieve is another coughing fit. Seria winces, clearly unhappy with my current state. ¡°I am sorry, but I am actually following my own agenda. Though I have an offer for you and believe me, the offer is worth your consideration.¡± ***The Infernal Planes*** ***Seria*** I lay down Willow¡¯s body some paces away from the succubus-castle¡¯s crumbled remains, hoping that the location would get things to move on a little easier. So many things to do, and so little time. Hopefully, I get to Ashley in time. ¡°They really went for the jugular when they finally decided to move,¡± I mumble, talking to myself. Worse, I almost didn¡¯t make it in time. Though, it remains to be seen if I manage to get to Ashley. Just as I am thinking that thought, I feel someone¡¯s arrival through the pathways and Ashley appears in a flash of light. The succubus matriarch looks different from when I last saw her. Somehow more radiant, shining with life. Her horns are longer and on fire with some form of ghostly essence. Additionally, there are glowing runes all over her almost naked body ¨C which she tends to show off quite readily. Ashley¡¯s eyes wander over the scene of destruction, staying stuck on the remains of her castle for quite some time. That is, until she notices me and the body at my feet. Walking quickly, she approaches in long elegant steps, unable to hide her nature even in a situation like that. The corner of my mouth twitches upwards when I notice that spark of power within her that¡¯s natural to all gods. ¡°It seems like congratulations are in order.¡± Ashley looks down at Willow¡¯s body and then back at me. ¡°Seeing this, I don¡¯t feel like celebrating. How did she die?¡± Her eyes narrow clearly suspicious of me. I sigh, well aware that Ashley never came to trust me completely. ¡°She protected Karin and Felicia from one of Myrm¡¯s followers. They must have traced you back to this place at some point and decided to destroy any obvious rallying points to which you would retreat.¡± ¡°The bastard got away?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°So you killed him? I thought you are neutral.¡± ¡°Well, I am.¡± I clap my hands together, wringing them in an attempt to find the right words. ¡°Willow killed him, and I arrived just in time to save Willow. Doing so stretches my neutrality a bit, but I doubt it matters in this case. In fact, I was just about to go looking for you. But you coming to me also saves me a lot of troubles.¡± She glances down at Willow¡¯s body. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like you saved Willow.¡± I purse my lips. ¡°Right. I guess you aren¡¯t that familiar with reincarnation and all that stuff, given your nature. This body may be broken, but I collected her soul before permanent damage could be done.¡± Ashley studies me for a long moment before she nods. ¡°Then we have to go to find Ascathon now and regroup with the others. It would be nice if you could guide me to him.¡± She is about to turn when I raise a finger to stop her. ¡°We can¡¯t do that. Actually, our time-schedule just tightened because of your unexpected ascension. We have to get you somewhere safe before the Council picks up on you. I have no idea how they do it, but I would give us another hour at most since you likely ascended by fighting that guy who attacked Ascathon¡¯s base.¡± ¡°How do you know that?¡± I shrug. ¡°I know a great many things, and if you play nice, you should be pleased by the outcome. So, can I bring you to where I stashed away Karin and your daughters? At least those who I reached in time?¡± Chapter 42 ***The Crystal City*** ***Ascathon*** The clerk returns, taking a look around the corner with a somewhat anxious expression on his face. His agitated gaze sweeps over the waiting area until his eyes land on me. He nods, apparently satisfied that I am still at my place in the corner of the room. ¡°It won¡¯t take long now. We are almost ready for you.¡± When I don¡¯t answer and just glare at him, he decides that being somewhere else would be indefinitely better than to wait for me to blow. Like a dog with its tail between its legs, he shuffles away to get out of my vicinity, probably feeling that I would love nothing more than to tear him limb from limb. My gaze switches over to the clock on the wall, checking the time. If the man sticks to his previous behaviour, he would return in ten to fifteen minutes to make sure that I am still waiting for him like a good little pet. Sadly for him, I have no longer the intention of playing a good little pet. I am the only person left in the resting area for half an hour. The last person who was processed was some gentle, old deity who preferred an elderly appearance. For hours, she did nothing besides telling me that she almost didn¡¯t manage to make an appearance in time. If there was any doubt about what was going on up until that point, then it became quite obvious that the guy was stalling me, though I wonder who offered him enough to do something so foolish. Ignoring the risk of gaining the Council¡¯s attention, I decide to check out what¡¯s going on at home ¨C just to be sure. A quick use of the pathways is enough to return me to my base, where I reappear in the empty central corridor. If I am quick, I should be able to check if everything is in order and be right back without anyone ever knowing. ¡°Hello?¡± There is no answer, but I smell the rancid stink of burned electronics when I inhale. Sniffing, I follow the smell in the direction of Ashley¡¯s intelligence centre where I find the first two corpses, Lea and Fiora. Someone turned the two succubi onto their backs and closed their eyes, making it seem like they are just sleeping. In a corner is a smashed workstation which is undoubtedly the source of the smell that drew me here. Some shorted out circuit is still spewing sparks, smouldering some plastic parts. Kneeling down next to Lea, I check her body for any signs of a lingering connection to her soul, hoping against hope, but her spirit has long since departed. Clenching my jaw, I grind my teeth audibly and pull my eyes forcefully away from the body, searching the rest of the room. There is a third corpse, a shrivelled something that¡¯s impossible to recognize. Only the fine clothing indicates that it was either a very wealthy person of this world or someone else altogether. He too shows no signs of a lingering soul when I check. In fact, there seems to be no spiritual energy at all inside the body. It''s in a worse state than even a mummy from some ancient tomb. Those, like any other bodies which died of natural causes, have at least some lingering signature of their departed soul. That¡¯s when I notice the holographic map in the middle of the room, displaying an entirely different tactical situation than I remember it to be when I left ¨C all out war between Myrm¡¯s faction and mine. Even more startling, my side seems to be losing quite badly, which shouldn¡¯t be possible thanks to the mobile fortresses which I gifted to my people. The Alliance has nothing like them¡­ unless... ¡°They are playing foul!¡± I hiss, blasting the projector unintentionally with a wave of force as I lose control over my power, destroying the machine. There is only one explanation for all of this! Myrm¡¯s people are actively assisting their mortals. Wild rage flares up inside me at this blatant breaking of the rules. ¡°No matter.¡± There is nothing I can do about it at the moment without taking action myself. Where are Willow, Karin, Ashley, and the others? They can¡¯t be all dead. First of all, I have to make sure that they are safe. My thoughts return to the shrivelled corpse and I slowly get an idea of what must have happened. It¡¯s not my first time seeing the remains of a succubus taking a full meal. I doubt that other attackers would have stood by and watched one of their friends getting sucked dry, so only one of Myrm¡¯s followers managed to enter the base and at least one of my people must have survived. Walking quickly, I hurry over to one of the workstations and activate it, logging into the facility''s security system. I check the current state of the facility, but everything seems to be fine aside from a singular breach of the teleportation barrier, which must have happened when the single intruder gained entry. Pressing my lips together, I pull a face in an attempt to puzzle out where the others went. If they realized that Myrm is actively joining the war they wouldn¡¯t have stayed on the planet. It would have been much too dangerous. Following a hunch, I decide to check Ashley¡¯s castle, taking a pathway directly to its entrance. But one moment before I should materialize once more in the other dimension, the instinct which comes naturally to all gods takes over, averting my path and forcing me to appear several dozen metres away from my intended position. Turning, I get the answer for why my path was diverted. I would have appeared inside a giant pile of debris. In front of me is the scene of the castle which was turned into a smouldering ruin. Taking a tentative step forward, I spread out my senses. Searching, I sent out my consciousness along the pathways, spreading myself over the whole area. It doesn¡¯t take much to find Willow and Isabella with the scrying spell, two bodies next to each other, placed directly on the road towards the castle. Taking a pathway directly next to Willow, I kneel down and touch her cold forehead. Again, someone draped them in a somewhat dignified position, laying them down on their backs with their hands resting next to their bodies. Just as if they were sleeping. Just that they aren''t. Willow clearly suffered some kind of lethal trauma, blood covering her chin and neck. Her hands are two bloody and maimed ruins. Isa''s left side is almost completely crushed as if someone stepped on her as if she was a bug. Again, their souls are gone, the bodies just empty shells, discarded for their next reincarnation. With remorse, I realize that I am not even sure if Isa has a next reincarnation. As a demi-god, her fate was still uncertain in that regard. Still, I can¡¯t help but pull Willow up into a sitting position to hug her. I called her a minion on numerous occasions. More often than not just in order to tease her, but if nothing else, she was one of the few true friends I had left. She stayed at my side over the eons, while others died, disappeared, or turned away from me for one reason or the other. Reaching out, I take the remaining hand of Isabella¡¯s crushed body. She looks like she ran face-first into a train. Someone destroyed the etheric beauty of the one who was once my wife ¨C as much as demons would admit to such a relationship. Putting Willow down gently, I step back, trying to steel my expression as well as my resolve, ignoring the tears running down my face.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. ¡°Fuck! I told you to go somewhere safe, ever since they started this whole World Enchantment business! I should have sent you and Karin away and never allowed Ashley to join this stupid game.¡± I reach for my chest, feeling something contract within me. This is my fault. I knew from the beginning that something like this was likely to happen. And them! They truly didn¡¯t care about any of the rules if they even attacked this place. If Ashley had any sense, she took Karin and whoever she managed to find and retreated somewhere deep into the Infernal Planes. There are layers of reality out there which even the Council would hesitate to venture into. There would be no point if I went to search for them right now and it would be too dangerous for them to return if they aren¡¯t already lost to me. Maybe forever. Taking a step forward, I take a pathway back to my base, appearing right inside my laboratory. Walking past the tank with my other body, I brush a hand over the surface and venture straight to the new high-security test-chamber which I set up for experiments with the Mana Crystals. I open the heavy metal door by kicking it in, ignoring the alarms which I set off. The whole system was never intended to repel a god anyway, but to keep nosy allies away from my research. There isn¡¯t much I achieved so far in terms of shaping the mana crystal, just some crude weapons. Shaping Mana Crystal to one''s will is hard enough, but growing the stuff quickly yields imperfect results. Shaping the involved energies is an almost impossible task without losing cohesion of the involved forces, affecting the unique properties of the material. Nonetheless, I take the knife which was one of the results of my labour. It¡¯s half the length of my lower arm and slightly curved, with a grip whose lower end doubles as a punching ring. The blade is thinner than one would expect from a weapon like this, but Mana Crystal doesn''t suffer from the same limitations as metal. Where metal would bend like clay in the hands of a god, Mana Crystal holds steady and is able to cut through any aura with ease. That''s why most gods don''t use mortal weapons unless they are heavily enchanted to withstand abuse. If someone relies on using a weapon, they have to summon weapons by shaping their own energies. Still, the end result of my experiment looks very much like the unintended offspring of an oversized bush-knife and a karambit. The other weapon is a crude crystal spear, it¡¯s shaft shaped like gnarled wood, making it not very appealing. But the tip is a straight blade with the size of a short sword. It was a first attempt at making something bigger than a knife on the fly. The work isn''t pretty. In fact, I was very much disappointed with this one, but it should do the job. Lastly, I grab a belt with several pouches, each filled with the remains of discarded Mana Crystal. They are just discarded fragments, but even little shards can cut when wielded properly. That leaves me with one more stop. I just hope he is still there and wasn''t dusted too. Twirling the knife between my fingers to get a feel for it, I head over to the elevator which grants access to the facility''s lower levels. The entire time, it feels like my body is moving on auto-pilot. Punching in the code, stepping inside, waiting for the elevator to arrive at Lucifer''s feeding pen. When the door opens, I just whistle into the darkness, waiting for Lucifer to answer my call. My familiar replies with a pitiful ''meow'' stumbling out of the darkness in its kitten-form. Only the little, bloody paws destroy the wrong sense of safety and innocence Lucifer is trying to create. He settles down inside the elevator, cleaning his fur. The action makes me want to yell at him, questioning his priorities. How could he play around while important people died! But I know that it wouldn''t be fair. Lucifer is smart, but he isn''t a sapient being. The one who designed him never intended for him to be more than a familiar and I never managed to truly correct that. It would have required meddling with his whole being, making it easier to create a completely new familiar. I couldn¡¯t do that, especially since he is a memento of my teacher. I settle down and close the door to get us to the last stop, my book ¨C or should I call it a diary of myself? Collecting the artefact from its pedestal proves to be no issue and I return back to the upper levels, my diary thrumming with chaotic power while hanging from a fitting pouch on my belt. There is no particular reason to change my outfit since I had no time to incorporate the crystal-tech into any armour. The black leathers I always preferred will be enough. As soon as I leave the elevator, I return with Lucifer to the waiting area in the Crystal City''s administration department. Sitting down, I stare at the wall, trying my best to think of nothing, else I might snap. And I don''t want to snap. Not before it''s time. When it doesn¡¯t work, I do my best to use the time in order to think of my possible next steps, playing through different scenarios in my mind. I am still in a trance when the corrupt clerk reappears, nodding at me from the entrance. He furrows his forehead as he takes in my appearance. ¡°You don''t look so good. Have you been crying?¡± When I don''t answer, he hesitates, afraid to pursue the matter with someone of my reputation. ¡°Don''t worry. Ahem, I am sure we will be done any moment now. I know that waiting for hours for some bureaucracy must be disturbing.¡± He turns, intending to go back to his previous business. Taking a pathway, I appear right behind him, startling him when he turns fully and bumps into me. Stumbling backwards, he retreats into the waiting room. His eyes widen when he sees the blade in my left hand and he instinctively releases his aura, pushing me slightly away. It''s a good reaction, but the wrong one in this case. Barely half a second after his aura sprung into existence, my knife cleaves through it as if it wasn''t there in the first place. The tip of the curved blade bites into the side of the man''s belly, hooking into it. My hand doesn''t stop though, and I cut all the way to the other side. Angling the blade, I pull it back ¨C down to the centre of his groin, then up, all the way to his chest, carving an upside down, inverted ''4'' into him. With a manic expression, he looks down at himself as his aura sputters out of existence, clearly unwilling or unable to cope with the situation. With his muscles cut, his belly is unable to hold onto its contents and guts spill out of him and onto the floor, sullying my shoes. Pulling the knife out of his chest, I take a step back to avoid the mess I made. As soon as the knife is out, the fumbling starts. The clerk falls to his knees, trying to stuff his innards back inside. I''ve watched scenes like that often enough to know that it could take quite some time to realize that, while not immediately deadly, the blow was fatal. He is still busy with himself, his face now distorted in a silent scream, when I crouch down in front of him, my head tilted as I study him. ¡°And do you know the best of it?¡± I whisper. ¡°Healing makes it only worse because that blade didn''t just cut your mortal flesh. I tried cutting myself with it once. The damned knick was worse than a paper cut and took weeks to heal. Healing just caused it to bleed more. I''ve yet to find out the actual reason, but it doesn''t matter at the moment. Verifying its ability to cut through an aura was more than enough. I guess I should thank you for the help.¡± Croaking, he draws in a long, exaggerated breath, presumably to call for help. Leaping forward, I grab him by the hair of his head and swing the knife like an ax, cleaving through his neck, separating the head from his body. Turning around a little too enthusiastically, I splatter blood onto the wall as I make a 180 and head back to the little table in the waiting room in five long steps. Working with manic speed, I tilt the head upside down and dip my finger into the neck-wound which is oozing blood. Then I draw the ritualistic circle and symbols of a most basic revival spell ¨C with a few little alterations for which my teacher would have flayed the skin off my back. Like, tethering the soul to this incomplete piece of flesh tightly enough to make it impossible to depart without incinerating the whole thing. And giving it the whole range of feelings. When I am done, I plant the head in the centre of the circle and infuse the ritual with power, granting it just enough mana animate the head without regrowing anything. Sometime during the procedure, the head stopped moving. But now, infused with green, necromantic energies provided by the ritual, it blinks. Then the mouth starts moving again, opening and closing in silent, unheard screams. It''s quite hard to scream properly if you have no lungs to push out air and your vocal cords are gone. ¡°Have you ever wondered how it''s like to have your eyes poked out?¡± Raising my knife, I slowly push the tip into his left eye-socket, causing the remaining eye to go manic. Having my rage satisfied at least a little, I retrieve the knife and pat the head which is working out its jaw. ¡°Don''t worry. It''s evening and you are the only person I''ve seen for some time in the building. But! Good news! At the very least, I am very sure that someone will find you in the morning! You just have to endure until then without going mad from the pain. That¡¯s the worst for an immortal, am I right? Being raving mad? But I am sure someone important like you will manage without blinking an eyelid. Just a few hours!¡± His remaining eye searches around the room, rolling upwards in its socket, then down again. Sniffing, I notice the odour which is spreading through the room and pull a face. The beheaded body must have lost control over its bowels. ¡°Gods, what did you eat? It smells like you were rotting from the inside!¡± Of course, the head is no longer capable of answering that question. ¡°I better go. Please give the cleaning staff my apologies, but there are people to kill, corpses to revive, a world to destroy, you know, evil stuff.¡± I giggle and ruffle the man''s hair. Then I get up and take a pathway back to the world, feeling already a little better. Who knows? When I am done, these tears might stop flowing. Chapter 43 ***The World*** ***Ascathon*** I appear in the imperial throne room with Lucifer clinging to my shoulder. My familiar meows, annoyed at being carried around like one of my weapons. Luxley the XII is sitting on his throne, looking relieved upon seeing me. Like his long line of predecessors, he is my puppet, representing my interests and wishes in front of the mortals. Thanks to Ashley¡¯s efforts there is always an inheritor ready to replace the old Luxley. This latest version shows at least some resemblance to the original, sharing the same aristocratic nose, but the succubi made a point of avoiding inbreeding, looking for other traits than appearance, like a tendency for religious fervour and devotion, combined with just enough smarts to think for himself. ¡°Bless you! I thought you abandoned us in this dire hour!¡± Getting up from his throne, Luxley number twelve drops to his knees in front of me, showing the proper respect for his deity. ¡°Behold!¡± One of the Priests of Chaos at Luxley¡¯s side calls out in an awed tone, himself a distant descendant of the first original Knight of Chaos who recruited himself into my service. ¡°Our god is speaking to us!¡± The people present hurry to get to their knees, planting their foreheads on the floor without the need to release my aura. Suppressing the urge to roll my eyes at the forced theatrics, I quickly search the room, hoping and dreading to find one of the succubi here. I would have to get them somewhere safe. But there is nobody here, making me probably the only immortal to guide these mortal fools since Myrm¡¯s people started their attack. I raise my finger and point at Luxley. ¡°Behold my words, mortals. The gods of the heretics decided to turn this war into a conflict beyond mortal means. The Heavens shall collide and the Earth will shatter. Fight! Fight the last battle and hold nothing back and I shall fight with you ¨C until we achieve enlightenment!¡± Sending out a few sparks for good measure, I take a pathway and appear high above one of the conflict zones which I noticed earlier in our headquarters. Hoping that my little show achieved its desired effect I slowly descend to make out some details. But I don¡¯t care at all what the mortals are up to. My only desire is to find Myrm¡¯s people and end this, hopefully killing a bunch of them before Myrm himself decides to show up. Honestly, I don¡¯t expect much from the mortals, but maybe Myrm¡¯s followers get distracted when my people start throwing nukes left and right. That¡¯s why I told them that this is the last battle. To set up the stage for the next act, I have to get rid of most of those pesky godly auras which are connected to the World Enchantment. Over a dozen deities are simply too much to dispel on my own and be sure that the desired result is achieved. If just a little part of the World Enchantment survives attached to the aura of some godling everything might be for naught. Stretching out my senses, I unleash my aura, not caring about breaking those close to me wherever I go next. ¡°Lucifer!¡± Calling on our connection, I channel a part of my power into my familiar, allowing Lucifer to grow to the size of a horse. His stubby limbs elongate and the fur around his neck sprouts until he looks more like a lion. Finalizing the transformation, his claws and canines grow, giving him the features of a sabretooth with oversized claws. The changes turn him into a truly frightening creature, able to deal with a lesser deity on his own, though not much more than that. ¡°Let¡¯s find you some food.¡± I take us through the pathways, directly towards the closest detectable aura. In a place like the Crystal City with all its different energy sources it would be nigh impossible to pinpoint the location of a released aura exactly, but in this world, even with all the gods residing on it, there isn¡¯t nearly as much background noise. Appearing in the sky above some battlefield right next to a woman who is surveying the fighting mortals below, I twirl my knife and bring it down on her in an overhead strike. Not caring for her identity, I press against her aura and succeed in stabbing the weapon into her chest. Her eyes widen in surprise and she looks down, seemingly not believing that I cut through her aura just like that. Pulling out, I sheathe the blade inside her flesh three more times before the light leaves her eyes and she starts falling, her aura fading with her descent. Lucifer dives after her, yowling in delight at the seemingly fleeing prey. ¡°This is almost too easy.¡± Leaving the finishing-bite to Lucifer, I inspect the knife which already felled two gods in quick succession, but there is no damage to the thin blade. It still looks pristine in its blue, glass-like appearance, only slightly discoloured by a red tinge, caused by the blood on it. The feeling of two more auras appearing in close proximity draws my attention, and I turn to face the newcomers, a god and a goddess. I recognize them as Lemion, God of Health, and Hara, Goddess of Time, two of Myrm¡¯s close followers and strong deities in their own right. The woman reaches up and brushes her brown hair away from her ear, pushing down on an elongated earlobe with an earring made out of gold. Glaring at me with single-minded conviction distorting her aristocratic features, she calls for more assistance, ¡°He is here. Get everyone to this location asap.¡± ¡°You really think you can take me!?¡± I point the bloody knife threateningly at them and pluck one of the pouches from my belt. Scattering the contents into the wind, I pick up the crystal shards with force magic, circulating them around me in a protective sphere. ¡°Bring it on! At the end of the day, we shall see who is still standing and who shall fall.¡± Pointing, I unleash pure force magic at them, but they dodge through the pathways. Unhindered, my spell travels onwards. Since it was angled slightly downwards, it carves a canyon up to the horizon into the world. Moments later, the caused damage claims its tribute and the ground rumbles in a cataclysmic earthquake. ¡°What do you think you are doing!?¡± Lemion calls out, his blonde hair being messed up from the resulting wind. ¡°Do you want to tear the planet asunder?¡± His angelic face looks horrified, almost as if he never truly realized what would inevitably happen if I were to fight other gods on this planet. ¡°That¡¯s something you should have thought about before you started this!¡± Changing my aim, I chuckle. ¡°Do you really think that I would have let you get away with attacking my people? Did you think I would just watch? If this planet still exists when we are done, you can call yourselves lucky.¡± I feel the arrival of more auras all around us and stretch out my hands, welcoming the guests of this party. ¡°Today, it¡¯s Chaos against Order.¡± ¡°You are outnumbered!¡± Hara gestures at her allies. ¡°Give up! There is no hope for you.¡± They somehow managed to assemble eighteen people, way more than I assumed they could sway from the pantheon. Furrowing my forehead, I suddenly realize that some of the deities aren¡¯t even a part of our pantheon. They must have hired outside help¡­ why didn¡¯t I anticipate that? If I can do it with the succubi, then why shouldn¡¯t they? ¡°You think that numbers matter against me?¡± I smile. ¡°Do you expect me to just roll over? To despair, confronted with impossible odds? Why shouldn¡¯t I fight with everything I have?¡±Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°If you surrender quietly, we will capture your soul and store it somewhere safe until Tjenemit decides to give up on this stupid project,¡± Hara suggests. ¡°I have divined this battle countless times, and there is no possibility that you will walk away alive on this day.¡± ¡°Today, you will learn a lesson.¡± I start laughing. She divined this battle? She believes that they can strike me down because she saw some probabilities? ¡°You are amusing.¡± ¡°Shoac!¡± I brush my free hand over the book at my side. ¡°Open the Gate to the Mind!¡± Arcane power surges forth, flowing from the book into me, and destroying the seal I put onto myself in order to avoid utter madness. Feeling my aura grow in intensity, I revel in the power, harnessed directly from a dimension of pure Chaos. ¡°Get him!¡± Hara points at me. ¡°Mird, dodge!¡± Feeling free for the first time since I discovered the plane of Chaos during one of my experiments, I unleash one of the shards at the closest god, but he moves to the side, a moment before the piece of Mana Crystal can pierce his forehead. Surprised at the unexpected skilfulness of my opponents, I dodge and flow, avoiding the auras of eighteen gods pressing in on me in an attempt to pin me down, to cage me in a barrier. Sliding sideways, I reach one of the lesser deities and kick out, pushing her back. The resulting shock wave flattens the earth below and a flash of pure white plasma arcs between our auras as we instinctively unleash our energy at each other. ¡°Drey, left knee! Now!¡± Something slams into my shield just at the right moment to break through. Hissing, I feel the pure-white energy of a summoned arrow punching through my left leg, right above the knee. Only through the power of my will, I am able to suppress the wish to start a mindless temper-tantrum, giving in to the energies I harnessed through the book. It would be too easy to just follow my nature. I wouldn¡¯t be able to savour the battle and its aftermath. Instead, I endure and let instinct take over as I dodge the attacks of multiple opponents, trying to be as aware as possible of my surroundings. As our auras clash, the world around us comes apart, turning into a field of burned earth and ionized air. Lashing out at an opportune moment, I cut off the arm of a deity who came too close. At the same time, I unleash some of the shards at my opponents to keep them busy. Judging by their frightened expressions, it must have been a long time since they found themselves in a situation where they had to dodge multiple projectiles in a life and death situation. All the while, Hara calls out orders, seemingly knowing beforehand whether an attack of mine would result in a fatal injury, or in a minor cut. Seeing myself falling behind, I draw my blade across two more of the pouches on my belt, allowing the contents to pour free. Grabbing them too, I up the game, forcing Hara to make priorities in calling out commands. Following my mental command, Lucifer rejoins the game, using his ghost-like nature to distract and attack when the opportunity arises, but he is just one combatant. Hara quickly reacts with orders of her own, sending two of her companions to deal with my familiar, turning him into not much more than a distraction for two or three deities at most. Again, I am struck from behind and something sinks into my shoulder. A quick glance at my back reveals another arrow of light. Laughing like a madman, I swing my blade through the arrow in my leg, then behind my back, cutting through the spell matrix which holds he summoned object in reality. The arrows disperse into fragments of energy, and I cast a healing spell to patch myself up. I either have to find a way to deal with the arrow shooter, who up until now managed to stay hidden within the crowd of attackers ¨C at least I couldn¡¯t identify the person who is able to create these attacks ¨C or I have to deal with Hara who is calling out the shots. My eyes narrow when I realize why she is calling the shots. It¡¯s so that the bowman can attack without fearing my retaliation. So far, he was the only one who managed to punch through my aura. Analysing the battle gives me an idea of what to do, even if I didn¡¯t want to play this card so early in the game. The time it took me to think up a plan also proves enough of a distraction for someone to launch a big spell at me. Feeling myself turning weightless, the world starts spinning as I am picked up by an invisible force and flung away with incredible speed, impacting some forest on the far horizon; and then there is earth and dust in my face and everywhere. Laughing, I take a pathway, appearing right above the impact zone, feeling Lucifer catch up to me through the spirit plane. When I was picked up by the force spell, I lost control of my little projectiles, so I cut open two more pouches as the mob of angry deities appears all around me, some of them looking worse for wear, but overall they look to be in a much better state than I do. Running a hand over the pouch with my diary, I recite an old mantra, hoping that it would keep the madness at bay. ¡°The sentient beings are innumerable, We vow to liberate them.¡± Dodging, another big force-attack, I catch where it was coming from. Three lesser gods in the distance are working together on a spell matrix in an attempt to form an artillery spell that¡¯s capable of doing damage. I still have a card up my sleeve, but without knowing Hara¡¯s exact capabilities it would be a waste to use it if she knows beforehand and just dodges. Barrelling through between two deities who are hacking away at my aura, I launch one of the precious Mana Crystal shards at Hara and ¨C at the same time ¨C give Lucifer the command to attack the three lesser gods. Hara dodges the shard effortlessly, teleporting a few metres to the right, but Lucifer turns into his ghostly form and speeds effortlessly past his opponents and into the three gods, dispersing them like frightened chickens. ¡°The illusions are inexhaustible, We vow to transcend them.¡± I grin, assured that there is a play I can make, even as Hara gives another command. Knowing what¡¯s to come, I dodge, and the arrow of light just scratches my shoulder. The deity who is shooting the arrow, Drey, isn¡¯t perfect. But another god materializes above me, battering a baton into my shield and sending me down to the earth like a shooting star. ¡°Knowledge is immeasurable, We vow to master all of it.¡± I cough and recite my mantra as I get back to my feet even as the dust is settling around me. Then I rise up into the air, not wanting them to wait. I wonder if Willow managed to discover her nature before she died, and what it was¡­ Did she follow my advice and found her own mantra of power? After all, a god is only as strong as he or she believes himself to be. Hara appears above me, Lemion at her side, probably to make sure that their battle coordinator is always in a top-state. ¡°Are you ready to give up? We don¡¯t want to destroy this world, but we will do it if you force us.¡± I grin, raising my dagger in defiance. ¡°The path of transcendence is exceedingly exalted, We vow to realize it.¡± Lemion shakes his head. ¡°He must be insane. He hasn¡¯t taken down a single one of us, but he is still fighting on as if there was a chance at victory.¡± ¡°There is victory. It¡¯s already a foregone conclusion,¡± I inform them and draw on more power, circulating the shards even faster, I cut my last two bags with shards, topping up on the amount of Mana Crystals I can use for my defence. Hara raises her eyebrows, looking at me with extreme concentration as her irises glow with a yellow light. ¡°Drey, get him! He is planning something. Pleia, create a smokescreen.¡± Continuing their perfect teamwork, Pleia, some goddess of nature summons a thick mist, surrounding us. A moment later, one of the strange arrows shoots forth from that mist, the originator unseen. But the attack is blocked by the spinning cocoon of crystal shards all around me. The arrow is caught and shredded to pieces before it can reach me. Unfortunately, Hara realizes that she can make a play of her own. ¡°Everyone with lesser status and Drey, switch to his familiar. He can¡¯t attack while he is pouring all his power into his defence!¡± I grit my teeth, but do nothing as they converge on Lucifer who was caught outside my shield. We need more time, so I have to sacrifice him in order to win. Forgive me and buy some time... ¡°Body, mind and soul in perfect unity, I send out my heart with the sound of the bell.¡± I do nothing as they catch Lucifer inside a spectral cage, causing him to rage against the confines of his prison. ¡°May all people awaken from their carelessness and overcome all their fears and sufferings.¡± I do nothing as they use their numbers to overpower what energy I gave to my familiar, dispelling his spell matrix. ¡°May the world reach peace with the silence of thought.¡± He roars, dispersing into countless particles of light ¨C one of them, a blue one, returning to me. It passes without problems through my defences and enters my chest, giving back what I had to give in order to share power with a familiar that was never meant for a god. ¡°This wonderful sound brings me back to my true self.¡± I chant my mantra, drawing on even more power and with it everyone¡¯s attention. Smiling, I offer Hara a salute. ¡°We¡¯ve never fought a group of deities who worked together so well. In fact, you almost defeated us, thanks to that teamwork. It¡¯s a shame that we have to strike you down like the worms you are.¡± Hara looks concerned, but her concentration is still on me. ¡°That¡¯s it. You must have gone down the deep end for sure, or why are you talking in plural?¡± She scans her surroundings but is unable to predict the actions of anyone but me. Smiling sweetly, I lower my dagger. ¡°You may be a deity of Time, and have the ability to predict the future to some extent. But do you really believe that anyone can predict Chaos?¡± I shake my head, closing my eyes. ¡°If there was a way to predict Chaos, it wouldn¡¯t be chaos.¡± Looking angry, Hara points a finger at me. ¡°Build a Containment Barrier around him. If he doesn¡¯t want to give up his defences, then we just have to wait him out. Even if he has the power, there is no way for him to maintain that level of concentration forever.¡± I smile as they form up all around me, caging me in, summoning a barrier which should be impossible to break from within. But with maintaining the barrier, they also bind their numbers to this task. It''s barrier against barrier. Hara lets out a triumphant sigh when the barrier snaps into place, sealing me for good. ¡°We just have to wait for him to drop from mental exhaustion, and then we can send him back to Hell!¡± Chapter 44 ***The World*** ***Nova*** ¡°...send him back to Hell!¡± Then Hara twitches and pained disbelief enters her expression. She arches her back strangely, still looking down at me, nicely caged inside their barrier, unable to do anything but watch as layer upon layer of magical defences are piled on top of each other. Having assured herself that I couldn¡¯t possibly be the source of the underhanded attack, her eyes wander down to her chest. A crystal blade, shaped like a short sword, slowly blooms from between her modest breasts, smoothly sliding through flesh and bone. As the blade is seemingly birthed into the world, the cloth of her pristine, white robe turns a dark red with blood, blooming like a terrible flower. Bending forward, I push the blade of my spear further in and lick over Hara¡¯s pristine neck, tasting her fear. ¡°Hell is already full of those who suffer, so I am afraid that I have to stay here with you for the time being.¡± ¡°Hara!¡± Lemion notices me first, and I quickly float backwards before a ray of light can hit me. In the same action, I retrieve the spear and give it a triumphant twirl, creating an arc of blood. The God of Health catches his dying comrade, casting a powerful healing spell, but there is nothing he can do. For a moment, the gazes of seventeen horrified gods are locked on me, wandering over my golden regalia, fitting for Nova, the Necromantic Empress. Smiling, I raise my spear and lick the blood off the blade, smacking my lips as if I found the metallic taste delicious. ¡°It tastes like freshly pierced heart.¡± It took me a while to set up a situation in which I could be reasonably certain to get to Hara, which was an impossibility as long as she was surrounded by Lemion and at least four of her comrades at all times. There would have always been someone ready to interfere. But when they decided to lock me inside a barrier, they bound all their numbers to cage me in, leaving only Lemion at Hara¡¯s side. With Hara unprotected, it created an acceptable opportunity for a surprise attack. Screaming, Lemion charges at me, summoning some kind of gauntlets to his hands. Spinning around myself, I allow our auras to collide, ignoring the resulting arcs of plasma between us. Using my spear for stabbing, I lash out three times in quick succession, putting enough force into the mere movement to evaporate a mountain in the distance. Then I am past the deity who allowed himself to lose control of his emotions, only slightly knocked off my course. The opportunity proves to be perfect, so I rush forward, slicing straight through the back of the closest opponent who is supporting the barrier. He parts into two halves, cleanly separated. Lemion¡¯s healing doesn¡¯t matter in this fight, as long as I continue dealing killing blows. Being the only one with access to Crystal Weapons should account for all the advantage I need. Having dealt with the first supporter of the barrier, I continue onwards and impale another god. My spear sinks into the side of his chest and I twist, ripping it out through the front in a spray of blood and bone. With his chest opened and bare to the world, he falls, tumbling to the ground. The rest of them gets the hint. With at least one of my bodies free to move as I please, they can¡¯t keep up an effective barrier. Caging in my other half is no longer a feasible plan, so they disperse in an attempt to rally their resistance. Four of them decide on a frontal assault and our auras collide after I tanked a few half-hearted spells. Laughing, I reply in kind, throwing energy with enough power to obliterate mountains. Anything less wouldn¡¯t even scratch a deity of mediocre power. One of the attacks caught an unlucky angle, and somewhere in the distance the planet¡¯s horizon visibly deforms, as a blast of pure force rips open the planet¡¯s crust. Realizing that this battle can¡¯t end with anything else but an extinction level event, they act. Some are trying to contain the forces called forth by the combatants, but bereft of their commander, their ranks dissolve into chaos as some abandon their teamwork in favour of fighting Nova. They attack with the desperation of those who are sensing inevitable doom, no longer holding back anything. Sensing my chance, I push my defensive sphere outwards with my other body, letting out a scream as I try to put as much energy as possible into the expanding cloud of Crystal shards, turning them into shrapnel shooting outwards with Ascathon as the centre. Sometimes, it¡¯s the most basic of ideas that¡¯s the most effective. Raising my spear in a defensive stance, I take a pathway away from the centre of the deadly cloud of projectiles to protect myself from any serious injuries. With most of their numbers so close to the barrier, there is no real reason to aim. Caught off guard, most of my opponents get injured or maimed at the very least, if not outright incapacitated. There are screams of pain and horror as flesh is pierced, bone shredded, and limbs torn off. Sadly, nobody is killed outright, but two gods fall from the sky, unable to continue the fight. Scarcely anyone got away without some kind of injury and I count only three deities who were quick enough to evade through the pathways. With a last flicker, the pierced remains of the barrier collapse and I am able to participate in the battle with both my bodies. I/We join each other, turning back to back with our other self, then the enemies attack in a wild frenzy. Without their leadership, injured and disorganized, they rely purely on their numbers. We tear through the survivors in a deadly and beautiful dance as their ranks dissolve into chaos. Faced with our perfect unity, they turn into nothing more than sheep, ripe to be hunted down. They are just dogs who thought they were hunting a cat but found themselves facing a tiger. Where Nova attacks, Ascathon defends. Where Ascathon casts, Nova blocks. Joined in a single aura, the two bodies don¡¯t repel each other, while our attackers are so numerous that they actually hinder each other. A crystal shard blows through the forehead of a deity, taking off a sizeable part of the back of her head and emptying her brain. The blunt end of my spear caves in a chest, while my dagger cuts through the swinging sword in his hand. Auras grate against each other, creating an oversized lightning sphere in the sky above the world with us at its centre, its discharges singeing the continent. Each blow is strong enough to evaporate a city. Our enemies orbit around us like planets around their sun, certain that retreat wouldn¡¯t be an option. They bet everything on this attack in the hope that confronting Tjenemit with a fait accompli would give them a reasonable chance at survival. But by now the damage to the world is already far too great to be brushed off as a minor mishap. Their only choice is to fight and to fall, one by one they fall¡­ ***The VOID*** ***Seria***If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. I stopped chewing my Nachos by the time the battle started devolving from a genuine fight to a seemingly one-sided Ascathon-bashing, wondering how much longer Myrm¡¯s distraction would hold. But then I reasoned that if the Alliance of Light had found a way to delay Ascathon long enough, it would have been reasonably easy to delay their own leader. Myrm is smart, reasonably ruthless and a person of authority among her followers. But she has a dangerous personality flaw. Once she decided that a person is on her side, she trusts them implicitly to the point at which it would be easy for a traitor to stick a knife into her back. Then the tide changes for the worse and they actually manage to seal Ascathon inside a barrier. I slowly get really worried that I would have to change my plans, but decide to wait a little longer. Ascathon would never enter such a battle without some kind of ace up his sleeve. And that means more than Crystal Weapons. Originally, I deemed the chance of Ascathon being defeated by a bunch of lesser deities and a few random mid- to god-tier immortals nearly impossible, but Hara and her fellowship proved that even small fry can accomplish something if there are just enough of them. Then Ascathon suddenly gets assistance in the form of Nova and was now obviously using two bodies, both sharing one mind at the same time. I spew wetly salivated Nachos all over the extra large viewing screen of my bungalow. Anticipating a major fight, I had moved my floating island to a secret location inside a Void-Zone, incidentally making sure that none of my guests would be able to escape. The yellowish remains of chewed Nachos on the screen cause the rest of the audience to look at me with disgust, but I pay Karin and Ashley no heed. This is my place after all. If I want to mess everything up, I do so. Altogether, I had managed to gather twenty-eight of Ashley''s daughters before something fatal could happen to them, causing my little island resort to be a little crowded at the moment. The overall mood on the island could be called touchy at best, not only because I had liberally abducted anyone who I managed to get my hands on, but also because there were currently no men available to satisfy the succubi''s desires. I wrinkle my nose, trying my best to ignore the smell of about two dozen needy demons. The only point in my favour was that I also had managed to ''save'' the souls of anyone who died. ¡°Holy shit in a bucket,¡± I mumble. ¡°I didn''t know he could do that!¡± Looking sideways, I glance at Ashley who wears a rather annoyed expression while sitting on the furthest corner of the couch, watching the live-feed with me while staying as far away as possible. I admit that I kind of deserve that after putting her under house arrest. Normally, I would never forcefully recruit somebody, but this situation is a little different. At least I want to think so. In case Ascathon ever remembers them in the future, I am sure that he would like to know where they are. Ashley shrugs. ¡°He is one of the best soul and mind mages I''ve ever met. It''s not surprising that he would be able to control both of his bodies.¡± A smile steals itself onto her lips as she watches the fight. ¡°It begs the question whether he realizes the true potential of being in control of a male and a female body at the same time. It opens the opportunity to explore sexual paths that are closed even to me.¡± For a moment, my brain refuses to process her words, coming up only with static noise. Then I try again and it finally clicks. ¡°No! He wouldn''t do that!¡± Or would he, he would never!? Ew... Sensing that she hit a nerve, Ashley continues, ¡°You know, he is clearly not unused to either gender. I heard that it happens to immortals every once in a while, genetic lottery and all that. It would be no different from jerking off ¨C only that the available equipment is so much better, so I see no reason why-¡± ¡°Not listening!¡± I cut her off, shaking my head. She is trying to mess with my mind because I showed her that she is no opponent for me in a straight up fight. Karin''s expression turns full of bloodlust and she points at the screen. ¡°Look! Those motherfuckers are finally getting what they had coming to them. Ascathon and Nova are like one of those insect lanterns, with their enemies being inevitably fried once they get too close.¡± I return my attention to the battle and have to admit that the analogy is correct. Ascathon is certainly showing why no sane deity would mess with a full-fledged god. With this show of power, it feels like he would even be able to stand up to Tjenemit. A fleeting hope, but no more. There is more to the situation than just Tjenemit. Even if we were able to smite him, it would just mean bringing the rest of the Council down on our heads, and every one of them is at least as powerful as Ascathon or I am. That doesn''t even include the hundreds, maybe thousands of lackeys they could throw at us at a moment''s notice. Not to mention our chances once the Council actually decides to raise an army. I seriously consider the idea of abducting Ascathon and Myrm and to tell them about the whole situation. But no. Even if there was no argument at all, our victory would be far from guaranteed at this point. At the moment, we have no supporters. We would be buried beneath the Council''s minions until we dropped from sheer exhaustion. Not to mention that Myrm is extremely unreliable in her current state. It would be just as likely that she would turn against us, even knowing the full extent of the truth. No. We have to go with my plan, which ensures the Council''s defeat. Sometimes you simply have to play the long game, even if it''s painful and tedious. I get to my feet. ¡°I have to go now. It''s likely that Myrm will find out any minute now, and I have to be with Tjenemit when things go up shit creek.¡± ¡°You mean that things could get worse than they already are?¡± Karin glares at me, not even attempting to hide her hostility towards me. I can''t blame her. My only excuse is that she wouldn''t be able to help anyway. At most, she and even Ashley would stand in the way. ¡°Yes!¡± I reply, steeling my voice. ¡°Tjenemit could decide that Ascathon and Myrm are too dangerous when he sees them fight, or takes account of the aftermath. I have to be there when he makes his decision and whisper the right suggestions into his ear.¡± Taking a pathway, I head for the administrative section of the Crystal City, hoping that my timing would be just right. ***The World*** ***Nova*** A body is torn apart in a shower of blood. Another pierced by a spell. One''s power fades, unable to keep up with the energy discharges between our auras. He simply disintegrates when I discharge another arc of plasma, lancing through him. At the edge of my consciousness, I realize that all of this is happening, but I don''t care. The diary at my side is humming with power and it makes me feel just too good. Like in a trance, I keep on fighting, reacting to anything they throw at me. One part defending, the other attacking in perfect harmony. Then the last opponent falls, down into a scorched landscape no mortal could live in, the earth itself turned to magma, leaving no signs of a previous battlefield or even sentient life. There is nothing in my mind and I just float there, back to back with myself. Three people arrive, the woman among them feels like the order to my chaos. There is also a large man and a small one. Their mouths move, talking feverishly to the woman, apparently trying to hold her back. While the small man positions himself between me and the woman, the large one approaches me, talking. But there is a haze in my mind which makes it hard to understand them or even to think. Are they enemies or allies? The Chaos tells me that it doesn''t matter, even if they aren''t hostile. My overall directive hasn''t changed, which means cleansing this world of the world enchantment. Those three are just another hurdle. Smiling, I follow an internal whim and strike down the larger one with a swipe of my blade. ***The Crystal City*** ***Seria*** ¡°Enter!¡± Following the command, I step through the entrance and into Tjenemit''s office. He is sitting behind his desk, clad in a pristine, white robe, clearly occupied with administrative duties. ¡°Ah, Seria. Why are you here? You normally don''t show yourself unless you are called.¡± He furrows his forehead, looking up to me as I approach his overly large office desk. My gaze is fixed on the window-front behind him. It grants an enviable lookout over the Crystal City, making me wish I had an office like that. His demeanour quickly turns impatient when I don''t answer him right away. ¡°You better spew out what concerns you. A pretty bizarre murder case landed on my table this morning, and I would prefer for it to be solved sooner rather than later.¡± A murder case he is taking care of himself? It must be pretty serious if he decides that a mere minion like myself wouldn''t do the job. ¡°What happened?¡± I ask. ¡°Someone decided to disembowel one of our paper pushers on the lower floors, then cast a pretty nasty necromantic rite to revive just his head. Normally I would say, ¡®Fuck it!¡¯, but the whole affair happened right here in our administrative headquarters. Such a thing shouldn¡¯t go unpunished, or it would give the common folk the idea that we aren¡¯t as untouchable as they think we are. The poor sod who got beheaded had to wait on a table for the entire night, feeling everything that was done to him without the ability to lose consciousness. The mind-mages had to wipe his memories completely because, by the time he was found, he had already gone over the edge of insanity. They will release his soul afterwards, allowing him to walk the path of transcendence anew.¡± He points his pen at me. ¡°Normally, I would point the accusing finger right at Ascathon. There is no doubt that he is the kind of person who would do shit like that. In fact, that¡¯s exactly the kind of mission I would give him. He is always good at making a point of an execution. Necromancy, combined with the ability to kill a deity within the Crystal City without anyone ever noticing that an aura was released, that¡¯s also in his skill-set. I''ve looked away more than once when he did it. One or two people per decade are a small price to pay for someone with his abilities. But Ascathon isn''t that stupid. He is reasonably skilled at cleaning up his messes, so there is no way it¡¯s him.¡± I wince. Tjenemit drops his pen and his expression turns flat. ¡°Why does your expression tell me that you know the culprit?¡± Chapter 45 ***The Crystal City*** ***Seria*** ¡°I told you that it would happen sooner or later,¡± I blurt out, proceeding with the plan which I originally proposed to Nazareth and Marigold when they approached me. Not only does it paint us as innocent, but it also explains why we didn¡¯t act sooner. After all, how were we, the neutral faction, supposed to know that things would blow up like that? In truth, we knew all along, but there is no reason to let Tjenemit in on that little detail. Tjenemit pulls down the corners of his mouth, obviously displeased with my catty opening. ¡°What exactly are you talking about?¡± ¡°You remember when I warned you that the situation between Ascathon and Myrm would blow up if you don¡¯t step in? Well, it happened, just as I prophesied. Some lackeys from Myrm''s faction thought it a good idea to attack some of Ascathon''s minions ¨C in a clear violation of your rules I might add. ¡°He lost his shit. I assume that if you investigate your murder victim, you will find connections to people who are also involved in your little World Enchantment experiment. To be more exact, people who are in close relationship to Myrm.¡± It doesn¡¯t make sense to hold back that tidbit of information. Tjenemit will find out sooner or later once the investigation gets rolling. He opens his mouth to ask a question, then reconsiders and closes it. Frowning, he opens it, then closes it, clearly trying to catch up with the situation. To be fair, I left out quite a few important details. Things which are important to understanding the situation, but I hope that I''ll be able to spin things to my advantage if I release the appropriate information in the right moment. It would be quite bad if Tjenemit found out that I knew beforehand that this would happen. That I, in fact, even helped things along. ¡°What exactly do you mean by, ''lost his shit''? Did he kill a few people?¡± he asks, deciding that dealing with the present situation is more important than to understand how it came to be, just as I hoped he would. ¡°Ah, aside from a few neutral deities who decided to hide, Myrm''s and Ascathon''s people are currently fighting on the world,¡± I inform him, speaking slowly to give him time to digest the information. ¡°I am afraid that the experiment lost quite a few ''test subjects''... including the containment chamber.¡± Tjenemit''s eyes widen when he realizes that by ¡®containment chamber¡¯, I meant the planet as a whole. Spinning his office chair around, he gestures towards the large window front. The glass turns black, darkening the room. Then it lights up again as a scene of a satellite view of the world''s main-continent appears. Whistling, I take account of the situation. Ah, and I need a window like that. Where can I get those? One of the more notable mountain ranges is completely gone, replaced by a crater which is visible from orbit. The resulting cloud of ash and dust is covering a fourth of the continent. The planet as a whole looks worse for wear, with large parts of the main-continent turned to fields of scorched earth. Even now, there is a giant Tsunami rolling outwards, originating from somewhere far out in the southern sea. The inevitable result will be the eradication of the surrounding archipelagos and larger islands, including the continent¡¯s southern shoreline. Pursing my lips, I try to estimate how big the wave must be to be noticeable from orbit. Even as we speak, the world''s total population is likely already down by a hundred percent. Maybe there are a few survivors in protected locations. Will the planet be able to recover? Or is the dust-cloud alone enough to start a global ice-age? Tjenemit jumps to his feet, rattling his chair against the office desk. ¡°What are those imbeciles doing!?¡± Waving his hands, he instructs his viewing screen and zooms in on a certain scene. There are Ascathon and Nova, having a stand-off with Myrm, Nazareth, and Marigold. My own eyes widen when I see the two foolish brothers standing between Myrm and Ascathon, probably the worst of all places to be right now. Getting between the two¡­ three... is like trying to separate fighting cats. Even the most foolish of idiots would try that only once in his life ¨C ever. Tjenemit gestures again and the scene zooms closer. Speakers which are likely hidden in the walls allow us to listen in on their conversation. ¡°You just have to stay calm, Myrm,¡± Nazareth beseeches the angered goddess in front of him, fully clad in her silver armour. ¡°You know what will happen if Tjenemit should get involved.¡± Meanwhile, Marigold is making calming gestures at Ascathon and Nova, but neither of them looks like they would want to calm down. In fact, they look like they are enjoying the savagery they caused. I shudder as I consider the probable implications of two bodies sharing one soul. It shouldn''t even be possible as far as I know, and I learned quite a few things about soul magic from my father back in the day. ¡°He is using Ascathon and Nova at the same time!?¡± Tjenemit gawks at the screen, but then he shakes his head, deciding to leave the how to be answered some other time. ¡°I have to stop this!¡± He mumbles. ¡°Aeeeh...¡± I let out an intelligible sound as my thoughts tumble and flip over each other. Had I not reacted immediately, he might have taken a pathway right to the scene of crime. Thankfully, he halts to learn what I have to share. Normally, I expected my timing to be just right For Tjenemit to become witness to Ascathon''s and Myrm''s final battle! Marigold''s and Nazareth''s presence was never anticipated. Worse, those fools are trying to broker a peace, which would mess up all my plans. ¡°What!?¡± Tjenemit turns to face me when I continue my intelligible babbling, glaring with suppressed rage. ¡°I- I-¡± Think! Think! What can I do to buy time? ¡°Don''t think that''s wise! They may attack you. What happens if you get injured? Wouldn''t you lose face in front of the other Council members?¡± ¡°I don''t think that would be a probl-¡± I gasp, covering my mouth with one hand while pointing at the scene. Thank the multiverse that Nova decided not to play nice and stepped forward, burying the tip of her spear in Marigold''s chest. Tjenemit didn''t see, so I decide to comment on what he missed. ¡°By the Divinity! She stabbed that weapon right through Marigold''s aura as if it wasn''t there.¡± Pulling out the spear, Nova retreats two metres, back to Ascathon''s side. With his flight magic failing him, Marigold falls and Nazareth screams when he turns around and notices it. ¡°Brother!¡± Myrm vanishes from her spot, only to impact on Ascathon''s shield a moment later, pushing him back into the far distance. Nova follows the two of them, causing a supersonic ''boom'' right upon departure. Left alone and ignored, Nazareth does his best to catch his brother before he impacts the ground. Meanwhile, I thank my lucky stars that things worked out after all. ¡°Tjenemit, it might be best if you stayed here. Those weapons in Ascathon''s and Nova''s hands look like Mana Crystal.¡± ¡°But that''s impossible! And forbidden! Any pieces of Mana Crystal which are found and of sufficient shape to be used as weapons are to be given to the authorities!¡± I purse my lips. ¡°Those don''t look like the measly shards which can be found outside the Crystal City.¡±Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Shards of Mana Crystal are not unheard of to be used as weapons among the gods, as they can be found anywhere on the planet on which the Crystal City is located. So, naturally, there is a law to give up any piece of sufficient form and size that could be used as a weapon. The law¡¯s purpose is in equal parts to limit murder among gods, and to keep the Council¡¯s power-base untouched. If they are the only ones with a decent stock of god-killer weapons, it¡¯s hard for any unhappy faction to launch a revolt against the current regime. Tjenemit gulps, only now noticing the very usable spear and knife in Nova''s and Ascathon''s possession. ¡°Maybe I should watch a little longer, just to be sure of their capabilities before I stop the battle and punish them. It would serve nobody if I call in the rest of the Council and it turns out to be a false alarm.¡± Then he stops moving, thinking about his political situation with his co-rulers. ¡°This is a minor disaster! Ascathon and Myrm will suffer punishment for embarrassing me like that! And I have to find out how he got his hands on those weapons!¡± ¡°Which kind?¡± I ask demurely. ¡°The worst! They fucked up the whole experiment, which I am responsible for. They used Crystals as weapons. They killed their fellow deities, some of them for good! That murdered guy down in the office had to be mind-wiped. That¡¯s the closest thing to actual death that can happen to an immortal. If nothing else, this is bound to have me lose face in front of the others. I''ll have them thrown to the Dark!¡± I wet my lips, wanting to ask what he meant exactly, but something tells me to steer away from that topic. If this is related to the disappearing deities and Tjenemit just had a slip of tongue, then pointing it out would be bad. ¡°If you would listen? I actually have a suggestion that might be better.¡± ¡°What do you care!?¡± ¡°Ahem.¡± I try to sound pissed. ¡°I happened to live on that planet long before those two arrived, and they are messing it up! Not to mention all those souls I have to take care of in my function as the Goddess of Life and Death. How many did they kill? Milliards?¡± Truth be told, I never actually did my job as the wayfarer. My own amulet never worked on my mind, so I didn''t feel any need to mess with the natural order of things, aside from those cases in which the amulet forced me to act by teleporting me to some scene. ¡°Aside from that, Ascathon just killed Marigold who was a friend of mine.¡± Tjenemit narrows his eyes, thinking. ***The World*** ***Nova*** We laugh even as we receive another shattering blow from one of Myrm''s frontal assaults as he tries to break through my aura with actual physical blows. It begs the question of whether he actually ever fought another god in earnest. At least the main culprit is here and my mind is starting to clear up enough to recognise that the one who we thought of as a woman is Myrm. The chaotic energies which are flowing from my tome are still messing with my thoughts, but at least we recognize the person in armour now. ¡°You are going to pay for this!¡± Myrm screams with righteous fury and changes tactics. Instead of continuing the mindless assault, Myrm concentrates and his aura retracts back into his body, making him seem almost like a mortal. Something in the back of my mind whispers that this isn''t the usual suppression of a god''s aura. That would make no sense under the circumstances, so we assume the worst. He must have pulled back all the leaking energy to use it as effectively as possible. Then he moves and we manage just in time to block him with Nova. There is a quick exchange of blows as he tries to get past my weapons. A leg kicks out and I dodge to the side. At the same time, Nova strikes with the spear, using it as a club. But Myrm twists out of the way, ignoring our aura singing his body. Getting his bearings, he tries to use the opening to attack Nova, but Ascathon lunges forward, trying to bury my knife in the enemy¡¯s back. Myrm aborts his attack to evade again, retreating out of range of Nova¡¯s spear who swung it back in an arc. We are only able to hold him back thanks to the fact that he is paying the Crystal Weapons a hefty amount of respect. Then, too fast for me to react, Myrm blurs with movement and one of his fists gets through, striking straight through my aura and hitting Nova''s shoulder. The metal of her golden shoulder protection dents and we feel bone break as energy is transferred directly into my body. Retreating to a safe distance, Myrm shakes his fist, revelling in the fact that he got in a hit. ¡°You may have two bodies, but you are also paying for it by diluting your aura over a larger space.¡± Lunging forward, he is suddenly in front of me and we feel his foot impacting my chest. Ascathon is just too slow. All we can do is to circulate as much power as possible through our body to mitigate the damage. Then I am flying, spinning. A seemingly endless moment of weightlessness, while we continue the fight with Nova. Then an impact, earth, and dust everywhere. Clenching my teeth, both of us take a pathway to the other side of the planet, appearing above the central ocean in the deepest of nights. Only the moon is illuminating the rocking waves beneath. But there is no time to survey our surroundings. If the short exchange with Myrm showed us anything, then it¡¯s that any form of close combat with this person is not an option for us. Reaching up, we imagine grasping the shining light above us and pull. Myrm appears in a flash of light, ready to attack. ¡°You can¡¯t run from- Hngh!¡± He lets out a surprised noise as Nova barrels into him, wrapping her arms and legs around the god, using her spear as a leverage. Taken off-guard by the amateurish attack, Myrm tries to push Nova off. There is some wriggling and cursing, then the God of Order looks up, his attention drawn by the brightening light from above us. Still hugging Myrm with all my might, we pour my magic into our surroundings to stop him from using the pathways. Above us, the world¡¯s moon seems to fill the entire sky, replacing the night with a brightness never seen before. Grinning wickedly, we give it a last good yank and my Ascathon persona takes a pathway away from the site of the immediate collision. ¡°No! You insane bitch! What have you done!?¡± Myrm squirms and manages to twist his upper body free, pushing me away with incredible strength, but Nova¡¯s legs are strong and I hold onto him. Due to the closeness, Nova grasps the spear with both hands close to the tip and wields it like a dagger. Myrm manages to deflect the lethal blow, but Nova still buries the weapon deep in his shoulder. ¡°The ones that came before you stood strong and tall and brave. But they had their day.¡± Leaning into him, we whisper, ¡°You will be like all the others who dared to challenge us. This fight is already over, you just don¡¯t realize it.¡± Then the moon comes crashing down on us and Myrm releases his aura in an attempt to defend himself. Grinning, I abandon my own defences in an attempt to tear down Myrm¡¯s. The atmosphere around us ignites as I twist the blade in his shoulder and we are thrown around in ahurricane of power as we are pushed beneath the sea, plunged into the darkness which is suddenly replaced by bright white. ***The World*** ***Ascathon*** I fight a headache as my connection to my Nova entity abruptly cuts off, replaced by an emptiness in my brain which is demanding to be filled, but there is no time to mourn the loss. Holding onto my left hand with my trembling right, I fight with all my might to control the hybrid spell I am about to unleash on the world. Hovering above my palm is a sphere of chaotic energies, glowing bright red and almost impossible to contain. After some consideration on how to destroy the World Enchantment, I found it necessary to combine a powerful disenchantment effect with something destructive, just to make sure that there is no possible hideout for any fragment of the enchantment. Simply blowing up the whole planet would work, but there is no way to be certain that there isn¡¯t some fragment left by random chance. There are also still those gods who didn¡¯t participate in the conflict, but the enchantment on them should dissolve thanks to their own aura as long as they aren¡¯t anywhere close to the world where it can be renewed. The probability for success is high enough to try, but I¡¯ve quite obviously overestimated my ability to channel chaotic energies. Letting go of my trembling hand, I brush over the tome at my side. ¡°Open the Gate to the Plane!¡± I feel the door springing into existence behind me, pouring forth pure, unrefined power which I channel into the spell while adding everything my own divinity is able to give for control. More forces pour into the spell, more pressures try to wrest away my control as the light in my palm grows ever brighter, a shining, red star above the world like it was seen by the mortals so many times before. Only that this time, it truly spells the world¡¯s end. Myrm appears a few meters away, Nova¡¯s spear in his hand. His armour lost its shiny appearance, dented and in parts melted onto his body, I find it surprising that he is still alive. ¡°You are too late.¡± I smile. ¡°I am done.¡± ¡°Yes, you are.¡± Myrm approaches me, barely able to lift the spear. ¡°Have you truly sacrificed your second body just to get the time to cast this spell? What a stupid gamble. Look at you. You can¡¯t even hold that hand steady. It will be easy to dodge, and then you are dead.¡± ¡°Myrm, you are smart, but at the same time, you are also stupid. You took away everything that held me back, while everything that holds you back is still on that burning ball of dirt.¡± Aiming the spell, I point not at Myrm, but at the world below us. He stops and raises a hand. ¡°No. What if there are still survivors?¡± ¡°Do you truly think that I care about that?¡± I fire the spell. Myrm teleports and then he is right beneath me, trying to block the spell. Hisarm blurs and the spear leaves his hand. I feel something stabbing into my belly, passing through my chest and out of my shoulder. It takes a full second for me to register the pain, for the Crystal Spear to tear through my body and my very soul. I scream in agonizing pain that goes beyond the physical body, only now truly realizing what I created as I feel the wound in my astral self. Below me, Myrm learns his folly in attempting to bar the spell¡¯s path. The magic tears through his arm, then his upper body comes apart as bits and pieces of him are flung in every direction, the spell unerringly spiralling downwards towards the surface. A tired sigh escapes me and I close the Gate with the last of my power. Then I fall. Chapter 46 ***The Crystal City*** ***Seria*** The room is large, with one elevated podium and seven chairs facing several rows of benches, making it clear to everyone who is in charge of this hastily assembled emergency meeting. While the people on the committee were studying the reports and listening to Tjenemit''s explanations, their audience of ragtag deities had fallen into complete silence, awaiting their sentence like chicken at the chopping block. The problem wasn''t just that the people on the seven chairs were powerful, but that they were the ultimate power as far as the civilised part of the multiverse was concerned. Apart from myself, there were a few recognizable faces among the hapless fools in the audience, like Zenial, the Goddess of the Moon, or Ardun, God of War, who had wisely decided against a second stand-off with Ascathon, having learned his lesson the hard way from the previous encounter. I was surprised to find him here myself. Normally, gods are of strong character, often too prideful to refuse to fight a battle, especially when they have a history. I would have pegged Ardun to be the type who would rather die than to admit their weakness, especially since his domain is war. Apparently, being locked in a small closet with Ascathon''s pet taught him a few survival instincts. ¡°Those weapons are worrying. How did he get his hands on such powerful items?¡± El Shaddai asks after having studied all available evidence. He massages his golden chin, turning his empty, emotionless gaze on us. From among the whole Council, he is considered to be the most powerful and their leader. ¡°He is quite inventive. Maybe he made them?¡± Elohim offers, a rarely seen member of the Council. It¡¯s said that most of the time he busies himself with magical research, exploring the ways of enchantment and nature magic. Green hair and plants are growing all over his body which makes him look like some strange mixed breed between an elf and a dryad. The Council member''s long ears droop. ¡°It would mean that he rediscovered a lost art.¡± ¡°It would be interesting to learn how he managed that,¡± Amaru admits grudgingly, correcting the positioning of the monocle on his left eye. His plain clothes and the dishevelled hair give the impression of some mad professor, but everyone knows that he is the Crystal City¡¯s leading authority in magitech. ¡°Too dangerous!¡± Enyo throws in. ¡°Gather their souls once they are done fighting and weakened. Imprison them for good so that they are no longer a danger!¡± She throws back her glistening, black hair, sitting ramrod straight in her black battle regalia. A terrible beauty who is in charge of the Council¡¯s military forces, a Goddess of Carnage and Destruction. ¡°Say the word, El Shaddai, and I will take care of it.¡± ¡°You can always count me in when it¡¯s about killing,¡± Eris admits cheerfully. With her brown hair and average human appearance, she looks the most normal of the bunch. But that''s only her outside appearance. Many of her victims underestimated the Goddess of Strife and Discord. ¡°No killing. Haven¡¯t the two of them served us loyally for millennia? I am sure that such devoted service should at least earn them a chance at redemption.¡± Lada throws her weight in on the other side, living up to her reputation as Goddess of Love and Harmony. She smiles, lighting up the room with her angelic beauty and wavy white hair. Before El Shaddai can administer a sentence, Tjenemit raises a tanned hand, sensing his chance to influence the outcome of the edict. ¡°I have a suggestion. We shouldn¡¯t allow Ascathon and Myrm to run free after what they did. But the matter of the Crystal Weapons requires our attention. What if the problem isn¡¯t solved by dealing with Ascathon? And how did Myrm manage to penetrate Ascathon¡¯s aura so easily, without any weapon? Does she also have some hidden advantage? ¡°I think it''s quite safe to say that the two of them are dangerous, but at the same time, they clearly have secrets that are worth knowing. We have to find out from where those weapons came, and how exactly Myrm did what she did. For that purpose, I suggest imprisoning them. Let them reincarnate in a controlled environment where we can safely learn their secrets.¡± El Shaddai hesitates, his golden mien showing indecision. ¡°How do you suggest doing that? As soon as they reawaken their divinity, they will be able to use the pathways and escape.¡± I nod to myself. Normally, that would be the case. A god might be slain, but he or she would reincarnate just like any other immortal, likely regaining their divinity within a few decades. Tjenemit gestures towards me. ¡°We have a loyal individual who proved herself countless times. She can take the two of them into a Void Zone where they can exist as shadows of their former selves until they give up their secrets. There would be no way for them to escape.¡± El Shaddai¡¯s gaze falls onto me and I make a point of demurely fixing my gaze on the floor to his feet. With two voices in favour and two against, two more being only interested in research and knowledge, the ultimate decision falls to him. ¡°Seria, how certain are you that you could contain them? Is there a possibility that they could learn your skill in wandering the Void Zones? I would consider such a possibility quite troublesome, which is why we discourage people from journeying into the Void. Having one like you is already too much.¡± Only because you couldn''t possibly catch me if I decided to run away and cause havoc. But I banish the thought and play the loyal servant instead. ¡°It¡¯s unlikely, as I explained before. Even if they learned the ability, it would take countless eons for them to achieve the necessary mastery to navigate the Void and free themselves. I myself don¡¯t know exactly how much time I lost when I first entered a zone. The madness of isolation came and went, and it only rarely receded enough to train myself until I managed to break free. I remember nothing of the time before.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± He nods, considering my answer. ¡°I really would like to learn where these Crystal weapons came from. Go, Seria. Gather their souls and bring me these weapons for further study. Their ability to cut through auras is too dangerous to leave them out in the world.¡± Bowing deeply, I depart with brisk, short steps to do the Council¡¯s bidding. On one side, I want to be as far away from them as quickly as possible. On the other, I don¡¯t want to look like I am running away. The less time I give them to change their opinion, the better. Internally, I fight the urge to do a cartwheel down the corridor between the mostly empty banks. Thanks to me influencing Tjenemit, they did exactly what I wanted them to do! It also helped that Lada has a soft spot for me which I might be able to exploit in the future. She is the only character among the Council members who isn¡¯t utterly despicable in my opinion. ***The Void*** ***Ashley*** ¡°What are you doing?¡± I ask, entering Seria¡¯s workshop. Ever since she transported a whole planet into her Void Zone, the Goddess of Life and Death was working feverishly on something. She even neglected to supervise me and my daughters, utterly confident that we wouldn¡¯t be able to escape.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Now I finally understand how Ascathon must have felt under the influence of the world enchantment. Being confined to this dead world isn''t much different. ¡°She is trying to repair Ascathon¡¯s and Myrm¡¯s soul,¡± Karin informs me. She is observing Seria¡¯s work from right next to the goddess. A bored expression showing on Karin''s face, making it clear what the girl thinks of soul magic. She is talented with many aspects of magic, but soul magic isn¡¯t her forte. What Seria is doing might as well be the script of the ancients. I approach, studying the four globes which are hovering in front of Seria. She is manipulating them with both hands, trying to fix the damage. A relay of spell-emitters is holding her magical array in place, making it easier to manipulate each soul within a stasis field. The whole machinery looks quite impressive and familiar. I remember the large, circular plate, with spikes protruding from its centre and the outer edge, bending back inwards to form something like a cage. The four lights which are caught inside are shining with varying brightness. Her insecure actions tell me right away that Seria is having problems. First, she manipulates the spell matrix, just to undo the change right afterwards, then trying it with a different route. It''s not the behaviour of someone who knows the solution to a problem, but of someone who is searching for a solution. Three of the souls seem to have suffered heavy damage to the part that Ascathon always called the anchor, while one is in a moderate state. It means that their memories are essentially intact, but will remain mostly inaccessible. The soul which is the worst off looks like there will be some permanent memory loss. I silently watch Seria¡¯s efforts until I am certain of my assessment. ¡°The way you are going about this will take you decades, maybe centuries...¡± ¡°Yes, it will. The damage to Myrm is extensive. Do you have a better suggestion?¡± Seria turns to glare at me. ¡°Finally coming around to help?¡± I press my lips together. ¡°It¡¯s not like we have much choice, do we? And I would like to see Ascathon and Willow again at some point.¡± I nod with my chin at the two souls which she was working on. ¡°Who are those two?¡± ¡°Marigold and Nazareth. It took me quite some time to gather what the spell left of them.¡± She shakes her head. ¡°I have no idea what Ascathon unleashed with that last spell, but it didn¡¯t only fuck up the world, but every soul on it. It¡¯s like their soul anchors were put through a shredder. Repairing them is like putting together a puzzle with several pieces missing. To be honest, I am not sure if I¡¯ll manage. I thought I would first try my luck with the two of them before I risk Myrm.¡± She returns to her task and I watch her for a long time, grudgingly admitting that she is good at what she is doing. But as a succubus, I naturally learned my own share of soul magic and I happen to know that there is a way to make this happen much faster. The question is¡­ would Seria consider it? ¡°You know that there is a way of getting this done within a few hundred years, instead of a few eons,¡± I ask, waiting for her to turn her attention to me. Once I am sure that I have it, I continue, ¡°You can reforge what you have of their souls like you are doing it now, but there is so much missing that you will have no other choice but to wait for a soul¡¯s natural regeneration. Otherwise, Myrm and the brothers would be a case for the mental clinic if you reincarnate them too soon.¡± I raise a questioning eyebrow. ¡°Unless you have a way of accelerating the process?¡± ¡°No, I haven¡¯t.¡± She twirls a strand of her blonde hair between her fingers and picks at the hem of her blue dress, making it quite clear that she is a little nervous about considering my suggestions. I can''t blame her. From her point of view, she should be wary of the possibility that I might try to betray her. She is right on that front. Nonetheless, I have to admit that her ultimate goal is one I have to share in the end. Ever since I achieved divinity myself, the Council is as much a threat to me as it is to Ascathon and Willow. I learned enough about them to know that they wouldn''t let me be. I could try to retreat into the deepest parts of the infernal planes, but there are things there that even the gods fear. Running to a place outside the Council¡¯s reach would drastically cut down on my life expectancy, and I like living. Sadly enough, trying my luck with Seria''s ludicrous plan seems like the only viable option to achieve a long-term solution. ¡°Spill it.¡± Seria gestures towards the souls. ¡°Share the secret of repairing what isn''t there.¡± ¡°You could merge them,¡± I suggest. ¡°Replace the damaged parts with the working parts of another soul and you will end up with a working amalgam.¡± ¡°No way!¡± Seria looks at me, aghast. ¡°I want them back like they were! Mixing them with another soul would only create an abomination!¡± I purse my lips. ¡°In Ascathon¡¯s case, you might be right. He was tolerable, though I would say he is worthy of an update in the social skills department. Regarding Myrm¡­ really? What is it about her that you want to preserve? That woman was a total bitch.¡± ¡°I explained that already. She wasn¡¯t always-¡± ¡°A bitch?¡± Karin interrupts. Seria presses her lips together instead of answering, looking like a petulant child. I shrug. ¡°It¡¯s your choice. This is your project. If you consent, it would allow us to ramp up our timetable. The suggested solution wouldn¡¯t even be permanent. We would get Myrm into a working state, hopefully doing away with some of her more nasty character traits. The damaged souls would still heal until they are strong enough to repel each other. During her next reincarnation, they would split from each other naturally and return to being two separate individuals. The key is not to bond them too tightly, or that could have other undesired outcomes.¡± A hoarse cough comes from Karin. ¡°You sound like you already tried that,¡± she comments, her tone questioning. ¡°I happened to make one or two experiments in that direction, hoping to find a way of strengthening a soul.¡± I make an indecent gesture with my hands, forming an ''O'' with my thumb and index finger, then stabbing the other index finger in and out in a rapid motion, smirking all the while. Karin presses her lips together, annoyed at the obscenity. Oh, how I enjoy teasing her like that. One would think that she got used to stuff like that after going through my succubus training. Given her age, she showed a stupid amount of stubbornness in sticking to her ideals. After getting no further reaction out of her, I explain, ¡°You know¡­ it would have been quite interesting to have a male who doesn¡¯t give up the ghost, just because you go a little wild. I thought it might be possible to create a soul that''s too strong to be pulled from its mortal shell.¡± Karin looks away, grumbling, ¡°I knew it would have been for a reason like that. It also sounds like it didn''t work anyway.¡± I pat my belly. ¡°Sadly, no. Innate demon magic is quite potent at taking souls. Which doesn''t mean that the procedure doesn''t have certain benefits that align with your desires.¡± Seria tilts her head, not sure about the idea. ¡°I¡¯ll admit that it sounds like a workable route ¨C if I were to risk it. But! I¡¯ve only these four souls to work with. You have no idea how much salesmanship it took me to get Tjenemit to give the two idiot brothers. The Council confiscated all the others who were caught up in Ascathon¡¯s spell to do their own research.¡± She points at the soul orbs. ¡°And I¡¯ll certainly not use Marigold OR Nazareth to repair Myrm! One gender-confused psycho is enough!¡± I follow that stabbing finger of hers with my eyes, wondering why she is so emotional about the situation. It isn''t like she didn''t already sacrifice countless people for her cause. What are Ascathon and Myrm to her? ¡°I am always wondering why you get so worked up about those two.¡± Though, I have an idea. ¡°Won¡¯t you consider telling me about your history with them? There must be more than what I was told.¡± ¡°None of your business!¡± I press my lips together and pick absentmindedly at one of my horns, considering whether I should really make that last suggestion or not. It comes down to whether my daughter would go for this or not. She was always a conniving bitch, but she really liked Ascathon. She was emotionally destroyed when he left. It took her almost a century to recover. The only thing that kept her from running after him was that she didn''t want to leave the rest of her family. It wasn''t like she didn''t share some responsibility in Ascathon''s decision to leave. A big reason for the failed relationship was her manipulative and obsessive character. Strangely enough, I am quite certain that she would take the opportunity to make things right if she was given a second chance. ¡°Use Isabella¡¯s soul to repair Myrm¡­ or at least what¡¯s left of her.¡± Isabella never officially achieved godhood, but Myrm¡¯s soul was damaged quite heavily in the fight, so there is a reasonable chance that Isa¡¯s personality traits will come out on top when the two of them are reforged into one being. Karin gasps and Seria looks at me as if I am a monster. ¡°We can¡¯t do that! Isabel¡¯s soul is unharmed. It would be like¡­ like¡­¡± ¡°Taking organs from a healthy patient!¡± Karin helps. Seria nods rapidly. ¡°Thanks, Karin. That was the picture I was searching for.¡± I cross my arms in front of my chest. ¡°Are you saying that Isa''s own mother can¡¯t speak for what her daughter would want? Because I can see what you are trying to do.¡± I point at the spell-matrix which is holding the souls in stasis. ¡°This little connection here, and that slightly altered memory there.¡± Seria blushes, but Karin just furrows her forehead, not understanding any of it. Leaning closer, I whisper into Seria¡¯s ear. ¡°You might be able to repair Myrm the hard way, but I can prophesize that when Isa remembers her past and sees that someone else took her place, there will be more than a little drama. Following my suggestion would avert another disaster.¡± Seria furrows her forehead, looking like she is considering it. ¡°What kind of disaster.¡± ¡°A poisonous one,¡± I chirp. ¡°Back in the day, Isabella was quite the black widow when someone triggered her.¡± The Goddess of Life and Death purses her lips. ¡°Considering everything I did to get to this point, what is one more abomination? For all I know, this might as well have been fate...¡± Rewrite of UD? started https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/21849/until-death-refleshed-version It''s here, a rewrite? Yes! I would like to think that this version will have better grammar, better jokes, hopefully, everything better. Since it was my first work and started solely to improve my English, the grammar always caused me headaches when I looked at it.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Well, and there are the plotholes which appeared with the whole multiverse thing that came with my other works... Let''s just say that the first one was never written with the idea of turning it into a series. So let''s get a shovel and fill-up the plot so that hapless readers won''t fall into those pitch-black pits. They might break a knee! Or worse, vanish forever.