《The kind of God I'll become》 Prologue "You piece of shit! Leave this family at once and never come back! You shame us all!" said the old man with the stern voice. "Why? I only wanted to live a happy life." "You want to work here? Haha you look like a hobo. Get out before I call the cops!" said the ugly restaurant owner. "I''m so hungry." "Hey look at this loser." told the brat as he used his rubber shoes to kick his face. "Ew! Gross don''t touch him. He looks like he hasn''t taken a shower for at least a month! Haha." said the girl as she cautioned her friend. "Whatever let''s leave. He might die any minute now." "Yeah no use helping him now anyways. He''s no use to this society. Hahaha!" "I know right?" said the voices while fading through the background. He felt the spit from the kid drip from his temple to his cheek but he has no more strength to fight back or even just wipe it off. "I hate this world. I feel so weak. I just want to sleep and never wake up. Please let it end."
"You''re dead Axel." stated the calm voice. Axel opened his eyes and saw a beautiful girl with an angelic face and a goddess attire he saw in all the typical anime he watched. "Wait. Where the heck am I?" Axel found himself clueless as he saw that the whole place is white but not blinding as he could see the girl in front of him with a gentle smile and a calm demeanor. "Well it''s complicated but you may call this place the Gate of Choices." said the girl as she closed her eyes and smiled at Axel. Those angelic smile made Axel blush. He tried to hide it as best as he could and when she saw his actions, it made her giggle. "A-Anyway! So I''m in the Gate of Choices. How did I get here?" puzzled Axel tried to cut to the chase. The last thing he knew was that he was hungry and slept so he could beg in the evening. "It''s simple! You''re here because you starved to death." the girl again smiled after she nonchalantly answered the question. "E-Ehh!?" Axel is full of disbelief as he tried to rationally think of what she just said. Furthermore, if what she said was true and this is the afterlife there''s only one question left to be answered. "If I''m dead is this heaven or hell?"This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. "Guhu. You''re really something huh? I already told you.. This is the Gate of Choices. The higher ups saw your life as a human in that world and saw it fit that you should live another life. Clearly the life you had there was not suited for you so because of that they will give you three choices." "And what kind of choices are they talking about?" Axel''s eyes shone bright as he expected something like in the tv game shows where the host will present three tempting choices that will all be equally good. "The first one is that you may enter heaven and rest eternally in God''s grace. Second is that you''ll return to your past life but be rich and famous like a movie star. And the third.. Well the third is to become a God in a world where Gods are acknowledged and coexist with other races." The three choices presented to Axel made his heart beat fast as he joined his hand as if he was praying to God itself. And in his mind he said. "God thank you! All the choices are great. But what should I choose? Resting in heaven sounds nice but becoming a movie star or a god is too tempting to pass." Axel suddenly remembered what a cruel world the world his past life had. "Okay scratch the movie star thing. So it''s either resting in heaven or becoming a god." As an otaku he is really tempted to rule a world with different kind of races. He thought that maybe that world would be fun to explore so the thrill of the adventure is tipping the scale to the side of becoming god. "I have two more questions before I decide." Axel showed off two of his fingers to emphasize his excitement. "Yes? What is it?" The girl cluelessly smiled as she responded. "The first question is what is your name?" "Oh sorry I forgot to tell you. My given name is Maia." "Nice to meet you Maia. My second question is that if I could become a god will I be able to pull godly powers like an overpowered manga character?" "Well you''re a god silly! Of course you will get to do that.. eventually.. Hihihi" Maia''s charm as she laughed innocently caught Axel off guard as is if her sweet smile melted all the bad memories away off of Axel. "Okay then! I choose to be a god!" "Very well then! Axel with the power given to me by God. I grant you the title of lesser god." Maia''s aura changed as she started speaking like a judge sentencing someone to death. "Lesser god? What''s happening?" "You will spawn in the forest near the village of Geton. Accompanying you will be a Servus Dei, it will guide you to the best of it''s ability." Maia focused on the task at hand summoned a giant magical circle in the surrounding Axel. It transported Axel to a lush forest teeming with wild creatures only known in fairy tales and legends. "Hey! Hey you!" A shining bubble spoke in front of a half conscious Axel as he tried to get up from the murky ground. He freaked out as he realized that it wasn''t a dream and he''s actually a god and a lesser god at that. "Wait! Did Maia just trick me?!" "She didn''t. You''re just a very bad listener." "Wait.. Why am I talking to a spirit!?" Axel again freaked out as he stepped a few steps back from the talking bubble. "I''m not a spirit and I''m not the one at fault here. This is my current form because I''m your Servus Dei, a god servant." "T-T-This isn''t what I signed up for! I was under the impression where I was supposed to be an OP god that will rule this world." "Sheesh! Are you listening to yourself? She told you that this is a world where gods are known and they coexist with humans. Think of yourself as another race that resides in this world. And she did not tell you that you will start as a very strong god. She said that you would eventually become one depending on how well you get your shit together." "WHAT?!" "Well now that we''re here let''s make the best of what we have and do our best from now on." "What have I gotten myself into?" Axel felt as if the sweet life of a god faded away after reality slapped him in the face.
Chapter 1 - Death comes in threes "It''s useless you know?" uttered the wisp while hopelessly looking at Axel trying to make a fool of himself trying to kill a goblin. "Shut up! What kind of servant are you if you can''t even help me beat this thing!" shouted Axel. "What I mean is that you''re in your ethereal form. You need to change your state first but be careful because once you changed it you probably will.. get.. killed.." While lecturing the stubborn god, Axel is already half-dead after he changed his state from ethereal to tangible. After seeing the pitiful state of Axel, the goblin itself left the area leaving the god unconscious and half-dead. When Axel finally came to the annoying ball of light is hovering above him as if it''s checking if he''s really dead or not. "So you''re still alive huh? Why did you charge towards that goblin?" "If this is like an RPG then if I kill it won''t I gain some sort of experience?" Axel said this while slowly trying to get up ignoring the pain caused by his stupidity. "Well, yeah but it''s not an efficient way to become stronger. " "What if I die will I respawn to another place or something?" Axel asked. "Of course not. Think of yourself similar to a player in one of those games common in your old world." "Are gods really that common?" Axel started questioning his existence in this reality. "Of course not! Right now there are only a few thousand gods in existence. And the majority of them are like you too, a lesser god." the wisp retorted quickly as if it was trying to defend the gods. "Wait why are there many lesser gods in this world?" "My theory is that, you were summoned into this world with a purpose. We don''t know what kind of purpose is that but maybe you''re part of a great battle to come or maybe the gods played a cruel trick on you. But anyways because I''m your Servus Dei, I have a basic understanding of how this world works, I also know the basic history of the kingdom we''re in and how gods operate. Instead of thinking of yourself as a common race, try imagining that you are a player with only one life and an unlimited potential." After saying this, he immediately notices the perverted look on Axel''s face while he thought of the possibility of him becoming strong. "So tell me, where do I start?" Happy with excitement Axel sat down as he smiled at the wisp while making sure he remembers everything that it is about to say. "First, we need to reach the town and head towards the local church." "I''m not really the religious type." He scratched his head while thinking of the reason why his servant would lead him to a place like that. "Why would we even go there to pray? Have you forgotten that you''re a god?" "Oh right! I forgot about that." The wisp noticed that Axel already seemed uninterested of the fact that he is a god and this annoyed him so much that the idea made him turn from his normal yellow state to red. This change caught Axel''s attention making him scared of his servant for a moment. The wisp let out a sigh as if it''s dropping the whole matter. The two walked for a few minutes following the dirt path which was commonly used by the villagers when foraging for berries and other food source in the forest. When they reached the town, Axel noticed that it was quite small. He thought that maybe there are only 15-20 families that are living in this village. The population didn''t bother him that much, the fact that it was quite peaceful made him think of his childhood days when everything was so innocent and happy. But thinking about his past also made him remember that bad memories that came after, he smacked his head to make him forget about it if even for a moment. When they reached the Geton''s church, they realized that it is quite rundown and was only maintained by an old man who was seen sweeping the dust gathering in the wooden floor inside the church. After they entered, Axel quickly noticed a dim light emanating from one of the items displayed. "Hey what''s that?" He pointed like a curious kid to the glowing relic now in front of him. "That is what the locals use to pray to the gods for favors. When a favor is asked of the gods, it is recorded in that relic. It is called an Evocator. It''s not the only way to ask gods for favors though you can also pray to them when they''re nearby so keep that in mind." "So do I need to grant all the request they ask of me?" "Of course not! A god only grants favors to those whom they deem fit to receive them. But accepting requests does have some benefits, in fact it''s the best way for a god to become strong." "Are these requests like missions given by a guild and upon completing it gives you a rewards of sort?" "Yes that''s the best way to think about them. Upon completing their request, the god''s prestige will increase which you can then use to improve your skills. If you have no more questions, let''s start by checking the relic." Axel touched the Evocator and it immediately shined bright. One scroll appeared in front of them and after he reached out to that scroll, he felt as if he was dreaming. A vision of the past flowed through him. A girl prayed every day to the gods with only one simple request. "Please keep everyone safe." After the vision disappeared a small transparent window illustrated the details of the quest given to Axel.
Quest Name: The Goblin Camp
Difficulty: F
Description: The little girl from the village asked the gods to help keep the forest safe. Kill a tribe of goblin near the general foraging spot used by the villagers.
Reward: ? 100 Prestige
"Hey you mentioned prestige before right? What is it exactly?" "Prestige is used commonly to increase a god''s strength. Think of it as experience points in a basic game. You also gain prestige from killing the goblins and the reward you get after is just a bonus. You''re lucky though getting 100 prestige just by completing this quest is a great boost. The higher the number of people praying for the same thing and also the intensity of their prayers can also lead to a higher prestige reward given to the god who can complete the task. This girl must''ve been praying all day everyday for the reward to be this high even though it''s a simple task." "She must really love this place." Axel whispered as he remembered the innocent prayer flashed before him when he touched the Evocator. "Will you accept it or not?" The wisp circled the screen as Axel made up his mind. "I accept!"
Quest Accepted!
Full of determination, Axel headed to the forest where the goblns are said to have camped. Before leaving the village, he heard that people can''t even leave because of the current situation. The goblins are not really that difficult to beat but for a village with no guards or even the capacity to defend themselves are really hopeless in situations like this one. "Hey I have a question. How can I fight those things anyway? I don''t have a weapon. And you saw me getting beaten by that lone goblin we encountered." Axel asked while they were heading to the goblin camp. "A good question! I took a look on your stats and they''re all at the starting point which is 5." "T-Those are my stats?" "Yes now here is the rest of your basic information page."
God Name: Axel
Primary Title: Lesser God
Level: 1
Current Form: Ethereal
Other Available Forms: ? Battle ? Wrath
"I get what Battle Form can do but what is Wrath Form?" "This is your last resort. Wrath form can only be used once per day and depletes your energy. When it reaches zero then you die but using it gives you triple of the strength you have." "Wow that''s really convenient!" Axel is starting to realize the potential of being a god in this place. With such an awesome form he could easily beat any monster as long as he finishes them fast. "Let me explain the other two forms. Battle Form is just like Wrath Form without the power boost. Ethereal Form is our current state right now. When you''re in Battle Form or Wrath Form, you can be seen by monsters and humans alike so be very careful." "Why do I need to be careful around humans and monsters?" "Killing a god even a lesser god can give humans the title ''Godslayer'' and it gives a substantial increase in their power. Lesser gods that aren''t careful fall to traps that humans set in order to attain such title. Monsters that kill gods evolve further into an even ferocious version of it''s kind." "I see but can''t I just use my ethereal form when I''m in danger or something?" "No, when a battle is taking place ethereal form is disabled for a time thus making it an inefficient way of escaping battles. Other monsters and human can even use skills that hurt those in ethereal form." "Crap! I was counting on that form whenever I''m in a pinch. I guess I have no choice but to battle huh?" Axel sat on the ground after saying that looking depressed at his current situation. "Yes that is inevitable." "So how do I fight exactly? I don''t think fighting without weapons is the best for me. Giving me something like a sword would do I guess." "I, your Servus Dei will play a significant role in your battles. I can transform myself freely to any kind of weapon you want. Just visualize the weapon you''d like to use while in battle form and I will transform to that weapon." You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. "Wow that''s so convenient! Let me see." Axel changed from his ethereal form to his battle form. He tried to visualize a sword that he once saw from that one popular series that can defeat the enemies with one hit. When he looked at his arms a shoddy version of it was conjured. "So this is what I can do for now." He pitied himself thinking he could do better but moved on because he wants to try practicing with the sword. His act of swinging wasn''t something you could call gracious but one call feel the force from the attack. "That reminds me.. Why don''t you have a name?" Axel returned his servant to it''s wisp form so that it could answer. "I am but a servant. The act of naming myself is considered blasphemy for my kind." "But I can name you right?" "Y-Yes if that''s what you wish." "Well it''s gonna be difficult if I don''t but what should I name you? Puck? No. IO? No. I know! I''ll name you Frim! It''s a bit simple but it''s easy to pronounce." The wisp bobbed for a few seconds seemingly happy that his master gave him a name. "Thank you! I guess this servant will now be called Frim from now on." Although Frim did not want to show that he is extremely grateful, bobbing his body up and down while talking was a dead giveaway.
A few hours later.
Axel and Frim were discussing the basic fundamentals that he needs to know in order to grasp how this world works. Axel viewed it as a world similar to an RPG where you can view your stats, skills, quest and character information. However, this world lacks the inventory system that is common among RPGs and this made Axel feel a bit disappointed. He also discovered that this world consists of a supercontinent called Alnizia, named after the three heroes that fought the overlord a few centuries ago. The forest grew thicker and thicker as the lush environment encroached almost all the space. The two walked down the path near the river although it''s current is really strong they didn''t think about it because it''s not in their plan to swim through such current. After a few moments of rest, the two encountered a few goblins but something weird was happening. There were three goblins that were present while they were hiding in the bushes but instead of camping or even going to a destination, the goblins were consuming something but upon closer look, they were consuming someone! Without further ado, Axel rushed to the scene shouting. "Frim! Sword now!" Frim knew what Axel meant as they came to rescue the poor soul being eaten. The goblins moved as if they were drunk but were aware of Axel''s presence. They quickly charged towards Axel but they ran sloppily that Axel took them one after the other. He slashed the first one in the neck but he wasn''t able to cleanly strike it''s head off. The goblin was still hurt by the attack and was desperate to bite Axel. He kicked the first one a few meters back. Axel now realized that two goblins were approaching him. "I''m not strong enough to cut their head off with one hit. Frim turn to a mace now!" The wisp did it''s best to transform fast so that Axel may take the monsters down as soon as possible. The goblin was approaching when Frim finished transforming. Axel just barely avoid the grab of one of the goblins. He then initiated a counter attack, using his mace he hammered it down to the head of the goblin making it fall down to the ground without motion. The other goblin didn''t falter and approached Axel. Just like what he did with the second one, Axel hit the goblin hard in the head. He realized that it was an effective way of killing them. The only problem now was the first one! As he looked for the enemy, he realized that something was wrong. The goblin clearly had a severe neck wound that would normally kill the monster but he saw from afar that the goblin is now drunkenly standing up as if it were not injured badly. He carefully examined that the goblin wasn''t even using it''s weapons that was strapped in it''s back. "Hey Frim do these goblins look normal to you?" Axel asked to confirm his suspicion. "No, something is wrong with them. Goblins tend to depend on their weapons to fight. Furthermore, they are also fast and coordinate well with their group. These ones don''t seem to care about which attacks first. And lastly, these goblins don''t ate human meat before cooking it. It''s simply weird for them to be acting like this." The surviving goblin reminded Axel of zombies. The moment it was trying to grab Axel, he was reminded of an old TV series that he saw while he was a child with a repeating plot about humans living then getting wrecked after a few episodes. He then charged to the remaining goblin to finish it off. A fatal strike to the head defeated the last enemy. Axel quickly approached the man that was assaulted by the monsters. The man was wearing a simple hunting clothes along with a worn out sword rusting on some parts and a bow and arrow on it''s back. The man was quite big but has a beer belly, black corruption was seen from his neck down to his feet. His right arm was chewed off by the goblins and his left hand was ruptured beyond repair. It''s as if the man fought something much worse than the goblins he faced. "Hey old man are you alive?" Axel carefully tried to wake the man after reaching to know if he has a pulse. The old man scoffed and struggled to open his eyes while blood seeped from his mouth to his neck as he tried to speak. "Kid.. Can''t kill the.. bitch.. Run.. take.. the kids." His last words puzzled Axel. He didn''t know which kid the old man was talking about but then something weird happened.
Quest Failed!
This surprised Frim and Axel because they have even fought the goblins. They were under the premise that they were progressing the quest and not failing it. "Death.. Comes.. In.. Threes!" A miasma suddenly filled the area as the plants slowly withered and the trees died. It''s as if they were transported in another world. The chilling voice was of a woman, when she said those words, cold sweat poured on Axel''s back. He couldn''t fathom such killing intent that his knees trembled and he couldn''t move them even if he wants to run. He turned his back and saw a frightening woman. She has a long platinum blonde hair and a killer smile that showed her lust for blood as she licked the blood flowing from her right eye. She wore a long gown with flame-like embroidery that was not for show as it clearly moves from time to time. Along with her were tens if not hundreds of goblins that were seemingly under her control. "Master you need to run! This woman is-" With a blink of an eye, Frim was wiped from the earth as it was some mosquito pestering a human. Axel was horrified, he can''t even believe what''s happening in front of him. He can only stare blankly at the place where Frim last existed. The thought of escaping wasn''t even in his mind. The only thing he can think of is death. With a laugh the woman held on to Axel''s chin and held it up. She chuckled and said. "Do you know the meaning boy?" Axel can only guess that what she was asking was what she said earlier. Death comes in threes. It was the first time he heard those phrase. "I guess a lesser god like you won''t know. It-!" Before she finished talking, she threw Axel onto a tree like a broken toy and then after suffering the impact she immediately grabbed hold of his neck and continued speaking. "is the great words of our Overlord! I Love It So Much! It''s full of meaning, three deaths doesn''t mean killing three people. No. No. No! Want me to give you an example?" Her bloodshot eyes looked at the soulless state of Axel as she shaked him while he was motionless the whole time. "You''re a great listener so keep listening! I saw it! I saw the whole thing! Your birth. Your quest! Your enjoyment of the whole thing! This adventure!" She let go of Axel as she raised her arms as if she reached a moment of pure ecstasy while reminiscing. She once again grabbed Axel but now he held on to his right arm as she lifted him up. "Three deaths." She smiled. "The death of those villagers you wanted to protect. The death of those goblins you want to kill. And the death of the ally you depended on." She cried blood tears as it''s shown that it wasn''t fully healing anytime soon. "I was surprised though that old man being eaten by my babies right there caught me by surprise. I was just taming these babies when all of a sudden he came barging in trying to kill me. How rude right? He even injured me that fucking shit!" She used her right arm to disintegrate the body of the old man along with some of the goblins eating the corpse. "But I guess bygones will be bygones. I''m a very forgiving person. Hahaha!" All of a sudden while laughing she was punched in the face. Although it had no damage, she was still a bit surprised. ''It hurts.. Here.. There.. It doesn''t matter there will always be monsters like this one.'' He looked at the woman with rage in his heart. He remembered all the bitter things he had to suffer in his past life. All the humiliation and suffering that was enough to make a man go insane. He thought for a moment that it was all in the past but here came the testament that made him face the harsh reality. "But here it''s different! Here I can fight back! Haaaaaaah!!!" He shouted as he released his Wrath Form, gathering all his power into his left hand. The woman didn''t care as she was daydreaming while Axel was shouting his heart out and as soon as the punch connected, it shook the ground and a small shock wave was emmitted by the punch. "Oh! You punched me." She just realized that she was punch. It felt like she didn''t even notice it until she snapped out of her daydream. She then continued. "Such a strong young god. Too bad, I''m getting bored with you already." As she was talking, Axel was continuously punching her, making hist fist bleed in the process. "Die!!!!" Axel screamed his lungs out as his attacks get weaker and weaker. He also felt something strange happening in his right arm. Black marks similar to what the old man had formed in his right arm, crawling and now fully covering his arm and chest. "I''m bored. I''ll let my babies eat you now. I''ll be leaving. Buh-Bye." Like a spoiled brat, she removed her grip from Axel as she opened up a dark portal.
''Lesser God'' Title is now removed! ''Corrupted One'' is now your Primary Title.
"Someday.. I''ll kill you. All of your kind. Whatever you are! I promise!" Axel shouted as the woman walked through the portal. "Yeah.. Yeah.. Whatever." The woman disappeared but her goblin zombies are now swarming to get a piece of Axel. He tried to fight back but his two arms were uselesss right now. The right arm was covered with corruption and the left was bleeding badly. He had no choice but to escape if he wants to live another day. He even struggled to stand up but time is of the essence! The surrounding enemies cut off all the safe paths. He turned his back and saw the river. The rapids were monstrous but it was the only way out. He rushed towards it and grinded his teeth knowing that death is more likely than survival. He closed his eyes as the waters carried him away. Chapter 2 - My Strength Axel heard a voice as he tried to open his eyes. "The corruption.. spreading.. must.. stopped." The calm voice said but Axel couldn''t hear all of it. It must be because of exhaustion or because of his injuries. He once again lost consciousness as a faint light covered his vision.
"Are you done?" said the girl as she was sharpening the tip of a stick. It seems as though she''s gonna hunt for food even if it''s clear from her body that she was only 14-15 years of age. She had long green hair with a face that was above average of the normal beauty seen by many. "It seems that the corruption has stopped but the curse is still within his body. After he wakes up, I need to ask him some questions, maybe he knows what happened to the village, maybe he even knows why it was destroyed." With the way he looks, the man can be considered a priest in the Church of Maia, a church that has influence all over Alnizia and teaches people the divine tongue used to cultivate the divine energy within. He was holding a kid, maybe only five years of age. The kid was playful and was climbing on top of the priest, he had similar hair to the girl, it is quite possible that the two were related. "If something really did happen and Old Man Kress didn''t have the strength to stop it then you won''t be safe here. The best choice for you is to ask for aid. The church is willing to shelter the both of you." added the priest as he carelessly lifted the boy up into the air. "No, I''ll stay here for a few days, that fat geezer is too tough to die. And even if he did die, I won''t ask the church for help. I don''t trust them, I don''t even trust you." she coldly said as she continued sharpening the tips. Beside her were dozens of arrows she''ll need for a hunt. "Well okay then, but if you ever decide to ask for help, you know where to find me. I''ll be on my way. I still have to investigate what happened to the village. I''ll come back after a four days." the priest stood up, he ruffled the boys hair as he left the wooden cabin. The boy now headed towards the girl, he knew how to cheer his sister up, he climbed and hugged her. The girl showed a bitter smile as she embraced his little brother. "No matter what happens, I''ll protect you." The boy cluelessly laughed as he became happy when her sister hugged her. His innocent laugh filled the room while the man slept recovering from his injuries.
A rough cough suddenly made Axel conscious, as he looked at his surroundings, faint smell of the aroma of cooked stew was apparent. The cabin was small and was made of wood. It could be said that it was a little shabby but even though the place was creaky and wind was flowing through some wooden gaps, it made him feel at home. He tried to get up but the pain in his right arm suddenly jolted, it''s as if a thousand needles pricked his arm as he got up. He noticed a girl stirring the pot near the fireplace. She noticed Axel was awake and said, "Good thing you''re awake. I was about to dig a grave for you if you didn''t wake up tonight." She kept stirring the stew as her little brother tried to climb onto the bed to to play with Axel. "How long was I out?" He asked with a dry mouth, some words were barely understandable. She grabbed a glass and filled it with water as she approached the wounded man. "Three days, I have some questions but drink and eat first. I don''t want to kick you out until I get my answers." She handed the glass of water and took her brother away as he drank the whole thing quickly. As the three of them ate, she was wary of the man, checking if he makes sudden movement that might threaten her or her brother. She was on high alert because their supposed guardian has gone missing. After eating his fill, Axel put aside the plate and asked, "What questions do you have?" She was focused on feeding her brother as she paused and said, "Have you met an old fat geezer while you were in the forest?" She was still avoiding eye contact, her cold voice resonated in the room. "Yeah.. He tried to fight.. even injure that thing but.. I was too late when I saw him." Axel recollected his memories of the tragedy that happened. He wanted to convince himself that it was all a dream but his injuries made him think otherwise. He felt pain and helplessness, it wasn''t the first time he felt this though, many times in his life, he suffered many adversities but this was the worst of the worst. He feared death when he thought he already accepted it. "I see.." The girl tried to hide her sadness but her voice trembled a little. She stood up and gathered her things. "What are you doing?" He asked as he was clueless as to what''s going to happen next. "Tomorrow, I''ll be leaving with my brother, this place isn''t safe anymore if that geezer died from someone stronger than him. " She gathered all the essentials. "Then let me help you, my wounds haven''t healed yet but if there''s only the two of you, it might not be safe out there." "We''re going to be fine! We''re always fine!" Axel was surprised when she shouted at him, her tears fell as she tried to put on a strong face but in the end, she''s just a little girl. She felt helpless, now more than ever. "The old man, before he died he asked me to look for the two of you. In the end, he was still thinking of how to make you guys safe. I promise that I''ll keep both of you safe in his stead." He retorted as he tried to strengthen his resolve. ''If I can''t protect these two children then what kind of god am I?'' The bitter feeling of weakness he felt when he encountered that woman. He doesn''t want to feel it anymore. He wants to become stronger. The strongest of gods, his conviction has formed.
A couple of days ago. In the forest where the Goblin Zombies swarmed.
"Man this is too much of a drag. I wonder why those bastards made me clean up this mess? I don''t have time to be doing something like this." Her spear was drenched in black blood as the drops flowed on a mountain of corpse as she stood on top of it. This person was a dragon knight, a knight born in Wyrmont, the fortress city nearest to the village of Geton. "We''re almost done here princess. I never expected that there would be so much. The miasma is thick as well, I think a demon spawned nearby." The man was the priest who healed Axel a few days ago. He started chanting and white rune symbols suddenly appeared out of nowhere removing the leftover miasma in the area. "Who cares? Demons and Monsters, they''re all the same. Are we done here? I don''t want to stay here any longer, it reeks!" The girl was strong even though she was noticeably young, one can only be curious as to what kind of person she would grow up to be. Already at the age of 16, she was anointed as a Dragon Knight, a prodigy from the Kingdom of Wyrmont, she was Princess Kyra '' the Ember Maid'' Ulterax. "There are demons that even you can''t handle right now princess. Until you''ve managed to master wielding Ascalon then I don''t even you could be called invincible." The man smiled as he meant what he said with respect. It seems as though Kyra along with the priest was sent to investigate the huge miasma sensed by the Church of Maia near the village of Geton. After reaching their destination, a horde of Goblin Zombie have surrounded them leaving Kyra with no choice but to slaughter all of them.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. "Let them come, I haven''t had any trouble with my battles lately, it''s becoming too boring. A princess such as I should occasionally be caught in trouble and have that trouble be smashed to bits." The princess had a strong personality to her maybe it''s because she was born in the ranks of nobility or maybe it''s because her family was proudly dubbed ''the dragonspawns'' that she has a willful aura around her. "You have a funny humor princess but in case you get into trouble who would save you?" The man again smiled as he continued his banter with the princess. "Who knows, there''s nothing I can''t handle anyways so no sense in worrying about that. We''re leaving." Kyra wiped the blood on her weapon and strapped her spear to her back as she descended from the pile of goblin corpses. "As you wish." The man obediently followed his companion.
Dawn broke as the lamp was lit inside the cabin, two people were awake, one was a girl and another a god. They were preparing to leave the place as soon as the sun rises.
Title: Corrupted One
Information: Now that the divine body is corrupted. A god is now cursed to walk the path of man.
? Darkness Attribute has awakened
A High Curse has been inflicted upon you: ? Ethereal Form is now disabled ? Wrath Form can not be self triggered anymore ? Entering the church or any holy place gives you minor damage over time ?Your luck now fluctuates
''Crap! What happened to my title? Does this mean I''m not a god now? What''s happening!?'' Axel thought inwardly as he stared at his new title. Luckily, in this world titles aren''t shown to others but are rather only shown to the people possessing them. "What''s with that pathetic look on your face? Can''t you look a little bit more decent?" The girl was annoyed at the face Axel was making. "Sorry about that." He collected himself as he started rummaging through the old weapon stash left behind by the old man. Inside were basic weapons like sword and daggers so he conveniently took them out and will be using them for future battles. As the sun rose, the bright rays lit up the forest surrounding them, it was the perfect time for them to leave. Axel isn''t much of a fighter right now and he''s even gotten a restriction because of a high curse. The scar on his right arm shows that although the corruption had stopped, it was a bitter reminder of what transpired. Axel wore a loosely fitted cloak which belonged to Kress and had a sheated sword and dagger ready for combat. The lush forest barely showed the dirt path heading west towards Wyrmont, the bushes contained berries that the girl constantly harvested, it seems like she was used to foraging the forest. They would stop when the girl sees animal tracks and hide when monsters passed. Axel felt like he was the one being protected by the girl and it was awkward. Few hours passed when the girl suddenly stopped near a huge tree with weird inscriptions written on it''s bark. "Are we resting here?" Axel cluelessly asked. "Yeah haven''t you heard of a sanctuary before? Weak monsters don''t gather here because of this tree''s protection." If only her cynical reply didn''t annoy Axel, he would''ve been in awe of her knowledge. He looked at the huge tree and guessed that it was about 30 feet tall. A huge tree compared to the other ones nearby. He touched the inscripted patterns and felt like there was a electricity flowing from the tree through him. "This world, it''s filled with mystery." Axel felt calmly as he tranced for a bit until someone threw a rock on his back. "Hey I''m gonna gather some firewood, be sure to guard Val." she unapologetically said as she remained distant from him. "Val?" Axel was again clueless. "My brother Valion! Urgh! Are you dense or something?" An irritated face didn''t mess her beauty at all, her charm was simply unique. "I see, my name''s Axel. What''s yours then?" He wanted to ask for the longest time but he couldn''t find the right timing until now. She turned her back and said, "Elea.. My name''s Elea." Her figure left the area soon after she said her name to gather firewood. The coming hours were really boring as Axel played with Val. The kid was simply laughing at everything he does whether it''s for simple things like digging dirt or finding small insects.
It was getting late, Elea was about to head over to Val and Axel when she saw a group of Goblins following an Ogre. This was terrible news! An Ogre can be regarded as a boss monster in these parts of the forest and it was coincidentally walking towards their camp. Even if the camp was protected by the tree, only the Goblins might be deterred to not approach it and the Ogre will definitely ignore the tree for some quick meal. She cautiously followed the group as they made their way to the camp. Her heart almost crumbled when she sensed the killing intent of the enemies. She knew that Axel didn''t even had any professions so his combat skills might be lower than hers. She didn''t think of anything else but to draw her arrow and shoot the enemies to distract them. She accurately shot one of the goblins from behind as she hid herself from the trees. The enemies were now aware that she was there but even so, they ignored her and charged towards Axel and Val! Axel saw the monsters as he hurriedly grabbed Val while he was sleeping and wielded his dagger. He can''t use his sword with full force since he was carrying the child and it was a bastard sword so it was too unfamiliar for him to use properly. He knew that the tree will give them some protection but the Ogre resisted the magic covering the area and walked inside with a grin on it''s ugly face. If he can''t fight with his full power then there''s no chance for the both of them. The goblins looks as though they can''t enter the area so he would only be facing one opponent but it was strong enough to ignore the protection so it was not wise to underestimate it. He placed Val near the holy tree and wielded the bastard sword with both hands instead. He hid the dagger in his back in case he needed it though. The battle was about to start when two arrows dug deep at the back of the Ogre, the monster felt the attack and touched his back only to realize the excruciating pain. It shrieked in agony as the two attacks hit his upper back. It was a chance! Axel charged screaming as he rushed towards the wounded monster. The Ogre saw him and used his large hands to swipe him, pushing him a few meters back. Axel barely guarded from the attack, good thing he realized the monster''s intention. Even though the monster has been wounded, it wouldn''t back down that easily. Once again a few arrows flew from the dark and hit the goblins waiting outside the barrier. The monsters were scared out their wits and even though they weren''t fataly wounded, they feared that staying hear any longer would be the end of them. They left the Ogre as they scrammed away from the camp. The Ogre was now filled with rage as he saw his lackeys leave him. He ran towards Axel preparing to tackle the man but an arrow hit his legs as soon as soon as he started running. This was a chance for Axel to deliver the final blow! He is now the one who''s running towards the Ogre and prepared one final blow to kill the monster. The monster seeing the attack guarded using his arm to prevent the sword from hitting his head. The left arm of the Ogre was sliced off as the blood gushed out of it. Another scream of pain was heard as the birds flew off frightened by the cry. The Ogre quickly grabbed Axel and smashed him to the ground, this took Axel''s breath away, the Ogre didn''t stop there, he kicked Axel to a fair amount of distance. He was certain that a few bones were broken when he was smashed and kicked but he sloppily stood up as if telling the monster that he wasn''t done yet. He knew that if he were to give up now then not only him but Val would be in danger! "I''m not giving up! I''ll die before I get beaten by monsters like you again!" His eyes were bloodshot as he once again charged towards the Ogre, a few arrows helped distract the Ogre as he used every ounce of his strength for to truly bring the decisive blow. For a split second, Axel felt his right hand throb, when he looked at it, the hand was releasing a faint dark glow that covered even the sword. A thin veil of dark energy covered the sword, but he didn''t care about it now. He knew that he needed to end the fight before thinking of trivial things. Out of breath, he jumped to strengthen the attack and the Ogre helpless as his two legs were disabled by arrows can only block the sword using his other hand. The attack connected and sliced off the right arm clean off the Ogre but he didn''t stop there! The sword made it''s way through it''s arm to the head and into the thick skull, the blood of the Ogre gushed out of it''s arm and sprayed onto Axel. He and the monster fell down. He took deep breaths as his heart beat hard. He noticed that his hands were shaking because of the intensity of the battle. He felt power for once, and it gave him a sense of joy. From afar, Elea was sprinting towards the sleeping Val. He woke up when Elea hugged her tight as tears fell and her body shook thinking of the fact that he was close to being in danger. "Big Sister?" As he woke up, a smile was written on his face that says welcome back as he hugged his sister back. After that, a clap was heard from atop the holy tree. *clap* *clap* *clap* A girl wearing dragon armor jumped down and said, "Not bad! You guys suck at fighting but you held your own against that one. Well if that guy did back down maybe I would''ve killed the Ogre but man the tenacity of that guy was off the charts! Does he have a death wish or something?" The lady with a satisfied look on her face stood in front of Elea. Chapter 3 - Dragon Fang "Arth heal that guy before he chokes on his own blood." The lady had a satisfied look on her face as Elea became pissed of the fact that they''re being watched when they were in danger. And add to the fact that the shitty priest who came to her cabin a few days ago didn''t help even made her more angry. "Are you happy watching people suffer? We''re clearly in danger but you act as though nothing happened!!" Elea grinded her teeth as she looked intently at the girl standing in front of her. The priest then spoke, "Elea, I didn''t act because the princess forced me not too. And if I even sense a hint of danger on Val''s part, I would''ve dove down to help." He said this as light from his hand healed the broken bones that Axel suffered. Bit by bit the wounds healed and after only a few minutes all the injuries he suffered were gone. "W-What happened?" Axel was astonished because all of his wounds were gone. He saw a girl wearing cool looking armor and a priest near Elea. "The shitty priest healed you." Elea answered as she clung onto Val. "Oh, thank you then!" "It''s alright you wouldn''t even have injuries if the princess wasn''t stubborn." He looked at the girl which now crossed her arms as she looked down on Elea. "Listen, this world doesn''t care if you''re weak or not. Just be stronger than anyone else before you start judging their actions. With your talent you might make a name for yourself." The proud knight looked down on the girl as she remembered those arrows hitting the vital spots of the Ogre and then she continued, "Besides, with this tree''s restriction spell and your arrows, it was clear who would win this fight." Her words clearly wasn''t enough as she''s still pissed about what happened. No matter what, in her mind, her brother''s safety is top priority. Kyra sighed as she gave up trying to explain herself. "Ugh. Fine to apologize for my unknightliness in the situation. I''ll escort you to Wyrmont, that''s your destination right? But we''ll camp here tonight. I''m tired so I''ll go to sleep." She jumped on top of the holy tree again leaving the four on the ground.
The embers of the flame was the only light for miles away. Elea brought back a few animals from the hunt. As she was preparing dinner, Arth and Axel was sitting near the campfire as they waited. "So you''re the one that helped with the corruption of my body. Thank you." Axel said as he looked at Arth. He was clearly not your average priest as you can barely recognize him as a priest. The only thing holy about this man was his book he was reading, every page had a faint glow as he turned them. "I didn''t really do much if you ask me. There''s also a High Curse inflicted upon you but it''s persistent. The demon you encountered must be one of the top dogs of that cult." Arth answered as he turned another page from his mystical book. "High Curse? Demons? Cult? How do you know all this?" Axel didn''t really know that much from this world so gathering much information would be vital if he wants to become stronger. "A High Curse is something that can only be lifted if the one who casted it dies. Demons are one of the most feared monsters of Alnizia because they have the same intelligence as the enlightened races such as humans. If you plan on hunting it down, I recommend becoming stronger first. The cult I''m talking about is just a rumor though so I don''t want to be spreading false news that''s why I won''t talk about it anymore." He again turned another page. "I see, that girl who is she? I''m guessing she''s not normal." Axel looked atop the tree, thinking of Kyra. "She''s Kyra one of the potential heirs of the King of Wyrmont. She''s been like that ever since she was a child, always looking for trouble and never letting anyone beat her. She''s one of the popular candidates as well. With her level maybe she''d be the queen someday." Arth smiled at the thought of Kyra being queen, he knew that there are others that are suited as well but with Kyra''s prowess and charisma, she''d be able to raise her kingdom''s status even further. "A princess huh?" Axel remembered the brief history told to him by Frim. Alnizia has 5 kingdoms and 4 of them serve the Kingdom of Floreya. The High King is the ruler of all but because of Floreya''s territory, the kingdom is divided into five parts with Floreya in the center. One of the Kingdoms under Floreya is the Kingdom of Wyrmont. "But don''t even think of flirting with her, I heard she beats up anyone having any ideas of asking her for marriage." Arth lied about that she even saw some in action and the catastrophe that followed. After her father arranged her marriage with one of the local lords, she burned down a significant part of the castle which ended up ruining the engagement and ever since then no lord would ever want to marry her. "I-I don''t plan to I was just curious!" Axel waved both his hands as he denied the idea. "I see, your fighting sense is really good, have you ever fought before?" Arth closed his book as his interest started leaning towards Axel. "I did have some after beating some goblins but-" Axel remembered the events that transpired which stopped him from finishing the sentence and making cold sweat run through his back.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. The look on this face made Arth notice, so he quickly changed the topic, "I only asked because the local guild could benefit from someone like you. The last time I went there, they were in need of men. They can even help you out with stuff like sword training or other basic training." "Okay thanks for the tip." Axel knew that there were local guilds on strongholds or cities like Wyrmont. They provide quests and training for those who join them. After the food was done, Kyra descended the tree only to go back up after taking a piece. The four of them casually chatted as they ate the cooked meat hunted by Elea. Each of them took turns guarding the camp from enemies but aside from a few goblins checking them out while hiding in the bushes or trees but never really attacking them, the night was peaceful and solemn.
The following day, the group walked for a long time sometimes encountering a few monsters and wild animals but they were instantly killed by Kyra. Elea took the animals so that they can have food for the night if they don''t reach their destination before sundown. Walking at night in the forest is like walking towards your death because strong monsters prey on those foolish enough to travel in the dark unprepared. Thankfully, the group reached the Dragon Gate, one of the gates that fortifies Wyrmont, Kyra didn''t even say her goodbye, she disappeared through the crowd of merchants and carriages entering the gate. Arth escorted Axel, Elea and Van to the local guild. "This is Dragon Fang''s headquarters, it''s the local guild here in Wyrmont. It''s famous throughout Alnizia as one of the most unforgiving guilds. I''ll introduce you to the receptionist." Arth excitedly opened the door and all of the people inside looked at Arth for a few seconds and then ignored him at the same time. "It''s just Arth." "I thought someone important just opened the door, t''was just a scum." "Why can''t he open the door the normal way? Like how normal people do it?" "HAHA! He always does that! I''m even used to it by now! Okay time to go. I''m gonna have some fun with those guys." A lot of mumblings were heard as Axel and the siblings walked through the door. Some people stared at them but the majority ignored the three new faces. Arth happily walked to the receptionist and they followed. "Sabine! I''m back, did you miss me?!" Arth exclaimed as he walked towards the receptionist. "No." She quickly replied with her ice cold tone. Arth coughed and said, "This is Sabine, my current girlfriend. She is managing the complicated part of the guild. If you have any questions related to quests posted by the guild be sure to ask her first." "Your last girlfriend." She corrected him quickly as well. "Uhh.. Y-Yes my last girlfriend." He nervously said as fear and panic were written all over his face. Axel was surprised that priests here don''t practice celibacy here but he didn''t really mind. He collected his thoughts and stepped forward to speak with Sabine. He knew that in order to become strong he needed to get basic training from someone and joining this guild will be the perfect opportunity. "I''m Axel and this is Elea, we''d like to join your guild." Axel''s tone was a bit serious, he knew that it was imperative that they get in since they also don''t have the proper income to live in a place like Wyrmont. "I see." Sabine looked at the two of them as if she was gauging their strength, after a long pause she said, "I don''t have the power to refuse your request so you will be joining as recruits. After you become reserves, you will be able to use the guild lodgings for free and take on quests posted by the guild. Basic training and introduction will be handled by Randy." Ranking up in a guild means getting assigned to tougher quest. The newcomers will always get F or in some occasions D class missions. They will start as novice members of the guild. Rank are as follows: Recruits, Reserves, Regular, Seniors, Elites and finally the Masters. Master Rank can only be given by the leader of the guilds across Alnizia. They serve as a part of Alnizia''s greatest powers. These powers hold great responsibility in keeping the stability of the continent as a whole. Although they can be regarded as independent, guilds can swear their allegiance to a certain kingdom without too much issue but this can also create guild wars between guilds. These wars are officially sanctioned by all the kingdoms all over Alnizia and are considered bloody at times. The two new recruits were escorted by a reserve to the training grounds where they saw other recruits lined up. After just a few moment, a body came flying upwards then crashed to the ground that ended with a scream of pain. The recruit was escorted to the infirmary after that. Those that are in the line became worried for their lives. Some even backed out before even knowing what was happening at the front. "COME! Anyone acknowledged by me will be promoted to a Reserve! Those who don''t will be kicked out of the guild! Dragon Fang is a guild without Recruits! A first and last chance! NOW COME!" A huge man with a booming voice which resonated with the surrounding made everyone nearby by tremble is now asking everyone to attack him. He is Randy Steelheart, a Senior of Dragon Fang. "Randy is at it again. This is why we''re always lacking in manpower." Axel couldn''t make out of what kind of face Arth was making as he talked, it was either embarassment or disappointment. Several recruits started leaving right away after Randy made the declaration. Only a few people were left after that, two mages, three warriors including Axel and Elea as the only archer left. "So you guys are the only ones left huh? Let''s see what you''re made of then! Come at me! I''m only gonna use this training stick so give it your all!" Randy signalled them to come as if he was taunting them. The two mages made a combination attack of fire and water which made steam burst near Randy. The purpose of the attack is to create a way to reduce the enemy''s field of sight. The two warriors other than Axel equipped with a club and a spear both ran towards Randy at the same time. While running, Randy raised his weapon high and swung it to the ground which dispersed all the steam that covered the area. This shocked every recruit present but the two charging warriors did not stop their assault. Randy dodged both of their attacks and hit them in the head using the stick which knocked both of them out. After that, he quickly rushed towards the two mages. They retaliated with their magic but the casting time was too long and Randy reached them before the spell was set. Axel and Elea were the only ones standing but they knew they had to win at all cost. Axel started sprinting to Randy and caught him by surprise but it did not end there. While sprinting his sword started pulsing a black energy which covered the blade. This was noticed not only by Randy but also by Arth. Randy also charged towards Axel but the arrows showering in his path made it hard for him to gain momentum so he stood his ground and deflected the arrows instead. When Axel reached Randy, he jumped as he wanted to finish this quick with an attack to the head but soon after he swung his sword, all the momentum he had was countered simply by pointing the end of the stick to his stomach which gave him a painful sensation knocking him out as he dropped to the ground.