Chapter 71 The Pulse Of Civilization

The celebratory cheers calmed down as hundreds of people received notifications.

Half a thousand people.

Every member of the retrieval teams, the candidates, and haremites joined at the end of the battle. Most surprisingly, every survivor received one as well.

A universal notification popped up first, blocking out all over.

—

Congratulations on winning the special event: Road to Paradise!

Everyone who survived won the special event and will receive a reward. Parties and participants who won rewards will receive them now.

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General Reward(s) for winning the event.

(1) Light of Hygigia - Mass distributed in [00:59:59]

Effect: 10% increase in mental strength and fortitude and a reduction in negative perception of negative aspects of the Paradise Road event.

Negative emotion reduction is on a sliding scale moving from 0% to 98% depending on the individual's perception of the event.

It will completely remove long-term trauma, including post-traumatic stress disorder.

Note: It does not affect perceptions of the gods.

(2) - (5) Level Increases

(3) - (1) Mid-Level Health Recovery Potion

(4) - (1) Full Mana Recovery Potion

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Special Event Rewards

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(1) Transport the Most Candidates to the Sanctuary: 227

Party: Leon's Cultured Apocalypse Party

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Reward: Gift of Return

All candidates that remain with the savior's party will receive an increase of (10) levels, temporarily maxing out at Level 99 until conditions are met.

The (10) levels will drop for any saved candidate that leaves the savior's party.

Everyone in the savior's party will also obtain an increase of (10) levels, so long as 50% or more of the saved candidates remain in the party.

It is a system that rewards the saviors but protects the joiners.

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Transport the Most Survivors to the Sanctuary: 94

Party: Leon's Cultured Apocalypse Party

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Reward: Blessing of the Protected

All survivors will receive non-combat or survival-related magic that proves useful to the party.

Powers include skills useful for bookkeeping, administration work, architecture, cooking, cleaning, tailoring, nursing, and other professions.

The individuals could not have survived without protection. Since the savior party risked their lives to protect them, the survivors have received helpful powers to support them so long as they remain protected.

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Kill the Most Candidates: 1573

Party: Leon's Cultured Apocalypse Party

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Reward: Ruthless Leveling

The participants ruthlessly killed countless candidates to accomplish their objectives and level up.

Every party member gets an increase of (2) levels and an additional (1) for every 100 kills, temporarily maxing at Level 99 until conditions are met.

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(2) Kill the Most Survivors: 257

Your number: 149

Party: Leon's Cultured Apocalypse Party

Note: Team Titans were wiped out, leaving the highest surviving party.

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Reward: Rational Thought Elixir (One per party member.)

The participants sacrificed their humanity to gain a reward that would help them survive.

Description: An elixir that helps a person survive by removing part of their emotions that could lead them to make life-endangering mistakes.

Effect: Increases rationality by 10% and reduces emotions by 25% when making decisions mid-battle or during a crisis.

It prevents irreparable long-term trauma from a rational decision to leave a comrade or family member behind. It doesn't reduce the emotional impact of it, but it helps heal to a point where recovery becomes possible in the future.

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(3) Most Powerful Representation of a God's Virtues

Candidate: Four-way tie due to voting gridlock.

(1) Lindy Crestfall

(2) Caitlyn Mira

(3) Leon Traxler

(4) Tricksie Swarmtail

Note(s):

Lindy Crestfall receives high honor for demonstrating the full might of Charon's power.

Caitlyn Mira took part in killing over 80% of the demons, which showcased Greg's wrath, the highest honor an angel can receive.

Leon Traxler fully embraced his power, pleasing himself and his harem members. He protected them and helped two members break past Level 100, giving them the powers required to finish the event. Lastly, he sat on a nipple as a throne. ;)

Tricksie Swarmtail fully demonstrated the virtues of God Eren by becoming a titan to a candidate of a God Cronus and a titan to over 100 people. (3)

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Reward: A Legendary Gift from the Candidate's Patron God

Not all legendary items have equal weight, so there are strict rules and restrictions on gifts that patron gods can give their candidates.

However, there are no restrictions on (1) legendary gift that a patron god gives the candidate for this reward.

Note: Caitlyn Mira's patron god is in flux due to legal procedures, and she can choose the legendary gift she wants from God Greg, God Lucifer, or God Yuno.

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Most Entertaining Party

Party: Leon's Cultured Apocalypse Party

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Hidden Rewards: Three

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(1) Kill the titans

Requirements: Met

Party: Leon's Cultured Apocalypse Party

Reward: (1) Atlas' Elixir for every candidate playing a significant role in killing the titans.

Grade: Legendary

Effect: 20% increase in STR and 10% increase in STA. It also refines the user's physique significantly.

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(2) Kill or cause the death of 1/3 of the 5000 combined contestants.

Requirements: Met

Party: Leon's Cultured Apocalypse Party

Reward: Lyssa's Wrath (Eye drops, one-time use)

Grade: Legendary

Effect: Physical damage from bloodlust, proportionate to the level exerted. 20% increase for all stats for five minutes if a party member is wounded or killed.

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(3) Save Most Female Candidates

Created as a blatant show of favoritism to Leon's Cultured Apocalypse Party.

In exchange, the gods added the titans at the end, which could decimate most candidates in a landslide and shut down party members' access to Aphrodite's Corner and other shops.

Reward: Female Slumber Party Package

(1) Unique-grade pajamas for all female candidates.

(2) Unique-grade pillow for all female candidates.

(3) Unique-grade slippers for all female candidates.

(4) Unique-grade body care kit sponsored by Frigga's Fantasies (1)

(5) (10) Unique-grade god-size mattresses carriable in item storage. Each fits 50 people.

(6) (50) Unique-grade tents. Note: Cannot fit the mattresses; slumber parties are always recommended.

(7) Unique-grade Sushi Platter by Ukemochi no Kami (1)

(8) The party leader has slumber party options they can choose from.

(9) Anyone that sleeps in the same bed as the party leader during the slumber party will receive a 5% increase in charm and a 5% increase in positive mental development.

Note: Sexual interactions are prohibited on the party leader's chosen [sleeping bed] during the slumber party. A barrier on the bed prevents individuals from entering unless invited; asking to sleep in the bed will prevent entry.

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Note from the God Association:

The special event rewards are tailored to Leon Traxler in a blatant show of favoritism.

The events of the God Trial are not mandatory. They are simply opportunities to gain resources and demonstrate the candidate's virtues of their patron god.

We're gods; we've always been partial in our favoritism. Deal with it.

PS. It wasn't like any other party had a chance, anyway.

—

The rewards kept popping up one after the other, bewildering all the candidates and survivors in the area. They didn't understand the true magnitude of what was accomplished.

Before everyone could burst into cheers, multiple people started yelling. They were a few candidates and survivors from the Paradise Road trial.

"What! You killed survivors!?" One of the survivors screamed.

"Wait! Did you prevent us from running to freedom in fifteen minutes so that you could reap the rewards!?" A candidate yelled.

"Yeah! Are we just cattle to you!?" Another screamed.

Everyone was on edge. Hundreds of people had just experienced a serious traumatic event. It left their mental space clouded, and they could not yet think rationally.

Before the anxious survivors and candidates could begin panicking, Leon walked up to those complaining after stopping Caitlyn and Lindy.

Everyone held their breath because the lethal pressure he released was suffocating. There was no power behind his aura, but his eyes sent icy chills crawling down people's spines.

He stopped before the instigators, who were desperately looking for people to back them up. Unfortunately, even those that agreed averted their gazes.

"We didn't let you escape to freedom?" Leon asked, "Does that mean you're confident you'd make it past those titans?"

Everyone fell silent.

"Hmmm? We risked our lives for an hour to kill those titans in a way that wouldn't fall on you." He continued, "And you didn't have time to read the notifications during the time we bought you?"

Shame-filled silence washed over the candidates who felt salty.

"Five parties lost their lives. Malty, Rachel, Celine, Esdeath, and Misa!" Leon yelled with vicious eyes. (4)

"They sacrificed their lives for 94 survivors that had no chance of survival. Zero percent."

The survivors began shaking after remembering their situation.

"For 94 survivors that would have been slaughtered, many used as playthings first." He continued ruthlessly.

"Each of you needs protection for life, and you didn't become valuable until one minute ago when the gods granted you powers to help our goals in a blatant show of favoritism toward us.

So I don't want to hear you complaining about our decision to put the dying survivors out of their misery."

The survivors began shaking and crying. No one liked being reminded of the gruesome sight of candidates and survivors screaming under the landslide wreckage.

"Listen up! It's clear that many people forgot what my partner said earlier, so let me remind you!" Leon roared while pointing to Lindy.

"To win every one of these rewards, all we needed to do was have my other beautiful partner fly one candidate and survivor to the Sanctuary.

Then Lindy here would have boiled you alive simultaneously in a blood river. That's all it would have taken to kill and save most female candidates and survivors, demonstrate the virtues of Charon, and become the most entertaining party.

We'd kill the two titans on the way out and win every reward in ten minutes without a single casualty. Without risking our lives. Without experiencing pain.

And most of all—without giving a senseless speech to ungrateful people when my women deserve the right to celebrate!"

A stunned silence washed over the crowd. Having time to consider the option horrified everyone present.

Haremites were stunned that he called them [his women]. The way he said it didn't make them sound like property; it sounded intimate.

"Listen up!" Leon yelled, circling the new faces, "My name is Leon Traxler. I'm the only Harem God Candidate in the God Trial."

Shocked faces rippled through the crowd.

"I have a phobia about using women." He laughed, "I chose this power because I see the value in increasing the power of those I can trust. If you look around, you can see I'm doing just that."

Whispers waved through the audience. One of the haremites cheered, and the entire area exploded into applause.

The new candidates and survivors panned their gazes to the women whistling, clapping, and screaming in support of him.

"I'm the future leader of Harem City, the only civilization this world will likely ever know again!" Leon yelled, "And those that join us will become citizens and enjoy protection and comfort."

Thunderous applause rocked the airwaves, drowning out any discontent from the men and women that hated Leon.

"I will be one of only a handful of men in that civilization, if not the only one, and you don't have to fear desperate men!" He declared, "And you'll be surrounded by the satisfied women you see cheering now!"

Those who hated Leon because they hated men before meeting him widened their eyes.

"You won't have to worry about the protection because we have the strength to protect you.

We just demonstrated that. Our [retrieval teams] directly or indirectly slaughtered over 3500 beasts, titans, and superhumans to save your lives!"

Battle cries filled the sky from the retrieval team members.

"You just had a traumatic experience, so I'll forgive anyone who yelled or showed discontent a moment ago!" Leon yelled.

"So any woman can join us today, the day of this celebration!" Leon roared.

The new candidates and survivors lit up in fervor and joined the cheering haremites.

"We offer you to join us in building Harem City and restarting civilization again!" Leon yelled.

The city had a pulse, pumping with adrenaline.

"Even if you hate us! Even if you resent us! Even if you've plotted against us, so long as you put aside your prior grievances and do not threaten us, you can join!"

Confusion washed over the crowd momentarily.

"Because no one on Earth can currently threaten us!" Leon yelled, "If someone wants to court death as a spy…."

Leon paused and panned the crowd. "I welcome them to try."

A moment of stunned silence. A moment of shock. The area exploded into feverish roars and battle cries from the haremites who had joined him only one day before.

Each woman felt connected to their new leader, the man who was ambitious enough to fight against the gods to build their new civilization.

The plan to create Harem City was officially underway.

—

[A/N: This is a beastly bonus chapter for power stones milestones. Thank you! I set the chapters on autorelease. If I'm behind on a chapter, I'll post another chapter to ensure your reward is real. Notes are too long, so they're here.

(1) Frigg is the sister of Freyja. She replaced her sister after she got banned ;) The funny part about Frigg is that she's a clone of Freyja, and it later came out she was Freyja. If you think that plot armor is strong with this novel, you've never read Norse Mythology XD

(2) Ukemochi no Kami is the Japanese god of food.

(3) Tricksie shrinks people, becoming a titan to them. She shrunk a 350 titan into a toy, becoming a titan to them. That's pretty extreme, folks. On a side note, I'm accepting compliments for creativity here. XD

(4) Getting angry over the deaths of those five women is ironic. I corrected their life status for everyone. Disregard this note if you have no idea what I'm talking about.

Don't worry about Reina. I won't add toxicity to Leon's leadership harem dynamics. She's a surprisingly fun character, but don't expect her or anyone except Caitlyn, Lindy, and Tricksie to enter Leon's intimate harem.

A person's level is not indicative of their power. While Lindy is powerful, she can only attack three times a day, and her power is dangerous to allies. Even if Lindy were 30 levels above Caitlyn, it wouldn't change the latter's overwhelming power.]