[BOOK 2 FINALE] Chapter 82: Grand Crusade

[BOOK 2 FINALE] Chapter 82: Grand Crusade

Neave stared at the little golem, mouth agape. After thinking it through a bit, he quickly caught on to what was happening.

Neave turned to the plant and pointed at the golem.

“Are you doing this?”

The golem nodded its head.

Neave couldn’t believe it.

“You can understand what I’m saying?”

The golem nodded again.

“Oh my... What!? This is insane.”

This was indeed insane.

Not only was this plant seemingly sapient at merely the foundation realm, but it was also clearly intelligent. Neave kept looking from the plant back to the golem and then back to the plant again.

What was he supposed to do? What were his options anyway?

He turned to the golem and spoke again.

“Are you... Obeying me?”

The golem nodded its head vigorously.

“Why?”

Neave wasn’t sure what he expected, but the golem merely cocked its head and paused. It sat on the ground, pointed at the plant, then Neave.

“I have no idea what that means.”

The golem sagged a little.

“It’s okay, it’s okay, I’m not refusing your servitude! I’m guessing you’re glad I created you?”

The golem perked up. It nodded its head.

“I’m just... You know...” Neave turned to the plant, “Should I face the plant or the golem?”

The golem hesitated a bit and then pointed at itself.

“Oh, okay... I’m assuming you’re controlling the golem with your spirit power?”

The golem nodded.

Neave grinned.

“Well, well, well... What do I do now?” Neave thought about it for a good while and finally decided.

He walked toward one of the smaller plants and then turned to the golem.

“Hey, do you mind if I wreck some other plants?”

The golem vigorously shook its head.

“Uh... Does that mean that I shouldn’t?”

The golem paused for a bit, then shook its head again.

“So I can?”

The golem nodded.

“Sweet.”

Neave pulled a few smaller plants from the ground and piled them up. Once he gathered enough, he sat in front of the pile of glass shrubs. The golem bounced over to Neave’s side and cocked its head at him.The initial posting of this chapter occurred via N0v3l.B11n.

Neave smiled at it and patted its head.

“Wait just a moment, buddy. I have something cool for you.”

Neave spent an indeterminable amount of time melting the branches and fusing them. After a while, he had a pile of limbs, a head, and a torso. He put them together, using some of his knowledge about golem construction to create something similar.

He wasn’t creating an actual golem, although he was somewhat sure he could. Instead, he was making a golem-esque doll that would be easier for the plant to use than the tiny monster corpse.

After quite a bit of arduous labor, he was finished constructing a roughly average human-sized glass doll.

Neave didn’t know how much time passed when he left the realm, so he warned it that when he left, it might be some time before he was back. Neave fed it all of the life force he had as a parting gift and died, leaving the realm.

Once he was back, he felt a strange sense of anxiety. What would be waiting for him back in there? Would the shrub go mad with power and attack him when he’s back? He hesitated for a while, taking a few deep breaths and knocking himself back out again.

Neave appeared...

Within the library.

“...Huh? Shit, I must have messed it up.”

He did it again and once more simply woke back up.

Cold sweat ran down his back and knocked himself out for longer this time. He woke up and discovered several disciples staring at him in concern.

His breathing sped up.

His heart felt like it would burst out of his chest.

Neave shook as the realization sank in.

“I... I can’t get back in.”

***

In a heavenly palace, far into the highest realm, part and fully-naked people lay strewn about, lazing and napping.

They were all beautiful enough to shatter the mind of any mortal that lay eyes on them, but even they paled compared to the figure in the center of the palace.

It was a man with white, long hair shining brighter than the stars. Perfection wasn’t enough to describe his appearance. He had long ago left such subpar descriptions behind. He wore nothing but silken cloth loosely wrapped around his crotch, and even that felt like it violated his divinity.

He slowly opened his golden eyes, stirring all the people in the room awake, many of whom respectfully bowed to him.

The room stirred as the man’s arms both glowed faint purple. Once they realized what was happening, they gasped and screamed.

Runes etched themselves deep into the skin over his arms, telling the horrible story of supreme sacrifice. His arms went limp and hung loosely at his sides.

His left eye also glowed purple, yet he didn’t even wince as the runes seared deep into his eyeball, sealing it away.

He sighed, looking down at his arms.

“Down to once a day for both arms... And an eye for the barrier. Hmph.” That was the most he could afford to sacrifice.

He got up, and everyone in the room rapidly scrambled away. He walked, slowly making his way toward the balcony of his heavenly palace.

He walked outside.

The grand palace of the highest heavenly court hung in the sky above the sacred realm. Down beneath it, uncountable teleportation platforms stood etched, rapidly filling with people. Everyone who appeared prostrated themselves instantly.

The man stood silently above the realm, waiting for the platforms to stop shining and for his people to gather.

Once the platforms had filled, he remained quiet, filling the air with explosive silence.

Several minutes later, he spoke.

“I have been a fool.”

The words reverberated through the realm like a supernova, sending the masses into chaos. Countless divine servants shivered and shook, nearly passing out in fear and panic.

Rather than calm them, he continued with the same severe tone.

“A spark had been lit. If not extinguished, it will incinerate us all.”

Whimpers, cries, and shrieks of terror spread through the vast expanse.

“For the first time in eons, we must crawl down to a lower realm! Join me, my people!”

He rose off the ground, floating above the endless expanse.

“The time had arrived. Ready yourselves!”

The people got up.

“A grand crusade begins!”

[Jester of Apocalypse: Immortality]

[Book 2]

[END]