Chapter 30: The Tournament Finale & The Eldritch Star

Chapter 30: The Tournament Finale & The Eldritch Star

Orodan rubbed his empty ring finger. He decided to leave his female book companion behind since he’d be fighting an Avatar. He wanted to respect her wishes to keep her away from Gods and felt it was better safe than sorry. He could retrieve her afterwards.

“So you really intend to stand against the power of an Avatar?” Akelrim asked.

“They aren’t as strong as you think. I saw one get bullied rather harshly before the Tournament,” Orodan replied, thinking of how Kultuanir the Frozen Instant oppressed the Avatar of Ilyatana mercilessly.

“If we had more time I’d even offer to teach you how to use that technique of mine,” Vespidia said. “But, knowing you, you’d refuse it on principle huh?”

“But of course. My pride as a warrior wouldn’t allow me to be satisfied with a cheap win,” Orodan answered. “Besides, should you be offering to train the enemy so freely? Won’t your teacher frown upon you?”

“Hmm, at the level of power that people like you and I possess, such political trifles can be ignored,” she replied. “Besides, Demosthenos isn’t as overbearing as you think. I’m in fact older than he is.”

“Wow... you really are an old hag on the inside,” Orodan casually replied as she gave him an annoyed glare. “But, I heard something of the sort. They theorize that your past life wasn’t on Inuan.”

“They can theorize away then,” she replied, shutting the topic down. “Anyhow, I won’t deny you’re powerful, possibly at the level of a newly advanced triple-Grandmaster... but to challenge an Avatar without divine providence of your own? Do you really intend to go head to head against Othorion like you do everything else?”

Orodan simply smiled in return.

“Now, it’s time for the final match, the event we’ve all been waiting for! The divine showdown between two warriors empowered by the Gods themselves! Orodan Wainwright, the divine juggernaut of Bluefire versus Othorion Evertree the elven prodigy of Goldleaf!”

The cheers of the crowd thankfully drowned out the annoying commentary team near him.

Public opinion held Orodan as the favored combatant.

His showings in the Divine Tower were superior to everyone else’s, and he’d convincingly defeated Vespidia and Akelrim, both of whom were capable of fighting at the Grandmaster-level.

In contrast, Othorion was looked upon with some level of disdain. His reliance upon divine power when he was pushed to the brink was seen as a sign of weakness.

Especially when he needed it for a halfling that could jump only a single tier.

In contrast, Orodan had mostly sailed through the rounds by using his own strength.

The two times he used ‘divine power’ were against the Arch-Devil and Vespidia.

He had won in a more dominant manner than Othorion had.

But, that didn’t mean this would be an easy fight. If anything, Othorion was likely holding back all this time.

The two stood looking at one another in the pre-fight face-off.

Long flowing blonde hair, pointed ears, and looks that would put many women to shame. Othorion Evertree looked much like a lot of the elves Orodan had seen.

“Orodan Wainwright, it’s a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance,” Othorion spoke, a serene smile on his face. “Given how shocking your strength is I’m surprised I haven’t heard of you sooner. Humble beginnings in the poor town of Ogdenborough, and all of a sudden, a meteoric rise in strength. The timing also coincides with the destruction of ten miles of the Aenechean Forest... how fascinating. I don’t suppose you’ll say what allowed you to suddenly become so strong?”

“You’ve done some extensive research into my background it seems,” Orodan remarked. “But I’m at a disadvantage as I don’t know the same about you. Although... you do look oddly familiar...”

“I don’t believe we’ve ever met before Mister Wainwright,” the elf replied. “Are you perhaps implying all us elves look the same?”

“Yes? Fair blonde hair seems to be a common trait among your folk,” Orodan honestly replied. “I’m sure there’s differences, but I can count on one hand how many elves I’ve met.”

“You... have not seen much of the world have you? Blonde hair is a common trait among the Ethweni-blooded elves, a genealogy stretching very far back,” Othorion replied.

“How has this genealogy lasted all this time? Do you perhaps... have relations within the family?” Orodan attempted to politely ask.

“We do not engage in incest Mister Wainwright. Rather, all Ethweni-blooded elves originate from a common ancestral being whose magical Bloodline runs strong within us,” the elf replied with some indignation but then schooled himself. “We are getting off topic. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you face to face and having a proper conversation. How are you so powerful?”

“How are you able to call upon the power of a God so freely?” Orodan asked in return. “Besides, we’re about to fight soon, so I don’t think your God is too keen on continuing this conversation when they’ll take over.”

“Oh? You’re quite confident that you’ll force the God empowering me to fully take over,” Othorion replied. “But, you needn’t worry. I never fully relinquish control to Faraine. One could almost say the divine obeys my will.”

Now that just sounded like a boastful claim to Orodan. What sort of God had such time and regard for a mortal that they’d happily allow their power to be used so freely without taking control?

Even if the elf had a phenomenal Bloodline which allowed him to indefinitely call upon divine power without harm to his body... it still didn’t answer why a God would allow such a state of affairs.

To claim that the divine obeyed his will just sounded arrogant at best and delusional at worst.

It didn’t quite add up.

“I can’t tell if you have some secret ability... but claiming a Goddess is at your beck and call can come across a bit arrogant, no?” Orodan asked. “Either way, divine power or not, I’ve been looking forward to this fight since this tournament started.”

“You speak as though you haven’t been using divine power yourself. Which God do you borrow from? I haven’t been able to get a read on it,” Othorion spoke. “But I will admit, we were always meant to meet one another... even the nearest competition in this tournament is far away from either of us. Today, I will prove my worth to my people.”

Further conversation was cut short as the signal came to move to their respective spots from where the final would start.

Words were unnecessary anyways.

Orodan much preferred to speak in a different way.

“Begin!”

The elf wasn’t playing around, and neither was he.

The instant the battle started, both Orodan and his opponent immediately rose to the heights of their power. Eternal Soul Reactor rose in tandem with all of his empowerment skills, and his weapons were drawn even if he fully expected them to be destroyed.

Orodan’s eyes were glowing with white luminosity.

Opposite him, Othorion’s eyes also immediately glowed and the elf’s body began releasing blinding amounts of light. Goldleaf’s strongest had also decided to get immediately serious.

A Flash Strike was executed, and Orodan blasted towards his opponent.

Othorion’s glaive intercepted him midway and the shockwave rocked the entire arena and caused the floor to shatter and the barrier to shimmer under duress.

A calamitous melee began.

Endless Blitz combined with All-Strikes met the Avatar’s attack. Sword and shield met glaive and it took all Orodan had to barely remain equal in the exchange.

The power of divine providence was quite strong.

The entire arena floor, reinforced to take Grandmaster-level attacks, immediately disintegrated.

The protective barrier around the audience strained horribly and the crowd screamed in both horror and exhilaration. To the public the exchange looked like a dazzling light show of white and blue. The less savvy among them didn’t know just how powerful the clashes were, being insulated behind the barrier.

But, the stronger people and tournament staff were immediately quite alarmed.

Multiple Grandmasters of spatiomancy, warding and even one of chronomancy had to immediately act.

The battleground was temporarily stabilized and then some kind of intricate warding scheme was activated. It wasn’t mana powered either.

Orodan felt the very battleground they were fighting on begin to change...

...and soon he and his opponent were no longer in the Grand Arena of Marasthus.

“Amazing! I’m using the upper range of power I can call upon and you can still match me evenly? I don’t even see any damage on your body from the power... do you also have some method of channeling divine energy without harm?”

The elf’s voice boomed with divine prowess.

It was exceedingly strange. Usually when the roaring voice that could echo for miles took over, it meant that a God was inhabiting the Avatar directly.

But from the sound of it... Othorion might still be in control? It was still the elf’s voice, even if booming.

“I’ll let you in on something,” Orodan spoke as he now began utilizing Mana Black Hole and Vitality Black Hole in tandem to drain the elf. Othorion in Avatar state was strong enough that he couldn’t afford to hold some of his more dangerous skills back. “I’m not channeling any divine power.”

“What?”

Eternal Soul Reactor flared and Orodan truly went serious.

Othorion wasn’t skilled, despite his divine power. The downside of remaining in control even when using such a tremendous amount of divine energy, meant that the very mortal Othorion Evertree wasn’t able to match Orodan in terms of combat skill and instincts. An actual God would've been more skilled in combat.

Compared to the regal elf Othorion, undoubtedly spoiled at Goldleaf and used to relying on divine assistance, who was Orodan?

Someone who had the willpower and drive to die thousands of times to obtain a single skill. A man who allowed himself to be transformed into a draconic hybrid only to revert the changes with sheer will afterwards. The warrior who resisted the Eldritch Avatar for a whole year.

The new battleground they were upon was a desert, sand as far as the eye could see.

This sand turned to glass from the resulting devastation of the clash between divine power and warrior might.

Slowly, minutes passed...

...and barely, Orodan was beginning to come out on top.

A spoiled elf who relied on the divine couldn’t compare to the combat instincts of a warrior who had stared down death thousands of times.

Orodan was used to fighting opponents who were stronger than him. Thrashing like a rabid dog and struggling against impossible odds was his regular way of life.

How could Othorion compare when he was used to bullying opponents with his superior power?

The answer was, that the elf couldn’t.

As the desert around them almost entirely turned to glass from the power of their exchanges, Othorion Evertree was being pushed back and struggling.

The elf was strong, shockingly so. But both the Death Roach and Arch-Devil Orodan had fought were stronger.

He hadn’t even been turned into a puddle yet.

“Is this it? I thought the power of a God would be more impressive,” Orodan remarked. “Then again, I admit you’re probably one of the weaker Avatars I’ve faced. I’ve felt the power of Chosen One Avatars, and you’re nowhere near it.”

“You... you’re just a mortal not even using divine power...!? How are you this strong?!” Othorion demanded and then schooled his outrage. “Tch... it matters not. Your strength is impressive, beyond even a standard Favored Avatar, but I have one more thing to show.”

Upon the utterance of those words, things changed.

The glowing blue eyes of Othorion Evertree turned green, and surprisingly his skin started cracking from the sheer amount of divine power. Even his vaunted Bloodline had limits it seemed.

But most importantly, Orodan now recognized him!

This... this was the elf who joined in at the last moment in his first attempt against the Eldritch Avatar!

“Oh so you’re-”

Orodan’s words were cut off as the dynamic changed.

A torrent of attacks came his way. It was now he who was being overwhelmed.

He was minced by a glaive and peppered by arrows which ravaged his body with their divine power and blasted cleanly through him.

Othorion was now fighting both in melee and at range. He would slice Orodan apart with his glaive and then pepper him with arrows whenever he blasted Orodan away. Wind-based attacks would be interspersed in-between.

Of course, Warrior’s Reciprocity was a concern for any opponent of his, thus the Avatar was taking some serious damage of his own. Albeit, the damage was being repaired constantly by the divine power.

Despite the rapid healing, the elf’s skin was constantly cracking and healing. He must’ve been under tremendous pressure and even the Bloodline couldn’t entirely prevent the damage.

“Is this what you wanted? To witness the power of Faraine in its full glory?” the elf asked with some contempt. “You should consider yourself lucky, few will ever get to see this.”

Orodan had to admit, Othorion was far stronger now.

The elf went from being weaker than the Death Roach, to now being stronger.

Orodan wasn’t on the level of the Death Roach, thus he couldn’t hope to yet match someone even stronger in a contest of power.

But what he could do...

...was survive.

Seconds added up to a minute.

His opponent madly continued hacking and shooting away. Wind blades empowered by divine energy flayed him to bits. Orodan was chopped into pieces and countless holes created from the arrows. At this point, he wasn’t even sure if any of the tournament officials could even safely stop this fight.

But Orodan refused to die. Harmony of Vitality was too strong.

The assault of the Death Roach was worse, even if this Avatar state elf was more powerful overall. The monster he fought in the energy well was more skilled and vicious. And it was possessed of a focused rage that even Orodan could respect.

In contrast Othorion was but a boy calling upon power that wasn’t his.

Furthermore, every attack Othorion delivered, was returned more than twofold. The wounds on the elven champion were horrifying, even if they healed at a rapid pace.

The elf was almost desperate, trying to end the fight quickly as he drew upon increasing amounts of divine power and continued hitting Orodan harder and harder. Even the grievous wounds the elf took weren’t stopping him now.

A madness came upon Othorion Evertree, he was desperate to destroy Orodan Wainwright.

But... even as Orodan was torn apart, his sword and shield destroyed... he wasn’t quite reduced to a puddle.

His weakness was that Othorion lacked skill.

Orodan doubted the elf was even a Combat Elite. No matter how much divine power he channeled, a low Combat Mastery skill effectively neutered him.

This was the problem with these coddled academy students. The problem that his first mentor Adeltaj had identified. When one was handed something as powerful as a Bloodline which could channel divine power near endlessly, it could lead to becoming spoiled and lazy.

Unassailable Fortress held the line, and Orodan barely began to withstand the assaults by utilizing his superior Combat Mastery. Draconic Mana Channeled Weapon Aura covered his fists, and he added an additional layer of defense which prevented entire limbs from being blown off whenever he clashed.

Minutes turned to half an hour.

“Why won’t you yield?! I’ve torn you asunder countless times now! You’ve lost virtually every exchange! Where does this endless energy come from?! You lie about not using divine providence!”

Orodan didn’t reply, and simply kept resisting and holding out.

It wasn’t as profound as the Arch-Devil...

...yet skill level gains could still be made.

Half an hour turned to a full one. And beyond that, in the second hour of endless combat, Orodan made some minor skill level gains.

The thing was, at higher levels, each level of a skill mattered far more. Going from 65 to 66 in a skill was less impactful than going from 80 to 81.

So when a number of Orodan’s combat skills which were above level 80 each began gaining levels...

...the gap began to close.

Orodan began surviving the exchanges with more of himself intact. Othorion looked utterly maddened as his original goal of killing Orodan quickly slipped farther away.

Finally, as a drill composed of lethal winds blasted a hole in his body... Orodan gained an unexpected skill.

It was the culmination of all that self-inflicted torture from the lasso.

[New Skill (Exquisite) → Wind Resistance 1]

With the acquiring of the new skill, the pressure of the assault lessened. His work with the lasso had finally paid off.

“Monstrous! If you were using divine power, you should’ve been burnt to a husk many times over by now. Your power defies all reason, and you truly do deserve to win this tournament,” Othorion declared. “But no amount of unnatural talent and endless energy will allow you to bridge the gap between mortality and the divine! I have one more thing left to show you... survive this and I shall yield!”

“Yield? Do I look like I want the easy way out? Fight me to the brutal end till you can’t move any longer,” Orodan replied. “Hit me with this last surprise of yours, but I’m not satisfied until one of us can’t fight anymore.”

“A battle-lusted maniac as well. But this is not up for debate,” the elf spoke. “In surviving for so long you’ve already forced me to go beyond even my prodigious limits of how much divine power I can call upon. The outcome would be... undesirable if we were to continue past that.”

Orodan grumbled, but accepted the elf’s tacit words of submission. The implication was that Othorion likely couldn’t fight past that point.

What the undesirable outcome was, Orodan didn’t know.

But this, would be the outcome they both staked their all upon.

The air trembled at the channeling of a truly colossal amount of divine power.

Othorion’s body looked as though it wasn’t able to sustain the damage it was receiving any longer and began almost falling apart. The glowing green color of the elf’s eyes turned even deeper, and the emotions within them changed.

Madness within the green orbs was all he saw. True, unfettered insanity.

This attack, would be dangerous.

The elf glowed like a green star and rose high into the air...

...and then descended right towards Orodan.

All his defensive skills were stretched to the utmost limit. Every fiber of his being was poured into defense.

Simultaneously, he pushed Endless Blitz to the limit and quadrupled the action to send as many All-Strikes as possible towards the attack.

The power of the incoming attack was somewhat weakened, but it was almost to no avail.

His consciousness nearly departed, and he felt himself go through the process of becoming a puddle upon the ground.

Yet at the same time, a skill that had advanced incredibly throughout the course of this battle reached a qualitative threshold.

[Warrior’s Reciprocity 49 → Warrior’s Reciprocity 50]

Skill levels were more impactful at higher levels. But they also gained strong improvements at tier thresholds. This was true the higher the skill rarity was.

Going from 29 to 30 was a good boost in the skill... but going from 49 to 50, Orodan felt that his return of damage on Warrior’s Reciprocity was over threefold now.

Finally, as he was reduced to a mere smattering of cells upon the ground from this apocalyptic attack which almost leveled the entire desert around them, Orodan learned two interesting things.

One, Othorion had temporarily given control of himself over to someone else for this attack.

And for another...

...Warrior’s Reciprocity could target even Gods through the Avatar form.

A wail of pure horror rang out for many miles. The very noise caused damage to Orodan’s eardrums and nearly ruptured them.

It wasn’t the masculine voice of Othorion Evertree, but a starkly contrasting feminine voice.

“...pain... pain! I can feel once more...” the voice wailed. “Where am I? Someone... help me... my shackles are so heavy...”

What?

Othorion had accounted for Warrior’s Reciprocity by now, so Orodan knew there must have been some sort of counter-measure in place that the elf felt confident in.

But, what his foe didn’t account for, was the more than threefold return thanks to the mid-battle skill level gain.

The counter-measure was a set of body enchantments which glowed brilliantly upon the Avatar’s body...

...but which promptly shattered into motes of light.

“Free? I can think... I can feel... who am I?”

This was Othorion no longer.

The female voice sounded mad and unhinged, but it didn’t even seem focused on him.

Before Orodan could say much, a portal opened in the air. Two elves burning with divine energy came out.

Chosen One Avatars.

One of them cast a dispelling wave that shattered every scrying eye in the surroundings. The other immediately followed by casting a complicated looking spell that caused flying runes of light to attach onto Othorion’s body.

Orodan recognized this as rune magic, an incredibly rare and difficult field to master. Less than a dozen known practitioners existed.

“No! I will not be chained again! You-”

Her words were cut short.

The rune magician Avatar cast a chronomancy field. This froze Othorion’s body in time but still allowed the runes to work. Using chronomancy upon an active Avatar, must’ve used an unfathomable amount of energy. Evident in how the rune magician Avatar’s skin cracked and his flesh fell apart at the turbulent amounts of divine power used in the act.

Slowly but surely, the divine power running through Othorion’s body faded out and the elf returned to normal. Another portal opened behind him, and out stepped Alcianne Rockwood and Heredin Aeronsul.

The chronomancy spell ended and Othorion fell unconscious.

The glowing eyes of all Avatars present vanished. This meant that the hosts were in control for the moment.

The atmosphere was tense. The Chosen of the Republic were staring down the two Chosen of the elves. Orodan was a mere spectator to such a high level stand off.

Alcianne decided to break the silence, however.

“Might I ask why you’ve decided to descend unto our continent without warning? We would not offend you by doing the same would we?” she asked... respectfully. Alcianne Rockwood was oddly subdued in her words, unlike her normal behavior.

Long blonde hair, and a gracefully aging female face. She must’ve been one of the Ethweni-blooded as Othorion explained before. This leading elf carried a curved greatsword and was the one who replied. Perhaps she was the Avatar of superior power?

“We apologize for intruding without notice... but certain critical interventions had to be made since this little one hit our experiment slightly harder than expected,” she spoke. “Tell me, young human... what rarity is that skill? My Queen tells me it must be mythical, for there is no other way a Goddess could be harmed in the divine realm through her Avatar.”

He was about to speak, but Alcianne put a hand on his shoulder implying he shouldn’t.

“Respectfully, we ask that you not pry. You are on Inuan, where faith in the Prime Five holds true among the hearts of us humans who live here,” Alcianne Rockwood spoke with an oddly wary tone. Exceedingly strange coming from a woman who would otherwise speak so brashly. “The details of our young talent are our business.”

“Given his level of strength, we may very well opt to make it our business as well. The elven pantheon has much to offer for such a talented human. Such prowess at a young age...” the female elven Chosen spoke. “Surely we can come to a mutual agreement to teach the child? Your continent is young and wild. Civilization upon this land is still growing since thirty-thousand years ago... when you humans greedily descended past the first gate and did not bother to kill the guardian from below that came out in response. Do you not think the three hundred-thousand years of knowledge and civilization we have on Eldiron can better promote his growth?”

“Our Gods will not stand for such interference from your kind,” Heredin Aeronsul spoke with some heat as the man interjected. “This boy is a talent beyond compare, and we are not willing to let you have him.”

It was surreal to hear the Chosen of Ilyatana, who he was on such bad terms with, speak protectively of him. But then again, continental and divine loyalty against outsiders seemed to supersede the grievances Orodan had with the Goddess of Fate.

“That is a bold claim you make Chosen of Ilyatana,” the elven Chosen replied. “Your willingness has little impact on the matter. If our God-Queen wishes it, the boy will come with us. How about you call your Gods down so we can discuss the matter in a civil manner.”

Nobody missed the challenge in those words.

To see Chosen Ones disregarded in such a manner... was unfathomable. The only person he’d seen bully an Avatar was the ancient dragon Kultuanir in Millennium Roost. But for this elven Chosen to also flippantly dismiss the hosts and call for the Gods they served?

First, it was Alcianne Rockwood’s uncharacteristically diplomatic approach. And now it was this elf’s arrogance. Was the power dynamic between continents different to what Orodan had read and learned?

He didn’t even know that Eldiron had civilization thrive for over three hundred-thousand years! None of the books he’d read mentioned that concrete number.

Another portal opened, and Arvayne Firesword, and two unknown people walked out. A man and a woman who Orodan hadn’t seen before, but wearing Novarrian attire. Imperial Chosen.

The eyes of all human Avatars glowed with a subtle sheen as the Gods took over.

“Might I ask why you’ve barged onto our lands? It’s rather uncharacteristic of the elven four to descend onto this young continent.”

It was the male Novarrian Avatar who spoke. An aura of death surrounded him and Orodan almost felt a tingle in the Blessing he held which allowed him to end his own life. A greeting.

This, was Malzim, the God of Death.

In response, the eyes of the elf also took on a glow.

“Malzim, this boy you have here is quite the profound talent. Let us take him,” a booming female voice spoke.

“You are quite insistent on this Cithrel... must you make so unreasonable a demand? Orodan Wainwright bears the Blessings of myself and Agathor. To give up such a talent would deprive us of power of our own,” the God of Death spoke. “But we need not come to conflict, how about after the matter of the Eldritch we reconvene on this topic?”

“No. Who knows where you will take him after this conversation? We wish to take him with us now,” Cithrel spoke. “We are willing to initiate a conflict over this. Perhaps the young Gods of Inuan require reminding of the difference between divinities who are less than a hundred-thousand years old... and those who have existed for far longer.”

“That is a hasty and unnecessary course of action,” Malzim replied. “While your Chosen Avatars may be superior individually, your hosts will burn out in attempting to fight us all. We have the advantage here.”

“Perhaps... but given the factional strife that has occurred between the five of you recently, what if I were to target Halor or yourself? You have only one Chosen each don’t you?” Cithrel asked. “How would the balance of power between your factions shift then? If you wish to avoid cataclysm, how about letting us guide this young one?”

“If you did such a thing... your buffer between Eldiron and the descending Eldritch threat would be that much weaker,” Malzim replied.

“Hmmph... bold words for someone who plans to leave this world in two weeks if things go awry. Besides, we have plans in place to outlast that abomination and the foul divinities it serves... even if that thing is far stronger than we predicted,” Cithrel spoke. “Now then, make your choice lest we make it for you.”

“And what of my choice?” Orodan himself interjected, refusing to remain a mere spectator in a discussion that regarded him. “What if I say I’m interested but wish to resolve the matter of the Eldritch first?”

“Then I would question why the Prime Five would dare allow such a heaven-defying talent near that abomination,” Cithrel answered. “My decision to battle the inexperienced Gods of this land is given more justification, especially if it means protecting you from their foolishness.”

“I’m not some object to be molded, I make my own decisions,” Orodan replied. “I have business to attend to in the matter of this Eldritch Avatar’s descent. I’m not willing to go gallivanting in Eldiron while my home continent of Inuan is destroyed.”

“You’ll have as much freedom as you wish upon Eldiron. Anything you could want for would be yours: battle, fame, companionship and wealth,” Cithrel tried to persuade. “We would simply ensure your safety and grow you into a power worthy of joining us in Godhood.”

Orodan admittedly took a moment upon hearing the words of this Elven Goddess.

Cithrel was the Elven Goddess of Beauty, Happiness and Wealth. She was the God-Queen of the elven pantheon, their leader. He felt a deep sense of charm in her words and was almost certain a social skill was at play.

Yet, the usage of a social skill didn’t change the fact that her offer sounded very fair. And her desire to see Orodan reach Godhood was more than the Prime Five had ever offered.

Godhood was something none of the Gods of Inuan had even spoken of thus far.

Unfortunately, it didn’t change the premier fact...

...that Orodan’s home was at risk and that the Eldritch Avatar needed to be dealt with.

“No. Your offer is generous, but I refuse to leave the matter of the Eldritch unsettled,” Orodan replied. “I have long intended to face that thing upon Guzuhar when it descends, and your offer of tutelage, while intriguing, won’t change my goals.”

“A pity then, I didn’t want things to come to blows... but your talent and potential are simply too absurd,” Cithrel spoke. “I just cannot allow you to die a pointless death against the foul beast of the Eldritch. You can remain frozen while we discuss matters on our end.”

Orodan had to admit, Cithrel spoke politely, but it didn’t stop the titanic amount of chronomantic energy he felt surround him.

He felt the very world speed up around him, or perhaps it was Orodan who was being slowed.

Nonetheless, he refused to go quietly.

Eternal Soul Reactor flared with incredible power, and time began to return to normal for him.

In spite of that, the Avatar of Cithrel didn’t remain still. The Goddess still attempted to channel increasingly greater amounts of chronomantic energy into freezing Orodan.

Except, a battle of energy generation was one Orodan would never lose.

Time slowed and went back to normal in cycles as Orodan increased his power generation, and the elven Goddess attempted to overpower him and put him under the effects of a time freeze.

Finally... she was channeling enough divine energy that her Avatar’s body began to fall apart.

The Avatar suddenly stopped and took a step back.

Less than two seconds had passed in real time, and the Inuanan Avatars hadn’t even acted, content to sit back and watch.

“Such energy... how? It’s as though you’re a walking divinity... not even a God of Time could pay the price to manipulate you directly with chronomancy,” Cithrel spoke, astounded. “The price to contain you while fighting these weak Avatars, would be quite costly.”

“Now you see why we are so unwilling to give up this warrior?” Malzim asked. “We have affairs that must be settled first, then we may speak of this matter again.”

“This isn’t over... we’re not willing to allow such talent to die in a futile fight against the Eldritch,” Cithrel spoke. “Fighting that thing right upon its descent is when it will be strongest, especially in the Valley of Spires which is suffused with Eldritch energy to begin with. A foolhardy endeavor.”

“Well how else are we supposed to fight it? By engaging in a guerrilla war and using specialized tricks and tactics to slowly whittle it down? By utilizing forbidden arts which possibly target the connection between it and its divine Eldritch masters?”

“Yes, that is exactly what we intend to do. Perhaps you too can see the wisdom in this course of action?”

“Well... no. That sounds like a bunch of spineless and craven nonsense,” Orodan replied. “I’ll fight it on Guzuhar, or I’ll die trying.”

“I see you’ve chosen a good warrior to Bless, Agathor. He takes after you well. He truly is a bull-headed fool,” Cithrel spoke, and then suddenly froze. “Ridiculous... it can return even insults? A conceptual skill at such a young age...”

“Conceptual skill? Is that what they’re called?” Orodan asked. “I sensed the inklings of something more to this Mythical skill of mine... but what is it really?”

“I don’t want to explain too much lest I color your understandings a certain way, but conceptual skills are a category of skills that involve altering the world through a concept,” Cithrel explained. “Whatever that skill of yours is... it can bend reality itself to return attacks, what concept it uses to do this, is something only you know.”

“Can’t you explain a bit more? Can others share this concept? Is it unique to me?” Orodan asked.

“People will claim to touch upon similar concepts, but in the end, even if two people claim to follow a concept of the same name, their individual understandings of it are different,” the elven Goddess explained. “That is all I’ll say. Any more and I risk potentially interfering with your own path in exploring your concept.”

“I see... thank you for that much at least,” Orodan replied. “But what about the impasse we find ourselves in? I refuse to go with you until I’ve dealt with the Eldritch threat, and I won’t come quietly if you force the matter.”

“I can see that. Rare is the mortal who would deny Cithrel the God-Queen of elvenkind what she wants... but I am not unreasonable,” she spoke. “I can see that you’re truly dead-set on dying against the Eldritch. If you wish for me to allow this... then accept a Blessing of ours that will allow your soul to reincarnate safely upon death. Your talent simply cannot be wasted.”

“I refuse. I’ve had enough of these Blessings for now,” Orodan replied. “I’ve come to learn that relying on my own power is better in the long term.”

“You are being entirely unreasonable. Can you not see how powerful you are? Your endless potential? You could attain Godhood itself in time,” the God-Queen spoke in a frustrated tone, even as her host’s face was emotionless. “Just why do you insist on rushing to your own death?”

“He does not owe you the answer to that! You elv-”

“I’m in a time loop, one that goes above even the Gods and nobody is aware of.”

The booming voice of Agathor which attempted to intervene, was forced into silence at Orodan’s words.

Stolen novel; please report.

There was pin drop silence in the desert as none of the Avatars spoke for a solid three seconds.

Agathor’s fist clenched, and the other Prime Five looked at him warily.

“...explain,” was all Cithrel said.

“Every time I die, I wake up on the same day, which is six months ago during the Novarrian attempt to utilize the ancient war machine under Mount Castarian. There seems to be no limit to how many times I can come back in time, and everything except my own skills resets,” Orodan explained. “I’ve died over ten thousand times by now. My physical age is seventeen but I’m probably in my twenties due to how long I’ve been in the loop.”

“And your current strength? How long, how many loops did it take you to reach this level?”

“When I started, I was but a Sword Apprentice in the poorest town of the Republic... I was bullied by a weak, bottom-of-the-barrel Adept in my first set of deaths until I grew strong enough to face him,” Orodan explained. “Over time and many deaths, I became able to fight Masters, then Grandmasters, and now I can fight an Avatar as you saw.”

“And you reached this level in ten years spent within the time loops?”

“Life and death battles are quite the advantage in gaining skill levels,” Orodan replied. “Especially when I need not care about the death.”

The battle against the Eldritch Avatar had now truly begun.

Orodan reformed and continued attempting to get in the way of its attacks.

Sarastuga the Blazing Light, the shield wielding Vedharna, the Avatars of Agathor and Halor, and the dwarven Avatar all instantly closed the distance and engaged it in a furious melee.

It was large enough that the supporting ranged combatants could still bombard it safely, which is what they did.

All of this in combination with Orodan returning the damage of its own attacks to it... was doing a serious number on the Eldritch Avatar.

Previously, he only saw surface level damage being dealt against this freakish creature. But this time, it was taking some decent wounds, courtesy of its own attacks being returned.

Orodan’s own attacks were utterly pitiful in hurting it. But incredibly, Warrior’s Reciprocity meant that he was contributing the most against the Eldritch Avatar! It was the strongest combatant present, so of course its own attacks returned more than threefold would do some serious damage.

All Orodan had to do was survive, and eventually even this insurmountable foe would fall.

“Press it further! We can slay it here and now!” Ozgaric roared as his Avatar continued savaging the foe with divinely empowered dual daggers.

There were no friendly casualties at all yet.

It was going incredibly well.

Which was why Orodan knew they were screwed.

The first sign that something was wrong...

...was when the entirety of the dwarven battery disappeared. Along with the entirety of the battleground they were fighting upon. Eradicated in a single attack.

Orodan himself suffered some serious damage and was reduced to meat chunks by what was a wide area attack composed purely of Eldritch energy. For it to do that much damage to him despite his Eldritch Resistance, meant that the power was truly unfathomable.

In the distance, the sea all the way to the horizon was covered with the familiar disgusting grayish purple of Eldritch corruption.

The entirety of the supporting forces had died; a good majority of the entire continent of Guzuhar had also probably died too.

Only the strongest of the Avatars now remained.

Sarastuga, the dwarven Avatar and the shield wielding Vedharna were still alive. The Prime Five had also joined together into a combined defensive spell which saved them. The weaker Guzuharan Gods however, had perished.

It was looking as cataclysmic as last time.

The Eldritch Avatar however... looked far more damaged than it had ever been.

Orodan could make a Lightning Depths Salamander, a species capable of naturally producing lightning, suffer damage from its own lightning attacks via Warrior’s Reciprocity.

This was simply that on a larger scale.

“Lies! Falsehoods! The truth cannot harm us! How has this occurred?! Which foul pest among you is capable of harming us with the truth we spread?!”

It sounded utterly enraged, which was a far cry from the calm butchery it carried out in the last fight. Its eyes then finally turned towards Orodan, recognizing for the first time in this battle, the pest which was responsible for returning damage more than threefold.

Pure rage filled the white pupil-less eyes of the mountain-sized Eldritch Avatar.

A massive hand enveloped him in its grasp, and squeezed.

It wasn’t merely physical, but also contained Eldritch and divine energies. His resistances partially helped.

Eternal Soul Reactor flared to the absolute maximum to empower Harmony of Vitality. His Fate Disconnect shield immediately broke due to how much soul energy he was generating. But even then Orodan barely stayed alive. He was almost instantly being destroyed and reforming multiple times in a tenth of a second.

Oddly enough, it was fantastic training for his Harmony of Vitality and Body Tempering.

But it didn’t help the fact that Orodan was dying, even as the Eldritch Avatar’s screams of pure agony rang through the air for miles in recompense for mauling Orodan.

Was this how the dwarven Avatar felt as it was crushed into a meatball the last time? He was caught and being ground into paste with no escape. His only solace was that Warrior’s Reciprocity was returning the damage.

His desperate struggle for survival continued for another thirty seconds, until finally a glowing ball composed of numerous divine energies drilled into the palm of the monster’s hand.

Within the ball... were the Avatars of the Prime Five.

It might have seemed as though they were rescuing him, but Orodan’s eyes could only widen.

He attempted to call upon a certain Blessing, but his soul dangerously vibrated and he was prevented from doing so. The source of the vibration? The spot within his soul that contained the two Blessings of Agathor.

“Agathor, what are you doing?” Malzim asked.

“Ensuring our survival my old friend, worry not,” the War God replied.

His Fate Disconnect shield was down...

...which could only mean one thing in this situation.

[Agathor, God of War, smiles upon you]

[Received Blessing → Warrior’s Servant - Increased affinity with Agathor and easier ability to channel his divine energy]

[Ilyatana, Goddess of Fate, smiles upon you]

[Received Blessing → Fate’s Servant - Increased affinity with Ilyatana and easier ability to channel her divine energy]

[Eximus, God of Time, smiles upon you]

[Received Blessing → Time’s Servant - Increased affinity with Eximus and easier ability to channel his divine energy]

Orodan...

...was no more.

But the divine coalescence of Agathor, Eximus and Ilyatana, came into existence.

“Excellent, now this is a host worthy of our divine providence! Three Gods of Inuan descended unto a host, against the abominable Avatar of three Gods of the Eldritch. Now let us do battle and see if such foul divines can invade our world!”

The divine amalgamation, fueled by the endless soul of its heroic host, erupted with power.

The two brothers, Halor and Malzim, cast to the side looked on in horror as the divine gathering of three waged battle against the foul Eldritch invader. Once the Eldritch was destroyed, the union would then ensure its two brothers also joined. By force in needed.

“They say imitation is the finest form of flattery... have you Gods of Alastaia decided to give us such praise by joining yourselves into one? Let us see whose truth reigns supreme.”

Guzuhar, was turned to rubble and ruin. The continent became lifeless as the holy amalgamation of Inuan waged a battle for the ages against the invading union of the Eldritch.

The mortal protested as it failed some meagre Quest it was given, but such a thing was beneath the concerns of the divine union.

The host body was almost destroyed multiple times from the sheer amount of divine energy coursing through it, but the mortal had some incredible skills such as Harmony of Vitality which allowed it to survive.

Its soul was also possessed of incredible strength.

Two months of battle passed. Guzuhar had long since sunk into the sea as heroic human might empowered by divine aid, faced the fell force of the Eldritch. All other Avatars had either fled or been killed in the resulting divine clash.

The divine congregation would prevail!

The union’s only concern was the growing voice of the mortal.

The unstoppable will of this Orodan Wainwright.

“Siblings... our union is threatened by the growing will of our heroic host... what shall we do? Against all odds, this mortal’s willpower can resist us even as our Blessings should ease him into the role!”

“But... if we cannot hold onto the mortal’s body... how will we enter the time loops without successfully possessing Orodan Wainwright?”

The argument continued among the divine coalescence for another month. Throughout this time, the battle between them and the Eldritch fusion continued.

Until finally...

...three months later.

Orodan Wainwright was whole again.

[Incorruptible Being 1 → Incorruptible Being 47]

That was among the many messages for skill gains he received upon coming to.

He wasn’t Agathor, he wasn’t Ilyatana and he wasn’t Eximus.

These three Gods could go to the hells.

Orodan swore then and there that he would brutally kill all three eventually.

“You dare reject our gift and take control yourself?!” his own mouth uttered. It was such an alien and violating feeling that Orodan never wanted to experience it again after this.

So far, the three Gods had managed to bypass Warrior’s Reciprocity by tricking him into mentally accepting that it wasn’t an attack, but a Blessing. Which was possible since he'd been relying on Blessings for a while now. A weakness he would be addressing moving forward.

Orodan’s first order of business then...

...was to consider these three backstabbing divinities within him, to be enemies. And their possession, an attack.

The following mental attack that came from them... was returned almost fourfold due to the increased power of Warrior’s Reciprocity at its new level of 63

“Sacrilege! You would harm your divine benefactors?! But we are not without mercy... join us! Become a God and rule the time loops alongside us Orodan Wainwright! We shall teach you all the secrets of the cosmos, the worlds... the System itself!”

It was a seductive offer.

Right from the beginning, these three Gods had never intended on defeating the Eldritch Avatar in this loop. Instead, their goal was to Bless Orodan and take over his body. To turn him into some freakish holy warrior possessed by three Gods. The counterpart to the Eldritch Avatar.

But, Orodan didn’t want this...

...he had taken enough abuse from these Gods.

It was time for a contest. One he was rather good at.

“If you want to take over my body, how about we play a little game,” Orodan spoke. “In the dragon flights they have a contest called the trial of abundance. Would you like to compete and see which of us can generate more energy? You three in your attempts to heal my body... or me, in destroying myself?”

Orodan almost felt the alarm in the three divine consciousnesses inhabiting him.

Eternal Soul Reactor flared to the absolute maximum, beyond even what would kill him.

But the divine energies running through him sought to keep him alive.

“Let’s see if a warrior can generate more power than the Gods...” Orodan muttered as his will, all of his minds went towards generating as much energy as possible.

The Eldritch Avatar didn’t stop attacking him, but Orodan allowed it as that would only speed up his goal of death.

He had already failed the second Quest due to the complete sinking of Guzuhar into the sea. He couldn’t do such a destructive feat himself... but when his world-shaking skills were paired with divine power, then it was a different matter.

Three days passed, and Orodan was already beginning to overtake them.

A week passed, and Orodan was on his way towards death at last.

Eternal Soul Reactor leveled up a few times from the sheer strain his soul was under. But his will was eternal and would not allow the slightest deviation in the structure of it. No matter how painful it was, no matter how it felt like he would explode and destroy an entire continent... Orodan never once allowed his focus to waver.

But most astonishingly, the Gods inhabiting his body...

...were running out of energy to provide.

His body was on the verge of death, and the Eldritch Avatar finally saw this as its chance to truly kill Orodan once and for all. Which was in line with his own goal of ending this wretched loop.

“Finally, the mutant aberration quails... we shall deliver our most powerful argument to close this debate once and for all. The truth of the three eldest shall always prevail.”

Orodan simply looked upwards as he prepared an All-Strike. The Gods within him were now almost impotent. He beat them in a contest of energy generation and he would die in the next two seconds from his own soul energy once their divine powers ran out.

But for now, his Eternal Soul Reactor was churning at a level he could never reach otherwise with his current body.

Before him, stood the mountain-sized Eldritch Avatar.

There was no life around him.

It was him against the monster. Man against mountain. Warrior against the Gods.

And he was alone.

He would never see the same people again. It would all be reset shortly.

These time loops were so very lonely.

The curiously melancholy feelings within were pushed to the side, and Orodan prepared an All-Strike to receive the apocalyptic attack coming for him.

The two clashed.

Orodan’s attack hit the Eldritch Avatar, and its attack hit him.

He dealt a horrific amount of damage to it, not enough to kill it, but enough to give it a serious wound.

Its own attack killed him of course.

As the blackness of death finally took him and he was completely annihilated with not a cell left... Orodan pondered about the loop.

He would never see the same Mahari again. He would never experience the same friendships this way once more.

And he once theorized that Warrior’s Reciprocity could in fact return a blow that had enough power to kill him. Even if he died.

That theory was correct.

[New Title → Avatar Slayer]

How ironic that the first Avatar he killed ended up being the strongest one he’d ever seen.

His own attack, empowered was enough to weaken it. And then its strongest attack, with the current level of Warrior’s Reciprocity, was enough to kill it with the almost fourfold backlash.

How... idiotic.

A keening wail ringing in the night sky awoke him.

An instant later his room was bathed in white light and he died.

He spent a dozen loops bringing his Eternal Soul Reactor back under control to below fatal levels before he could finally relax.

As the light finally dimmed, he laid his head back and just... took a moment.

He was back in Ogdenborough, a day before the awakening of the ancient war machine, and a whole six months before the descent of the Eldritch Avatar.

His emotions still felt heavy with the thought that the people he knew and everything he’d done was reset.

But he also felt light-hearted at the thought that a familiar old man would have a chance to live once more.

Before he’d departed for Guzuhar in the last loop, Orodan had learned of a method to re-organize his Status display. Apparently not many people bothered doing it. Only Grandmasters with long and convoluted lists that needed sorting.

Orodan felt that he was now in this category.

He thus summoned his re-organized Status.

Name: Orodan Wainwright

Age: 17

Title 1: Grandmaster Slayer

Title 2: One Who Has Experienced Death

Title 3: Wielder Of A Mythical Skill

Available Titles:

Avatar Slayer

Wielder Of A Mythical Skill

One Who Has Experienced Death

Grandmaster Slayer

Combat Elite

Sword Elite

Shield Elite

Physical Elite

Unarmed Combat Elite

Wrestling Elite

Woodworking Adept

Alchemy Adept

Cleaning Apprentice

Enchanting Apprentice

Laboring Apprentice

Blacksmithing Apprentice

Rewards:

Permanent +3 Action Increase

Skills:

Eternal Soul Reactor 89 (Elite - Mythical)

Warrior’s Reciprocity 63 (Adept - Mythical)

Eldritch Resistance 52 (Adept - Mythical)

Incorruptible Being 47 (Apprentice -Mythical)

All-Strike 80 (Elite - Legendary)

Unassailable Fortress 80 (Elite - Legendary)

Mana Black Hole 79 (Elite - Legendary)

Vitality Black Hole 79 (Elite - Legendary)

Harmony of Vitality 79 (Elite - Legendary)

Bulwark Physical Resistance 77 (Elite - Legendary)

Endless Blitz 72 (Elite - Legendary)

Mana Resistance 62 (Adept - Legendary)

Wood Communion 48 (Apprentice - Legendary)

Body Tempering 44 (Apprentice - Legendary)

Fate Disconnect 40 (Apprentice - Legendary)

Soul Strengthening 31 (Apprentice - Legendary)

Draconic Fireball 6 (Initiate - Legendary)

Death Rage 84 (Elite - Exquisite)

Iron Body 79 (Elite - Exquisite)

Psionic Resistance 75 (Elite - Exquisite)

Flash Strike 65 (Adept - Exquisite)

Draconic Mana Channeling 45 (Apprentice - Exquisite)

Vitality Destruction 39 (Apprentice - Exquisite)

Whirlpool Whirlwind 38 (Apprentice - Exquisite)

Fire Resistance 24 (Initiate - Exquisite)

Lightning Resistance 18 (Initiate - Exquisite)

Wind Resistance 3 (Initiate - Exquisite)

Weapon Aura 84 (Elite - Rare)

Soul Manipulation 83 (Elite - Rare)

Soul Defense 51 (Adept - Rare)

War Cry 35 (Apprentice - Rare)

Dying Struggle 82 (Elite - Uncommon)

Shield Throw 68 (Adept - Uncommon)

Power Strike 61 (Adept - Uncommon)

Mana Manipulation 54 (Adept - Uncommon)

Fate Reading 31 (Apprentice - Uncommon)

Pain Resistance 88 (Elite)

Unarmed Combat Mastery 86 (Elite)

Physical Fitness 85 (Elite)

Combat Mastery 83 (Elite)

Sword Mastery 81 (Elite)

Wrestling 80 (Elite)

Shield Mastery 78 (Elite)

Tool Mastery 58 (Adept)

Woodworking 54 (Adept)

Alchemy 53 (Adept)

Surprise Attack 45 (Apprentice)

Enchanting 41 (Apprentice)

Cleaning 40 (Apprentice)

Sprinting 39 (Apprentice)

Blacksmithing 34 (Apprentice)

Laboring 31 (Apprentice)

Flare 24 (Initiate)

Construction 21 (Initiate)

Maintenance 21 (Initiate)

Repair 21 (Initiate)

Magical Rituals 18 (Initiate)

Club Mastery 15 (Initiate)

Lumberjacking 11 (Initiate)

Parkour 11 (Initiate)

Intimidation 10 (Initiate)

Observe 9 (Initiate)

Pathfinding 8 (Initiate)

Thievery 6 (Initiate)

Identify 5 (Initiate)

Deception 4 (Initiate)

Blessings:

Warrior’s Heart - Increased talent and learning rate for all warrior related skills as determined by Agathor.

Warrior’s Quarry - Once you see your target they cannot flee. Your attacks will land on fleeing or evading foes and destiny will bend to ensure you find your mark.

Death’s Call - Whenever you will it, Death takes you.

Trickster’s Veil - Your Status, fate and soul are impossible to peer into unless you will it.

Warrior’s Servant - Increased affinity with Agathor and easier ability to channel his divine energy.

Fate’s Servant - Increased affinity with Ilyatana and easier ability to channel her divine energy.

Time’s Servant - Increased affinity with Eximus and easier ability to channel his divine energy.

The re-organized Status looked far nicer.

Even if it did extend on for a bit.

It was still the height of ludicrousness that he had managed to actually kill the Eldritch Avatar. In spite of the fact that it was with divine assistance that allowed him to hit harder than he ever had. And the fact that his Warrior’s Reciprocity hit almost four times as hard.

Yet, now Orodan faced a new problem altogether.

He was a Chosen of Agathor now. The God of War, if he detected Orodan in any way, might just attempt to descend unto him once more. It was a similar case for Ilyatana and Eximus who piggybacked the connection Agathor had in the last loop, taking advantage of the fact that Orodan’s body and soul could take all three Gods.

If any of these three Gods sensed Orodan, it might just end up in a repeat of the last loop.

Anyone smart would have run, sought allies, schemed and planned.

But to Orodan, the thought of fighting off divine possession attempts each loop just sounded fun.

He might even get a skill out of it!

He had so many possible options and goals for his loops ahead of him.

Learning new skills, mastering his crafts, meeting new people and fighting new foes.

Finding a method of getting rid of Blessings. Delving the abyssal depths and challenging himself against its terrifying denizens. Discovering the secrets of the ‘gates’ deep within the depths. Looking into the matter of the tortured Goddess Othorion called upon... and just plain old exploration and experiencing the various parts of Alastaia!

The world was Orodan’s oyster!

But for now, he was in Ogdenborough in the middle of the night once more.

His familiar sword and shield that he’d missed so much since they were destroyed, were at his bedside.

And most importantly...

...this hovel of his was way too dirty! It was time to return to the basics.

It was time for some Cleaning.