Chapter 14: No Mortals Here (II)

“Aaaaaaagh!”

Helux’s desperate scream was followed by a brutal kick that sent Nerez flying and slammed him into the charred trunk of a tree.

“Gah!”

After the impact, Nerez felt like he couldn’t breathe, though fortunately it only lasted a few moments.

The fact that the charred trunk shattered to pieces must have helped keep his ribs intact.

“Aren…! What are you doing?! Now’s your chance!”

Aren, who had been standing there frozen, watching Helux clutch his smoking head and groan in pain, snapped out of it at Nerez’s shout.

“Sorry!” Aren shouted back as he lunged at Helux.

But his advance was abruptly cut short by an explosion of light that forced him to leap back.

“Damn it…” Nerez muttered, steadying himself after that monstrous kick.

[Death’s Touch]

[No mortal can resist the inevitable; mark those whose time has come]

“What an unnecessary skill for a librarian… And just as I expected, it wasn’t going to be very effective against an immortal demigod. But it seems it wasn’t for nothing either.”

[Cursed]

[-30% to all stats]

“Hahaha, I honestly wasn’t expecting that kind of attack at all,” Helux laughed, lowering his hand from his face.

There were no burns on it. It was as if the smoke, or whatever it had been, had risen from his very soul.

“I’ve decided it would be a shame to eliminate you from our little festival… But…”

The sphere floating above Helux’s head suddenly burst in a blinding flash of light.

This was far from the first time Nerez had gone through something like that, so he had managed to shield his face in time. But when he opened his eyes again, Helux was already standing in front of Aren.

“Guh!”

It was a savage punch to the stomach. Aren had no time to react; after the blow, he collapsed against Helux’s arm.

With a single motion, the demigod slung him over his shoulder.

“This young man has potential, but he needs guidance if he’s going to shine. So I’m bringing him into my faction, taking him under my wing, so to speak. You, on the other hand… would be much harder to control.”

As he spoke, the forest filled with the clatter of advancing bone and metal. The sound grew and multiplied until it became a single ominous murmur.

By the time he finished speaking, an army of a thousand skeletons had already closed the circle around him completely.

Dozens, then hundreds of bows rose in unison, taut and ready, aimed to punish the slightest movement.

“I wish I could say this is getting interesting. But for my Eidolon, destroying a hundred skeletons isn’t much different from destroying a thousand,” Helux remarked with a shrug.

“In one blow, with your stats reduced that much? If you fail, will you really be able to defend yourself with only one hand?”

“Hahaha, it’s true that, for some reason, your skeletons seem able to pierce my skin, but me having only one hand free in this situation is more of a disadvantage for you,” Helux shot back, adjusting Aren on his shoulder. “Weren’t you the one who said you weren’t going to sacrifice anyone?”

“What do you even want Aren for in the first place?”

“Because I plan to take control of Eryndea sooner or later, and wonderful as I am, I’ll still need a little help if I’m going to overcome Zorovan’s granddaughter,” he replied with a smile.

“And can you force someone in this world to fight for you against his will?”

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

“That depends on the kind of oath one swears before the Divine Order. But don’t worry, I have no intention of forcing him to do anything against his will,” Helux reassured him. “I won’t just protect him. I’ll make him one of the most powerful gods under my command.”

“Would he get a bigger domain than he could win on his own?”

“Of course. He’d be part of my faction, after all.”

Nerez crossed his arms and thought with his eyes closed for a couple of seconds.

“I wouldn’t mind continuing this encounter. But to be honest, I’d rather let you grow a little and meet you again outside this festival,” Helux went on with a smile. “When we can use our artifacts instead of just Eidolons.”

“There was a rule like that? Not that it makes any difference to me… But then again, no one running this whole thing ever bothers explaining anything.”

“Hahaha, but that’s common knowledge!… Honestly, I prefer close combat, but fists aren’t really my style. I miss having my true weapon back in my hands…”

He let out a small laugh, miming the grip of an imaginary weapon, but his expression soon turned a little more serious.

“Though if you really insist, I can make you disappear right now…”

“Don’t underestimate me. I’ve died a thousand deaths. One more won’t make a difference.”

Wow. I thought that sounded cool, but now that I think about it, it’s just really sad… Also, I really don’t want to die at all. What happens if I get sent back to the Silver Sea?