(A/N: To celebrate achieving 100k views there will be a 2500 word chapter dropping tomorrow and that will also be the 100th chapter. Also, the poll will close today as way more people have already voted.)
|Jude|
"So you're the Black Pope," I said.
"They call me that now? How flattering that a being like you would even bother to know a nobody like me," he replied, his formal tone grating on my nerves.
He grinned again before saying, "So, do you think this world is just a Relictomb?"
I was taken aback by his words, my eyes widening in shock.
As I tried to process the shocking revelation about the existence of another world, the Pope continued with his taunting remarks.
"You don't even know the true identity of the Asuras who rule your own world, yet you come to ours for a mission. What a pathetic fool."
I gritted my teeth, feeling the anger rise within me. Why did he feel the need to mock me at every turn?
But then he surprised me by making an offer.
"Just for fun, I'll make you a deal. Don't interfere in the war between the Church and the Hyperion Empire, and I'll help you clear your quests. I can guarantee that you won't have a quest that requires you to save the Empire."
I hesitated. On one hand, it was tempting to take the deal and get out of this world quickly. On the other hand, I couldn't just abandon the people of the Empire to their fate.
"Why should I trust you?" I asked, trying to buy myself some time.
The Pope chuckled. "You don't have to trust me. You just have to decide whether your own goals are worth risking the lives of others."
I glared at him, but he had a point. My own goals were important, but I couldn't let innocent lives be sacrificed just to fulfill them.
After a moment of contemplation, I shook my head. "I can't accept your deal. I won't abandon the people of the Empire."
"I thought you would be different from those cliché heroes who care about saving the world while ignoring the real important details, but I guess I overestimated you," he replied while raising his hands.
As the Pope launched his black holy power at me, I responded by summoning shields of Creation to block his attack. I then merged the particles of aether and mana, using the Star Buster technique to create a more advanced spell that utilized both energies.
However, the Pope proved to be a formidable opponent, using his holy power to block my attacks. I decided to use my Aether Runic Sword to take advantage of his momentary distraction, unleashing the Divine Execution technique to cleave through his bubble of holy power.
But my victory was short-lived as I encountered a sticky and solid layer of holy power, preventing me from landing a fatal blow. With a quick flap of my wings, I rushed towards him and delivered a devastating punch with Fadarr's Judgement, breaking through the circles of holy power he put up to defend himself.
I was surprised at how weak he seemed compared to the rumors I'd heard about him. Nevertheless, I wasn't going to let my guard down. I quickly created a new subspace using spatium, cutting off the Pope's connection to his "God" and causing his holy power to wither away.
"How did you cut my connection to my God?!" the Pope screamed, reaching for an onyx object around his neck and beginning to pray.
"Don't worry," I reassured him with a smile. "No one can interrupt us here."
As I braced myself for battle, an ominous black light permeated the subspace. My heart raced as I realized that no one, no matter how powerful, should be able to interfere in this space. I looked up and saw a black sun looming overhead, paralyzing me with fear before I managed to regain my composure.
The flames that descended around me were devoid of heat, yet they consumed everything in their path. My attempts to gather aether and mana to fight back were in vain; they simply ignited and burned away without resistance.
In that moment, I realized that this being was on an entirely different level from anyone I had encountered before. Even Windsom, Aldir, and Agrona paled in comparison to the power emanating from him. Was he even stronger than Kezess, the most powerful Asura I had ever met?
"How did you manage to enter this space?" I asked, unable to hide the fear in my voice. I knew that the laws of aether dictated that no one should be able to intervene in a subspace, no matter how mighty they were.
The person before me had wings like those of a phoenix, but instead of their usual vibrant colors, they were a somber charcoal black. I recognized him instantly as one of the most powerful Asuras, rumored to have joined forces with Agrona after being defeated by Kezess.
As the dark phoenix descended, I felt a chill run down my spine. This was Mordain Asclepius, the Lost Prince of his clan and former best friend of Kezess Indrath. He was the one who led his brethren to their fall after they rebelled against Kezess.
I couldn't help but wonder how he ended up here in this subspace. I had heard rumors that Mordain was close to the Djinns, which was why he rebelled against Kezess after he wiped them out. But to think he was familiar enough with the other world they discovered to escape here was surprising.
As he drew closer, I noticed that something was off about him. Instead of the liveliness and strength that phoenixes typically exude, he seemed almost like a zombie. Although he still carried power, the cadence of his descent and his eyes suggested that something was very wrong.
"Mordain," I said cautiously, "I haven't heard someone call you that for a long time. Last time I heard that name was when Kezess threw you to Dicathen after defeating you and crushing your rebellion."
He barely lifted his head to acknowledge me. "That's right," he replied in a hollow voice, "but that was a long time ago."
It was then that I realized something was seriously amiss. After Mordain lost to Kezess, he managed to escape to this world and somehow learned to bestow his powers, becoming known as God Ra. However, for some reason, he had now become like this, with his Asuran magic fading away.
As the realization hit me, a message appeared in my mind.
DING DING DING!
Main Quest 2: Find the identity of God Ra: COMPLETED!
Main Quest 3: Save Mordain Asclepius before he destroys this world.