“DHMA didn’t cover therapy, come on. It’s expensive.”

I’ll… try to bargain for a therapy package for you from my overseer.

“I’d definitely appreciate that.” Achylys replied with a solemn nod. “Now, moving on.”

He wiped the dirt off his face and took his focus off the map, which led to it automatically closing. It was time to leave this forest. He was honestly quite attracted to this place and the mysteries that lay here, but he had a more important goal. Neveah. He had to find her as soon as possible.

He took a deep breath and turned towards the direction of the dot.

Well, it was time to go on a fun walk.

However, as if on cue with some unseen forces, the System’s usual translucent blue screen began being filled with lines of text right at that very moment.

Danger! Toxic gas detected. Toxic gas has directly assimilated into the air.

Danger! Toxic gas detected. Toxic gas has directly assimilated into the air.

Danger! Toxic gas detected. Toxic gas has directly assimilated into the air!

*

Eriket stood there, his chest heaving with the exhilaration of the moment. He had never felt more alive. Looking at the big crater left by the Forest King’s explosion, defeated and humbled… it just felt so good. But Eriket was not gloating. Instead, he was filled with a sense of wonder at what had just transpired. It was as if he had witnessed a miracle, something so beautiful and rare that it left him breathless.

He turned to Asteria, a broad grin splitting his face. "That...was fun. Amazing." His words spilled out in a rush, as if he could barely contain his excitement. He felt like a child who had just been given his first candy, his heart pounding with joy and wonder.

But it was not just the victory that had filled him with such elation. No, it was something more profound, something that touched the very core of his being. Seeing a mortal do what he had just done, slay a creature as powerful as the Forest King, gave him a sense of pride and joy that he had never known before. It was seeing his apostle defeat Origin’s descendant’s descendant that made him feel so good.

It was like watching his own pupil finish his first big exam, the sense of accomplishment and pride swelling inside him until he thought he might burst. Eriket knew that he could have killed the Forest King even easier, but seeing someone else do it, seeing his apostle do it, gave him a different kind of thrill. It felt like he was slapping Cradle, but without sullying his dignity. He was a god, after all. He couldn’t slap Cradle directly.

Suddenly, a wicked grin spread across Eriket’s face, his eyes glinting with a maniacal glee that would have sent shivers down the spines of even the bravest of men. The room suddenly morphed into a dimly lit dungeon, the flickering candles casting dancing shadows on the walls, creating an eerie atmosphere that seemed to amplify the sinister intent behind his actions.

With a slight creak, he rose from his seat, which had also turned to a stone slab to match the ambience of the room, and made his way to his other god-computer, his steps quick and purposeful. He could feel the adrenaline coursing through his veins, his heart pounding in his chest, as he prepared to execute his plan.

As soon as he reached the other device, he began typing furiously, his fingers moving with practiced ease over the keyboard, as he meticulously crafted the code that would bring his nefarious scheme to fruition.

And then, as he finished his work, he began rubbing his hands together, a crazed expression contorting his features as he let out a wicked laugh that echoed through the room. "Oh, time to upload this," he cackled. "Cradle will enjoy it. He must already be panicking that he can no longer detect the life force of his descendant… Ohoho."

It was clear as day to everyone but Asteria, who was in a live call with him, that Eriket was too far gone. He took a perverse pleasure in the chaos he was about to unleash, relishing in the thought of Cradle’s fury. He… had become a sadist.

With a flick of a switch, Eriket initiated the upload, and the computer hummed to life, the sound of the fans whirring as the code was transferred to its intended destination, the Godtube.

As he watched the progress bar slowly inch towards completion, Eriket’s mind raced with the possibilities of what could come next. He felt intoxicated, imagining Cradle’s reaction, imagining how the other nine brothers would react, how the countless other gods would react, hell, how Origin himself would react…

Asteria, who had started a live call around half an hour ago to watch the mortal with Eriket, didn’t seem particularly unnerved by his behavior. It was like she didn’t quite notice the creepy giggles or sex dungeon like surroundings, and was in her own little world. To be fair, that was her speciality. She’d probably not notice even if Origin, wearing a clown costume, suddenly popped into Eriket’s room and began battling him with his tongue.

Asteria was instead focusing on a totally different aspect. “Isn’t he going to be finally gathering a team? Form a group, go on adventures! Slowly level up and prevent any dangers that come to them!”

Eriket chuckled awkwardly when listening to her. The mortal had long crossed such a stage. He was now something akin to a demigod in that world. Not to mention, he’d be targeted by every single one of the strongest beings of that world. Forming a party, slowly leveling up… those were but daydreams for Achylys, at this point.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

“Don’t you like those stories about overpowered protagonists too?” he asked, feeling somewhat guilty. This prank buddy of his had always been very cooperative with him, after all. It touched his conscience that he might be ruining the one fun thing she’d started on her own after such a long time.

“Oooh, overpowered ones. Yeah, I love those too!” The new topic seemed to distract her from her previous line of thought as she began smiling brightly with her eyes twinkling. “He could also go super overpowered and dominate the world!”

Eriket let out a sigh of relief at her words, his focus shifting onto Cradle once more. Oh, he’ll fume at this, he chanted to himself as the progress bar finally reached completion, and the video was uploaded.

*

Cradle stood stoically as he stared at the footage, his eyes ablaze with fury. The anger that raged within him was palpable, as he watched the gruesome scene unfold before him. His muscles tensed, his jaw clenched tightly, and his fists were balled up into tight knots, betraying the seething anger that bubbled within.

The footage showed the great forest king writhing in agony before exploding into a thousand pieces. It was a display of sheer brutality and mercilessness, leaving no doubt as to the perpetrator's intentions. The power of Eriket's representative was evident despite him not being visible at no point of the footage, and Cradle knew that the message was clear: no one could stand against the might of the god of time. Not even Origin’s descendants.

Eriket had shown it clearly to all the gods. His newborn apostle was strong enough to rampage in the world that Origin’s descendant had painfully handcrafted. Which god would even loan them providence, now?

Cradle was not one to be intimidated, though. So what if he would not be loaned providence? He’d just find another method. The Forest King's death would not go unanswered, and he was determined to seek revenge for the fallen king.

The man next to Cradle, however, was the picture of serenity. He sat calmly beside his companion, his eyes fixed on the screen with a strange mixture of amusement and curiosity. He seemed almost detached from the situation, as if he were watching a particularly entertaining movie.

As the footage played for the fourth time, the calm man finally spoke. His voice was smooth and even, belying the silent malice that glinted in his eyes. "How many times did you say your descendant managed to stop him?" he asked, his lips curling into a sly smile.

Cradle let out a growl of frustration, his patience wearing thin. "What does that matter?" he snapped. "We're running out of time here. If we don't act soon, Eriket will win! He’ll successfully draw out the holy Origin!”

The calm man shrugged, unperturbed by his companion's outburst. "It matters because it tells us something about the nature of our enemy," he said. "It will allow us to gauge Eriket’s new… toy accurately."

He leaned back in his chair, his fingers steepled in front of him as he regarded Cradle with a cool, appraising gaze. "In the end, do you want my help or not? I assumed you’d answer everything I ask and cooperate with me, since you need my help.”

Cradle seemed to realize that he was showing his anger in the wrong place, for he calmed down. Taking a deep breath, he answered, “Thrice. The third time, it seemed to have to self-destruct to bring him down.”

The man nodded, his slow, deliberate movements betraying a deep sense of contemplation. His eyes, sunken and weary, seemed to hold a lifetime's worth of secrets. With a heavy sigh, he cupped his mouth with his hand, as if to prevent the words he was about to utter from escaping into the world.

"What a shame," he said, his voice low and gravely. "A true shame indeed. How could you even underestimate the being selected by Eriket himself? Origin knows what powers he has."

As he spoke, his eyes seemed to grow distant, as if he was reliving some long-forgotten memory. His words were measured and precise, each one chosen with care and deliberation.

"You must understand," he continued, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Eriket is not to be trifled with. Despite his carefree appearance, he is not a being we can casually strike off. His power is vast and his reach extends far beyond even our understanding. Perhaps only Origin and Eriket’s elder brother can try and ‘underestimate’ him.”

“I didn’t underestimate his representative. I watched the live streams with rapt attention. His representative had no special abilities, and seemed quite we-”

"You fool," the man interjected, his words dripping with disdain. "Do you really think Eriket would reveal the abilities of his first and maybe even only representative during a live stream of all things? That was bait, you idiot. Bait for you to hand over one of your descendants, and shame us like this."

The man paused for a second, seemingly to try and calm himself down. "Do you think any gods would be willing to loan you providence now?" The man continued after the pause, his voice calm this time. "You have brought shame upon our bloodline, and all for what? A chance at fleeting ‘glory’? You are a disgrace."

Despite the man’s harsh words, though, Cradle did not react aggressively this time. He merely hung his head in shame. “I’m sorry, fifth brother.”

“It’s fine.” The man sighed. “You know what? Activate all four of your other descendants. And… that man.”

“Him?” Cradle gasped. “Do you think he’ll even do the task properly? He’ll probably just try to scam us out of-”

"Offer him an extra eight percent of our bloodline," he repeated, his lips curling into a sardonic smile. "He will finally become the 'eleventh'. That's what he's been lusting over for so long, right?" The man's eyes narrowed further, if that were even possible, as if he were sizing up ‘that man’ and evaluating his worth.

Cradle nodded, as if signaling for him to continue, and his fifth brother obliged. “I don't think even he'd risk losing such an opportunity," the man continued, his tone dripping with disdain. "And in your world, there is no one stronger nor more effective than him."

“That is… true.” Cradle replied. “But for the other four, the providence…”

“I’ll loan it to you.” The man replied.

It was then that the man removed his hand from his face, revealing a visage that was both striking and imposing. Golden hair neatly adorned his face like a crown, contrasting his black eyes perfectly. His chiseled features were set in a determined frown, only enhancing his looks further. The man's presence was commanding, and it would be clear at the very first glance that he was someone to be reckoned with.

"On the honor of the title Dawn that has been granted to me by Origin himself," the man declared, his voice ringing out with a fierce pride that was palpable. "I shall stop Eriket's representative in his tracks. Eriket might be thinking it's easy to farm our bloodline, but I'll show him. A new demigod shall not be born."

His eyes gained just a tinge of gold as he repeated,

“Never.”

*