Mack ◐ was speechless. All across Ager, there wasn’t a single story of the gods descending from Caelum.
Indeed, even the Fell’s own histories knew of no such event. The gods had physically left Ager, not to return, though of course they remained deeply involved.
Adonite perhaps the sole exception, coming to him in one of his darkest hours.
And now, after the most terrible [Eldritch] invasion in the history of Ager, here was another. Argast. God of Spite. The Last. Argast the Little.
The Fell names for him were no better. Argast the Turncoat. The Opportunist.
But, whereas Adonite had withheld her power, here, Argast was ablaze in divine magical power. And while Mack’s understanding of reptilian facial features was mediocre, he did not look happy.
"Ok, sic sum miser. Concubinis meis ablatus sum…" [1]
And Mack didn’t understand a word he was saying.
> Ding!
Oh, maybe the System can help.
> Quest received!
>
> Kill Argast.
What?!
"Et ego ad aliquem occidere. Sed unum tantum vel unum habebunt freingum caput meum ligatum in grapheocratia caelesti proximo millennium. Ita quod unus ex vobis est Gur'godor Anodson?"[2]
Mack closed the quest, then opened it again. And when it didn’t change, closed it once again.
That can’t be right. Kill a god? And the System is asking for it?
Argast was getting a little antsy. He turned his head from side to side looking at the two [Mortals] here he was interrogating. The interrogating part was… not going well. Mostly due to a lack of answers.
"Salve? Loquor tibi hic deus."[3]
But, Mack continued to think, what could all that mean? Is this a test? Is it a trap? How could this… how could I commit such a heretical act?
> Ding!
>
> Quest updated.
>
> Kill Argast. It’s for an important cause.
"Linguae localis. Juris. Systema, quid est hic locus linguae?"[4]
An important cause? That’s vague as all hell. Maybe they’re trying to take away [Reincarnator]. Maybe they’re upset over the true magic.
Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.
> Ding!
>
> Quest updated.
>
> Kill Argast.
>
> Rewards: Power beyond anything you’ve had before. Possible apotheosis to godhood.
"Non, non, non. Nolo tesseram meam renovare. Lupis lupa!"[5]
No? It’s a reward. All positives? But… no, there’s something fishy going on. Argast—yikes, I’m thinking on a first name basis with him—is just standing around talking. Yeah, his power is pretty terrifying but that doesn’t justify—
> Ding!
>
> Quest updated.
>
> Kill Argast.
>
> Penalty for Failure: Argast kills Gur'godor Anodson and breaks your soul bond.
"Futuo. Novae linguae quasi puppis gustant.[6] Ok, where was I? Right, I am Argast, your god. Now, which one of is Gur’godor Anodson? Tell me quickly least I be disple—”
KRAPOW!
A blinding lance of light ripped across the valley, strangely muted as the eardrums of the witness broke. The brilliance lasted for a timeless moment, forever in a heartbeat, before finally fading.
As Gur ◮’s vision cleared up again, he saw Mack, both hands extended towards their visitor, fury writ large on his face. Mack’s skin along his arms was burnt blue, the first knuckles gone and charred. A deep furrow ran fifty meters, the damage from the true magic discoloring the stone an unnatural blue. A headless corpse laid at the end.
> Ding! You have killed the [God] Argast. Transferring all XP to victor.
>
> You have you earned 3,573,564,000 XP.
>
> 1,786,782,000 XP transferred to Gur’godor Anodson.
>
> 446,695,500 XP applied to [Saint Taxiarch] (U). Leveled up to 153. You are eligible for a Race Tier Up.
>
> 446,695,500 XP applied to [The Pontifex] (U). Leveled up to 153. You are eligible for a Class Tier Up.
>
> 893,391,000 XP reserved.
From his own perspective, Gur stared in astonishment at the System notification about his XP share. But in an instant, Gur was across the battlefield catching Mack as he collapsed, knees buckling out from underneath him from magical shock and trauma.
Mack’s eyes were open but fluttering and he was unresponsive.
Though the sun was now setting in the west, a second blaze now arose from the moon, Caelum. The battlefield was thrust back into seeming-daylight, as the half of Ager facing the moon bore the brunt of the new light. Though you could no longer directly look at it, the light itself was clearly oscillating back and forth, shifting in brightness and hue.
It didn’t stop.
It went on.
Indeed, after ten minutes, Mack even brought himself back to enough consciousness to seal the stumps of his fingers, aching as he already was from the overuse of true magic.
They sat, side by side, looking up as the heavens erupted. After over an hour, the light faded away. The moon was freshly scarred with furrows and craters measured in the tens of kilometers.
Across half of Ager, the sapient Races had watched in fear and awe, whilst the other half remained blissfully ignorant of the events half a world away. Until, of course, each and every [Mortal] heard a familiar noise.
> Ding!
>
> The Third War of the Gods has begun.
๛
----------------------------------------
[1] Ok, so I am very unhappy. I was taken away from my concubines…
[2] And I get to kill someone. But only one or they will have my freaking head tied up in heavenly bureaucracy for the next millennium. So which one of you is Gur'godor Anodson?
[3] Hello? I am a god talking to you here.
[4] Local languages. Right. System, what is the local language here?
[5] No, no, no. I do not want to update my password. Bitch whore.
[6] Fuck. New languages taste like poop.