Flying through the sky, Thera by his side while he sat firmly in the cart she was carrying, Ben was doing his best to block out the world around him, instead losing himself in his focus.
Now that his attributes, and most importantly, his intelligence, had all leveled up by so much from the potion he’d drank he had something he wanted to test once more, just to see if it was possible. Out in the normal world, the area of reality that he lived in and could affect with his own power, he once more wanted to attempt to see if he'd be able to actualize there.
It was something he’d already failed at once but at the same time wasn’t willing to give up on yet. Even if he hadn’t succeeded at it the last time, it felt like it should have worked, with the only thing missing being either more levels or the mental strength to do it, with the latter being something he’d just gained in spades.
Sitting at over seventeen thousand at the moment, he had to have had one of the highest values of the attribute on the planet, likely only losing to Killi if anyone at that point. Ben didn’t actually know how high the knowledge holder stood but he did know that the amount he had had long reached a point he would consider largely useless. As good as it felt to see his values rise, he didn’t know if he’d actually be able to feel the difference in his mind at that point even if it would help him with raising mind skills.
Actualization changed that though. It made intelligence something he’d spend in Myriad’s realm to use and now that he was trying it out in the world, he needed every point he had if he wanted it to work, leaving it only a question of what to try, pulling a vision to his head to see if he could make it happen.
Unlike previous attempts, that time his aim was simplicity. He didn’t need to try and create something that would capture all of his senses, he just needed to push beyond his current limits, meaning he was ignoring things like smell and taste to exclusively focus on the look and feel of what he wanted, ending with the idea of a small sphere, no bigger than a golf ball and a pure white in colour, making it as simple as could be.
All that left was trying to force that vision into reality, feeling the same strain on his minds and soul from the unfamiliarity of the attempt that he’d gotten when first awakening the skill by trying to use it in a lower layer of the universe while existence itself fought against him.
He had nothing but time thought and kept pressing, feeling the strain slowly get worse while he kept pushing, wanting to be able to say he’d at least given it his best effort until that ceased to be an issue. He felt reality bend to his will as his mind forced itself onto that plane, shaping it as he saw fit.
Just as soon as he got it, the sphere vanished, his concentration broken in a way that stopped the will he’d been applying, even if it was an unexpected result. Both in his god’s realm and within the gate network, once he made something it existed no matter how strange a state that might have been, but the same didn’t seem to be true there.
Just to test it he tried again, feeling how instantly easier the act was for both his level and success but needed to maintain his will the entire time, fighting against the universe to keep it up and showing him that even if it was possible, it still wasn’t going to be easy.
But that doesn’t matter. This is so freaking great!
Despite what he’d thought before he’d first awakened it, there really had been a good reason to try and push the ability’s limits to make it grow. Seeing early on that it could be used in tandem with materialization to reduce the mana cost for the act made it tremendously valuable, more than worthy of that bit of work and strain it took to make it possible. Being able to do it within the gate network was fine but being able to claim those benefits without limit was even better.
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And there’s still more for me to test too but we’re going to have to wait on this, we’re almost there.
“So, you’re ready to cause an international incident?” Thera asked, side-eyeing the thing he was forcing to exist in his hands that spoke of his accomplishment while he just smiled back.
“Don’t worry, it will be fine, I’m just going to cut loose a little bit is all, work out some stress and maybe if I’m really really lucky, finally raise one annoying skill. And with a lovely healer here, I’m pretty sure nobody is going to die either.”
“Gods above, what a worrying thing to hear.”
“It’s fine, it’s fine, the sooner you take us down, the sooner this is done and we can go back. Why, just look at them down there, already so happy to see us.”
What Ben was pointing at down below was the sight of the few priests that had noticed him, running into the church of Eneth in a panic after realizing who was coming. After all, their demigod had tried to kill him, it was time to pay them back for that.
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Felth was already outside when they landed, out of breath along with the other priests who’d followed him, all of them trying to prepare for whatever was coming for them that time as Ben jumped out to greet them, wearing his biggest smile.
“Friends, it’s been so long,” He called out. “Why, I haven’t interacted with the lovely church of Eneth since, well, since the outsider broke through. Isn’t that crazy? When we all share such a tight bond too, how could I leave you all without your favourite guy without even stopping in?”
“What may we do for you, apostle Ben,” Felth asked while the rest around were looking at him in open fear. Eneth’s apostle alone was keeping himself composed regardless of however he may have felt at that moment, looking at the one who’d trapped his son in the infinite hells.
“Ah, Felth, buddy. Always so professional, always so straight to business. Let’s step inside a bit first, talk a little, catch up.”
He was already walking before they could respond, letting himself into the church to find the statue of Myriad still floating in the air with multiple priests by its side, supplying power to it through a ledge in the ceiling which had once been the church’s second floor.
“Well, gosh dang, doesn’t it look like you’ve all been doing your best since I’ve last been around?” He laughed. “No more unfortunate accidents, I really respect that, you know? All of you doing your best to show proper respect to my god. All of you acting completely appropriately and living within your station. You’d never think that one of you decided to try and murder me while I was busy risking my life to save the world.”
“About that, I-” Felth began, not being allowed another word as Ben went on.
“It really hurt so much, you know? In a few different senses really. There I was, trying to close a portal to hell so we all wouldn’t die before the second wave. Just think of how embarrassing that would have been? The demons coming through and finding nothing but a ghost planet? And I was working so hard when I had an incredible spear thrown right at me. And I mean incredible, not so much the person who threw it but the item itself? Chef’s kiss, which is pretty obvious seeing as how I was the one who made it. There’s something very flattering about the idea that my work is of such a good quality that even demigods would want to use it. Having it pointed at me though? Less incredible. My items hurt. Anyway, it’s with all of that in mind that I come here today with two things. A question and an offer.”
“An offer?”
“Now now Felth, get the order right. You should be asking about the question first.”
“...What is the question?”
“How many priests of Eneth are currently working here?”
“Twenty-two, why?”
“Felth, we both know that wasn’t what I was looking to answer next. Go on, be a good little boy and play your part in the conversation properly, you hear?”
A sharp intake of breath he wanted to hide, Ben’s attitude couldn’t help but get to the man as he did what was expected of him. “What’s your offer?”
“There we go! That wasn’t so hard, was it?” Ben laughed, dripping with condescension. “And as for the offer, well, it’s this.”
As he spoke, Ben pulled twenty-two necklaces from his ring, each bearing a cubic pendant on them and being tossed at the other apostle’s feet.
“Duel me, every one of you. If you win I’ll sever the connection between our churches.”