The world around them was completely empty, an ending blackness surrounded them. There was not even a ground for the 2 to stand on, Jin and shadow floated in this empty space. The only light was the blue glow coming from Jin, but Jin couldn’t see Shadow at all.
“Um Shadow, please tell me you’re here too.” Jin’s words were met with silence, which was expected. “You know at some point we have to ask the Gods to give you back your voice, it would make things so much simpler.”
“The Hero has already had one of his senses returned yet you still ask for more?”
Jin recognized the whispered voice, “God of the Void, so this is your realm. Why did you bring me here and where’s Shadow?” Jin spoke to the voice while looking around, it sounded like the God was speaking from every direction.
“He is here too.”
The God illuminated Shadow who was desperately trying to maneuver through the air by acting like he was swimming.
“Ah there’s my silent partner.” Jin waived at Shadow and Shadow stopped trying to swim towards him then waived enthusiastically, happy that Jin was finally able to see him.
“As for my reason for bringing you here, I only needed Shadow but thought you might react… rather poorly to what I’m going to offer him.”
Jin and Shadow exchanged intrigued looks, “I think I speak for Shadow when I say we’re curious.”
“I would like Shadow to be my Incarnate vessel.”
Shadow went wide eyed, and Jin immediately was put off by the proposition, even angry with the God for suggesting such a thing. Shadow had gotten powerful, and he didn’t want to see him being mind controlled.
“With all due respect God of the Void, is that really necessary? Shadow is strong enough on his own.”
“Yes, I agree that he has grown quite a bit since being reawakened, but soon enough he will start to fall behind you and his current strength is still no match for the enemies you seek to kill.”
Shadow gave Jin a worried look.
“Does this have to do with what the God of Knowledge’s Journal had written it, the stuff about an Ascension?” Jin asked hoping the God would have answers to some of the questions he had.
“Yes, the Devil Emperor made a grave mistake when he tried to dispatch you 2- “
“Wait, it was the Devil Emperor that we saw before those portals open?”
“Do not interrupt me again, my kindness thus far was an acknowledgement for your trials you have endured. But do not take my kindness for weakness and remember who you are speaking to.” The God’s tone sent a chill down Jin’s spine.
He gritted his teeth and suppressed his anger, “My apologies, I meant no disrespect.”
“To answer your questions, yes it was the Devil Emperor, they tried to dispatch you by banishing you to the Realm of Giants, but they did not foresee your ability of flight, so when you attempted to leave the portal, you were thrown off course into an ancient realm. A realm long forgotten by all but an Original God such as myself.”
“What realm did I end up in then?”
“You were sent to the realm of the Storm God also known as the God of Lightning. A God that was defeated long ago by another Original God. “
Neither Jin or Shadow had heard of the Storm God, “Wait who are these Original Gods you’re talking about and who defeated the Storm God?”
“The Original Gods are ones that have remained their place since the dawn of creation, the only remaining 3 are myself, the God of War, and the God of Time. The others inherited their mantle among us, and it was the God of War who struck down the Storm God and absorbed what we thought was all of his Celestial energy. That was until you found remnants of it.”
“The Lightning Drakes were his creation then, imbued with Celestial energy like the Devil Emperor did with the Hydra. So, if the God of War absorbed another God, wouldn’t he be an abomination like the Devil Emperor?”
“No, when killed in Celestial form the energy is merely absorbed into its new host. Whereas what beings like the Devil Emperor have fused their minds and power through an Incarnate or a vessel, creating a powerful being that is outside of nature and creation. Incarnates are special because they have the ability to traverse any realm and grow their vessels power without limit although it takes a great deal of time to build that power. As Celestials we are bound to the Celestial realm or a realm of our own creation. The longer an Incarnate lives, the stronger it becomes.”
Jin did their best to understand the information they were given, Jin wished he were able to write some of this down and reflect on the God’s exact words later. “So, when a God Incarnates, what happens to the person?”
“They become one with that God mind, body, and spirit. Any sacrificed parts are also returned to the Incarnate.”
‘So that’s how Adeline was walking when I saw her!’ Jin had one final question for the God. “Does the God take full control of the persons mind?”
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“If they choose to, they can, but if one is strong willed enough then it is them who controls the God residing within them.”
Shadow had finally hovered towards Jin and put his hand on his shoulder. “Shadow actually has 1 more question, will you take his mind?”
“I see no reason to, so far, he has proved to be of sound judgement and strength. Does this mean that you will not interfere.”
“Are you really okay with this?” Jin looked at Shadow.
Shadow gazed into the Void. ‘I have to get stronger and having a God’s power seems like a perfect way to do it. Even if he does try to take my mind, I’ll fight him off. I know I’ll be able to. I won’t let Jin do this alone, this second chance I have is thanks to him after all.’
He looked back towards Jin and lowered his mask, letting someone see his face for the first time since becoming blessed.
Jin couldn’t believe that after years of working side by side with Shadow, he was finally seeing his face. In the beginning Jin would always try to get Shadow to take off that stupid mask, but Shadow would never do it. He even slept with it on, Jin had begun to think that it was glued to his face. Jin just figured that Shadow was scarred badly or just really ugly. But nope, he has been a normal looking guy this whole time.
Shadow mouthed one word, “Yes.”
The very next second, black smoke-like Void energy poured from all around and flowed into Shadow and completely consumed him in a black cloud.
Jin wondered if it was always this creepy when Incarnates were made.
After a couple minutes the energy had finished filling Shadow and his eyes were closed.
“Shadow you didn’t suffocate or something, right?”
Shadows' eyes popped open, they had turned completely black, and Jin could see the Void energy moving within them.
“So… how’s it feel, can you talk now?” Jin was on edge, wondering if that was even still his friend he was talking to.
Shadow pulled his mask back up and tried to talk, but nothing came out.
Jin sighed, “That is just great, now you look creepy as hell, and you can’t talk. You’re like a real-life monster from some horror movie.”
‘Yeah, well how do you think I feel! Now I have the Gods voice in the back of my head, and he sounds even creepier when you are the only one that can hear him.’ Shadow thought in defeat, he had gotten his hopes up.
“Shadow?!” Jin was startled and looked at his partner.
‘What now, did you forget to loot something else you goblin?’
“I can hear you and who the hell are you calling a goblin?!” Jin attempted to punch Shadow but he still couldn’t move in this empty space.
‘You really can hear me! Looks like being able to talk again wasn’t a lie. It’s just not in the way we expected.’ Shadow’s voice was a deep whisper in Jin’s head.
Jin opened a portal and it sucked the 2 out of the Void Realm and back to Earth.
They arrived back in the ruined city. It was still empty of life and Devils; not too much time had passed while they were in those other realms because the part of ocean Jin had frozen was still melting.
Jin felt a weight off his shoulders, he worried that it would have been like the Devil Realm and a significant amount of time would pass back on Earth while they were gone.
Shadow was kicking around the ruins of the shelter his minions had built them, it wasn’t much but he felt bad that their work went to waste.
Jin pulled out his notebook. “Shadow come here.”
Shadow approached and Jin handed him the notebook, he opened it and looked at the new entry.
Void Incarnate
The Incarnate of the Void has his powers amplified by the Celestial Energy now residing within him as well as having access to more powers from the God of the Void. The more enemies you send to the Void the stronger these powers will become, and you will be able to utilize the powers of the God more proficiently until your full potential is unlocked. All your physical attributes will continually increase
Your summoned Fallen may now be regenerated and resurrected based on their strength. Your Fallen will grow in strength with each enemy slain
You have the ability to regenerate all wounds with the power of the Void, but fatal wounds with a Celestial weapons can be deadly.
You may now use Void magic. Veil of the Void which will blond your enemies, Grasp of the Void will allow you to utilize a form of telekinesis, and Domain of the Void which allows you to turn the battlefield into landscape of darkness that will boost your strength as well as the strength of your Fallen
You have access to the Arsenal of the Void God.
Current Celestial power of the God of the Void is 63%
Shadow returned the journal to Jin.
“Your power is already at 63%?” Jin looked at Shadow.
Shadow gave him a thumbs up.
“You know you can just talk to me now.” Jin gave him a confused look.
‘Yeah, but we’ve gotten this far without me uttering a word and I’ve never been a talkative person anyways.’
Jin scratched his head. “Fair enough, do what you want.”
Shadow called his first weapons from the Void, and it was similar to when Jin summoned his own weapons with the power from the Devil King of Power.
He summoned to small scythes, they were a deep metallic black and exuded Celestial void energy. The blade of the one in Shadow’s right hand was serrated and the other was plain, but both were equally sharp.
Shadow walked up to a nearby streetlight a sliced through it without any effort. It felt like he just waived the weapon through the air, feeling no resistance as he cut through the streetlight.
Shadow gave Jin a mischievous look and then punched his fists together. ‘Round 2?’
Jin was hesitant about facing Shadow now, they were on equal footing before. But with his current level of Celestial energy, the 2 might not be. “Later, we need to start moving through the country and find the Devil Emperor. I can faintly sense a strong energy, but it is far and for some reason I’m not able to teleport anywhere outside of my view here.”
Shadow returned his weapons to the Void and rolled his eyes. ‘Fine, but we’re not walking. That seems like a pain.’
“You wanna scavenge around for a car? I doubt we can find a working one, it has been over a decade since the evacuation of all the survivors.”
‘Nope, even a car would take forever, and I have a better idea.’
Shadow summoned the Giant Berserker.
Jin craned his neck to look up at the Fallen. “Alright yeah that’ll definitely be faster.”
The Giant lowered his hand and picked up the Heroes then placed them on his shoulder.
‘Hold on tight.’ Shadow knelt and gripped the Giant’s shoulder.
“Wait what?” Jin asked and the Giant took off running at full speed almost knocking him off. Jin immediately did as Shadow said so he didn’t plummet back to the ground.
With each step the Giant was clearing over a quarter mile and Jin pointed in the direction where he felt the energy from the Devil Emperor.