Eve stood up, brushing off the dirt from his body. Seeing the lack of sticks on his torso, Eve paused for a moment.

‘My stick armor is gone,’ he sighed. ‘At least sharpening a stick isn't hard.’

Looking at the avatar, Eve narrowed his eyes. Felix's avatar looked as though he was made entirely out of blue gas, and even the cloak fluttering loosely on the avatar was the same. It had no facial expression either, just like a blank mannequin.

‘He looks familiar,’ Eve thought, but pushed it aside. “What did you say?”

Felix's avatar floated in the air, slowly moving in circles on the same spot. But even though he was moving, the avatar was still facing Eve.

[I said let's beat those other players!] said Felix.

‘Players…? No, wait, a god that wants to kill other gods?’

Eve fell in deep thought. He wasn't unfamiliar with such gods—they were called Demonic Gods.

“You're lying,” Eve said, turning his head to look around. ‘Demonic gods can't manifest an avatar,’ he quickly dismissed Felix's words. Then, he thought of a trick he often used.

‘Sapphire isn't smart, he's retarded. I’ll kill him easily, he's too weak,’ he paused, ridding himself of any other thoughts.

Then, he took a peek at Felix's avatar. Nothing. He was still circling on the spot like a spinning top.

“Hmm.”

‘No signs of mind reading,’ Eve thought. ‘That or he doesn't have the pride of a god.’

Most gods are petty, that was the truth he realized after years of slaving away as a toy. ‘But what's the point of manipulating a mortal? You can force a slave contract on my soul right here and now if you have the ability.’

Eve, having surveyed the area, looked back at Felix. ‘Usually, I would be fighting desperately by now.’

Talk? Since when do toys talk?

Eve clenched his fists. His heart was beating. No, that wasn't quite right, it's more like dancing between fire and spikes.

‘This feels like I'm doing something wrong,’ Eve pressed down his smirk, forcing a frown. ‘And I love it!’

Every moment defying a god was a moment worth living!

[I'm not!] Felix started, circling around Eve while floating above the ground. [I've been on a losing streak, and I need to win at least one round,] Felix then grumbled.

However, to Eve's ears, Felix's voice was as cheerful as sand and as vibrant as gray. ‘Gods have the strangest hobbies,’ he thought.

“What game are you playing, God Sapphire,” Eve asked, but he had his own guesses.

‘He wants me to fight for him, so it's probably a death game. Gods enjoy gladiator fights the most,’ Eve felt his stomach sink at the thought.

‘I didn't mind it, it’s the easiest game to play.’

But that was in the past.

‘Right now, I'm helpless, I'll die,’ Eve was certain. He wasn't afraid of death, he killed himself once already. Not to mention that his current life was duller than mud.

‘If I'm going to die, I'll make this god's time as miserable as I can,’ Eve held back a wide grin. Gods toyed with him once, it's only right that he do the same!

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[It's a tournament,] Felix replied, playing along with Eve. [I need to win, so we must eliminate all the players… That's the perfect option,] Felic sighed, stopping in front of Eve.

[At this point, as long as we manage to reach the top 100, I'll be happy,] Felix paused, staring at Eve. Seeing Eve open his mouth, he hurriedly added.

[Please help me with my wish, Gray Clay King… erm, do you have a name?]

Eve stared at Felix.

‘Strange,’ Eve held his breath.

“It's Eve.”

+

[First, let's get you some XP.]

That's what Felix said before abruptly floating away. Seeing the insects crawling back, Eve had no choice but to follow suit.

‘What is ex—pea?’ Eve didn't get to ask when Felix halted.

[Found one!] Felix exclaimed, and when Eve got closer, he saw a creature made of mud. It moved like a snail, with bits of earth and gravel falling off of its body as it crawled. At first glance, he couldn't see a mouth or a pair of eyes on the monstrosity.

‘What the hell is that?’ Eve questioned himself when Felix unknowingly answered it.

[It's a Mud Clump, an E minus rank monster. It should give you enough XP to level up.]

“Level up?” Eve frowned, but thought no further as the Mud Clump dashed at him.

‘It’s fast?!’ Eve hurriedly ran to the side, barely avoiding the creature. ‘No, it's not fast. It's me who's slow!’

Not only that, the Mud Clump was at least the size of a human baby, while he was a mere finger-sized!

“Are you trying to kill me?!” Eve yelled, forced to roll on the ground as the Mud Clump made a tentacle whip with its body.

WHIZZ! The mud whip slammed on a nearby tree, scarring its bark.

[Kill you? No way! I only have you, why would I kill you?] Felix was flabbergasted. [Wait, you can't kill this mob?]

“Are you blind?!” Eve cursed and jumped back, but his back hit a tree. The Mud Clump charged forward, and Eve ducked hurriedly and tried rolling away. However, the Mud Clump’s body suddenly “melted” and caught his leg.

“Get off!” Eve yelled and punched the Mud Clump. To his surprise, the mud splattered away, but more crawled up his body lik a swarm of tiny cockroaches, sticking to his body like spoiled honey.

‘A chance!’ Eve raised his fists, punching and kicking the Mud Clump as fast and as hard as he could.

SPLAT!

The second the mud freed his leg, he crawled back and sprang up, turning around and bolting away.

[Why are you running?] Felix asked, feeling sour. [You could've killed it!]

“Are you kidding me?! Look at the size difference between us! I can't kill that thing!” Eve yelled and ran without looking back. Thankfully, although the Mud Clump could shoot forward a few times, it wasn't a runner.

In a dozen minutes, Eve stopped to catch his breath.

[You couldn't defeat the weakest mob…] Felix, although the avatar had a monotonous voice, sounded like he was about to cry.

Eve snapped his head at Felix's avatar and held his fist back. As much as his fists itched, he was starting to see hope. “God Sapphire… I…”

Eve thought for a while, but in the end he lost his words. ‘He’s not wrong, I am terribly weak.’

“Let me get stronger first,” Eve said.

[How?] Felix asked almost instantly.

Eve paid it no mind and thought of the theory he made, just before being abducted.

“Find me a clay man village. I need an army.”

[But little clay soldiers won't do much,] Felix countered.

Eve shrugged. ‘He knows about clay men, that's good, but he doesn't know about my unique magic,’ Eve felt relieved, before frowning.

‘Well, even I just found my “unique magic,”’ he sighed.

‘Should I trust him?’ Eve looked at Sapphire. ‘No, not yet. Maybe he's pretending.’

Sapphire felt familiar, but he couldn't pinpoint how. Sometimes, the curious cat dies first, but what is living if not chasing the tiger's tail?

“Trust me. Give me an army and I'll conquer this world,” Eve said and spread his arms. ‘As if that's true,’ he sneered.

[Okay… I'll trust you, little Clay Man King,] Felix chuckled, though the expressionless avatar twisted his teasing laugh into a mocking one.

Eve frowned. ‘Maybe I was wrong…’

+

[Here we are,] Felix stopped, hinting at Eve to look ahead. [This is the clay man village I found on my mini-map.]

‘Mini-map?’ Eve wondered before tossing it aside. ‘The language of gods is strange at best.’

“I don't see it,” Eve said. In front of him was a small clearing in the forest. Vines hugged the trees with plants covering the brown soil with green leaves.

[I don't either,] Felix said, [But it should be here.]

‘...how reliable,’ Eve clicked his tongue. “I'll try searching,” he said after nodding at Felix.

‘He’s a god, so at least he should have some competence,’ Eve tried convincimg himself. To him, Felix was becoming less and less like a god.

However, to his pleasant surprise, a thriving village was uncovered as soon as he lifted one of the leaves.

“ENEMY!” A clay soldier yelled, stunning Eve.

‘A clay soldier that can talk?!’ he watched, still like a vase, as the clay soldier ran away, presumably to tell the others. In a few seconds, more and more clay soldiers emerged, all of them screaming in panic.

‘Clay soldiers can actually talk?!’ Eve couldn't help but watch as though stars were dancing before him. ‘Maybe one day, my kingdom can be like them…’

Eve smiled. He didn't notice it, but others did. However, his smile stiffened as a clay king emerged from under the leaves.

“GRAY KING!” The clay king, which was colored orange, yelled while charging at Eve with his bare hands.

“Hmm,” Eve shook his head. ‘Not that smart,’ he raised his stick spear. ‘You have an army, stupid fool.’

“Come at me, Orange King!” Eve yelled, pointed his spear forward. “All the clay kings back home are weaklings. Orange king, don't disappoint me!”

With a roar, the orange clay king stomped on the ground, shooting forward like an arrow toward Eve. Then, he aimed a punch at Eve's head!

“Fast!” Eve praised, dodging to the side before slamming his spear at the orange clay king's neck.

“URGH!” The orange clay king groaned and smashed face first on the ground, but Eve grinned like a madman. “Durable too!”

However, as he raised his spear to give the other a new hole, his knees buckled as a punch stung the back of his knees.

“Who?!”

Eve turned back, seeing a clay soldier. Behind him was an were hundred others. ‘That packed a punch!’

Eve swung his spear, sending the clay soldier flying. When it slammed into the ground, it splattered like an orange balloon.

“HOW DARE YOU!”

Eve jumped back, just in time to dodge an elbow strike from the orange clay king. Squinting his eyes, he learned his enemy's strength. ‘The clay king is as strong as me, but he lacks skills. On the other hand, the clay soldiers are one-third of that.’

Eve smiled, standing leisurely as the orange clay king stumbled to his feet, still a bit dazed. “Come at me, Orange King!”

“Although you're destined to lose,” Eve held his spear tightly, a grin shyly spreading on his face. “You make my blood boil!”

The orange clay king roared, rallying his army to kill Eve.

At the same time, Felix watched as Eve fought the army on his own.

‘The A.I. and animation is top tier!’ He glanced at his phone, seeing that the viewers thought the same. ‘Not just that, look at my Eve!’

Felix snickered to himself.

‘He’s so badass!’

Just now, Eve kicked a clay soldier's head off while slicing the orange clay king's arm with his spear.

[Attention.]

‘Hmm?’ As he watched, a pop-up caught his eye. Clicking the button, his smile froze.

[Nearby player detected. Domination or Death, choose.]