In front of Azarus sat a blank canvas, pinned to the air with pieces of his will. To his left hung a series of old notifications. The screens had been happy to demonstrate their willingness to comply, presenting his notification log in a scrollable format, as soon as Azarus showed an equal willingness to play along. They had even held off on presenting the waiting notifications while he puzzled out the old ones, a suspiciously generous showing.
Azarus glanced over to the mirror, saw Moka’s irritated face as she jumped over yet another cactus, and put his grudge to the side for the moment. He flipped through his completed Quests, painting down a few quick notes as he did so, with a charcoal gray paint infused with the barest fraction of his domain. Making a few mental notes of how many Divine Points he had spent, he did a few quick calculations.
A quick glance over his initial findings divided the Quest rewards into ranks. They rewarded some Quests more than others, but there was a specific pattern in the numbers. Azarus left that mystery where it was and moved onto the next. He would decipher the pattern when he received his new notifications. For now, he nursed a suspicion they separated into Minor, Moderate, and Major tiers, like the gifts.
It was high time he deduced the exact relationship between these ‘Divine Points’ and his domain.
Azarus sank his awareness into himself. When he was born, he had sent the essence of his domain through the universe with his proclamation. As the essence forged itself through a countless number of experiences, each touching on the same concept, something cut Azarus’s connection to it. With each influx of Divine Points, that severed tie seemed to mend a thread at a time.
He dove into his connection with his domain. It seemed to blossom before him, opening until he was in a field of tri-color embers. The field reminded Azarus of what he thought a small family might use to feed themselves, a far cry from the endless ocean of fire he expected his domain to be. His flames lay in dormant embers, waiting to be fanned to life. Azarus knew from experience that the flames would not last. Until he could claim his title and ignite his domain, he was working with a fraction of the dregs. Even then, he suspected his access was dictated by the number and quality of Quests he had completed.
Still, with the barest hints of his power, Azarus had laid the god of [Majestic Clouds] low. It was something to be proud of, and Azarus was. When this field was a proper ocean of flame, he would be complete once more. Then, few would dare try to stop him from molding reality in his image, as it always should have been.
Azarus sighed and wandered the small portion of his domain he had reclaimed. He put thoughts of what should be, or could have been, aside. Reality was a cruel mistress when not chained to his will. He supposed, if he viewed his situation generously, it was only fair that he experienced both sides of things before ruling others. Considering, and dismissing, that humbling gods was the purpose of the Trials, Azarus examined the embers individually, searching for a clue.
Before long, Azarus came across a piece of charcoal at the edge of his power. He almost did not notice it, but for the fact it crumbled to ash beneath his will as his attention passed over it. Frowning, Azarus gathered the specks of ash before they could disintegrate into nothingness. Using his immense will to examine the ash, he searched for the dormant flame the rest of the field contained. He found none.
Azarus let the ash disappear, his awareness sifting through the rest of the embers, searching for more charcoal. To his dismay, he found it. It was a small amount. Perhaps a handful. However, the implications were clear and unpleasant. Spending Divine Points leeched a permanent portion of his domain.
Returning his awareness to the hall he physically occupied, Azarus painted down his findings. He swallowed the feeling of revolt rising inside him. With a heavy heart, he wiped away a crooked letter with his sleeve, a product of his wavering attention. Knowing that he was losing pieces of himself each time he made a purchase did not change his situation. He had to continue forward.
With the feeling of his domain being sacrificed as he purchased a [Miracle] seared into his heart, Azarus searched his memories for a discrepancy that stuck out. When he had used [Through Mortal Eyes] he also felt drained, but not in the same way. It occurred to him the screens leeched his divinity, so to say, for use of the ability, but it was curious. They had not robbed his divinity from him like they had his domain. There was no reason for it to be taxed by something as simple as peering through the planes to see through his champion’s eyes.
After some thought, Azarus marked down the hypothesis that his lack of domain stunted his divinity’s growth. It made a certain sense, but there was no way to prove it. He would continue to exercise his will and note any growth.
With divinity on his mind, Azarus held out his hand as if to receive something. He spoke to the air in front of him, attempting to keep his tone between the realms of a request and a demand. The screens were temperamental, after all.
“Kuscal’s Divinity.”
A screen flickered to life over his open palm. The screen’s placement implied it understood what Azarus wanted. Its contents screamed it did not care.
Exchange Available!
You may exchange [The God of Majestic Cloud’s] Divinity for one of the following options:
-Divine Points x250
-Divine Store Token x1
-Upgrade Token x5
-New Champion Select
-[Divine Insight]
Azarus had intended to try consuming Kuscal’s Divinity to bolster his own. When it became clear the screens had no intention of releasing his prize, he pinched his brow. He should have seen the screen’s greed coming. It could claim his spoils and offer him lesser prizes, and had no reason not to.
He took a moment to encourage himself to stay pragmatic, then proceeded to examine his options. The first three were straight forward. Divine Points would expand his connection to his domain, increase his buying power, and ultimately drain more of his domain. He had not used his Divine Store Token yet, but he would bet it allowed him one free purchase. The Upgrade Tokens would grant him more things like Moka’s Class upgrade from [Boon of the Prodigy]. What made the options useful was how it outlined comparative value.
Azarus painted his understanding of prices onto the canvas. The most expensive thing in the Divine Store were Unlocks, at 250 points apiece. A Divine Store Token’s max value was then 250 points, making Upgrade tokens 50 each. That made the first three options equal in value, if not function. Arguably, the last two were worth the same.
Azarus felt himself drawn to selecting a new champion. Last he checked, the Divine Store did not have the option. He guessed when it did, it would cost 250 points. However, scarcity increases value. Many benefits sprang to mind when he considered choosing a second champion. He had quite enjoyed Moka’s interactions with Granon, and he felt they grounded her, making her less of a rage-fueled killing machine. He liked her more as a person when she was being one.
If Azarus had his way, he would select the monster hunter. An experienced, level-headed, human companion would be exactly what Moka needed to more align herself with Azarus’s ideals. However, so far, the screens had seemed reluctant to offer the same options twice. If he got stuck with a champion like the minotaur, he would be hard-pressed to curb the pair’s murderous impulses.
The last option seemed like a gamble, which left Azarus with mixed-feelings. He felt compelled to choose it, for the mere fact it was the unknown path. [Divine Insight] was not something Azarus felt he needed. He was divine; he had insight. It was redundant. Still, it reminded him of [Through Mortal Eyes]. There was a chance [Divine Insight] was an ability that could deepen his access to the game and allow him to exercise his divinity, growing it over time.
This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
In the end, Azarus decided the best course of action was to be true to himself. He rolled the dice on [Divine Insight]. Everything else would come in time. The screens had continuously referenced champions, plural. In just two attempts, points and tokens had accumulated with little effort on his part. Quests seemed born from completing novel tasks, and the Trials seemed designed to throw as many new experiences his way as possible.
Azarus made his selection, and the screen went blank. From deep within, a roiling purple and white cloud expanded to fill the screen. The screen shook, glowing with contained power. With a wrenching movement, the screen stopped shaking and straightened itself. The cloud trapped within reeled back as if struck, sinking back into the screen’s untold depths like a scolded pet. It coughed something up before it left, a crystal clear mist that blurred the light passing through it. Before Azarus could react, the screen spat the mist at him, nailing him in the forehead with the crack of a broken speed barrier.
[Divine Insight] Obtained!
You may now glean additional information.
Azarus felt an unbearable itch in his eyes. Acting on reflex, he rubbed his eyes with the heels of his palms. When the itching faded and he looked up, it was as if scales covering his vision had fallen away. Everything was clearer. If he squinted just right, he could almost see the chains binding him. He turned to the Mirror of Eons and an unobtrusive screen popped up at the corner of his vision.
Mirror of Eons - a mighty, sentient relic that exists in multiple places at once across the planar dimensions. It views your antics with exasperated amusement.
Azarus made a rude gesture toward the mirror. He did not care for the relic’s opinion, so he disregarded it. Instead, he focused on Moka. Another screen appeared.
Moka, Champion of Azarus - a traumatized goblin who defaults to confrontation to deal with her issues.
Azarus peered deeper. Any clever mortal could put those things together about Moka after half a day with her. He pushed his divinity into [Divine Insight], willing it to show him more. As Azarus went to push his will into the ability, he ran up against a blockage that stopped him from merging his divinity with the ability. He could feel [Divine Insight] inside him, a part of him, but separate. It manifested as a crystal clear haze wandering the ember fields of his domain, feeding off the ambient energy.
When Azarus went to touch it, a shimmering force field, reminiscent of the screens, sprang into place as if it had always been there. With a thought, Azarus formed his will into a representation of himself. In the mental realm of his domain, a field of embers, he rolled up his sleeves and drew his sword. With a flurry of strikes, Azarus set to breaking the barrier that kept him from altering the ability to suit his needs.
Within a dozen cuts, Azarus knew brute force would not work. He could draw blood from Kuscal, but not so much as a pixel from this barrier. With that in mind, he set his second plan in motion. Consume the ability and make it part of him. He fanned the flames of his domain, causing the embers to spring to life. They roared to life, greedily licking the barrier, seeking to turn it into fuel.
As his domain whipped into a tri-colored pillar of fire, centered over the crystal haze, Azarus internally wondered if he should alter his teeth in the mirror after this run. There seemed to be a running theme of him consuming things.
The inferno raged, but the ability held strong. Azarus let his domain subside. Here, in the center of his power, it reacted before the thought had fully formed. He smiled, enjoying the challenge before him. By all rights, this ability was his and fully his. He had traded his just rewards for it. The screens could not keep it from him.
Settling back onto his heels, Azarus dug into his satchel, withdrawing a large, soft brush. He bent down, dragging the brush across a line of embers. When he pulled the brush up, he had coated it in emerald, gold, and gray paint. The paints flowed together in a complicated dance, refusing to mix.
Holding the brush as though it was an executioner’s sword, Azarus faced the crystal mist and intoned his judgment. Gray flames leapt from the embers at his feet, circling him in a growing ring. The gray shifted between its hues at rapid speed, creating a strobing effect and adding gravitas to the moment. He spoke with his authority as a god.
“Your color must match.”
Wielding the simple argument in tandem with his brush, Azarus flared his domain, focusing on the gray aspect of his flame. He was uncertain of the exact elements it represented, but he knew gray dealt in perception, compromise, and exchange. The power of his domain flowed through him. The barrier was the first to be painted. It resisted for a moment, then vanished in a cloud of pixels. The barrier was not his, so Azarus let it disperse without interference.
When the paint touched the crystal mist, the colors bled into it like water into dry earth. Contrary to Azarus’s belief, there was no sudden shift in how he felt the ability. Instead, he sensed a slight change. It felt a little more right, a little more fluid, as though he had popped a joint he hadn’t known needed it.
Azarus shifted his awareness back to the Mirror of Eons. He resisted giving it a smug smile as best he could. If a self-satisfied twist of his lips snuck through, so be it. Focusing his attention on Moka brought up a new screen.
Moka, Champion of Azarus
Bloodline - [Primeval Goblin]
Natural Gifts - Minor Vigor, Luck, and Knack
Archetype - Peasant
Azarus brought his hand to his chin, the paintbrush dangling from his fingertips, and scratched at his stubble. He felt that if he pushed a different direction with [Divine Insight], it would show him Moka’s Class, Skills, and the like. However, the offered information explained much. Knowing her natural leanings would change how he approached choosing her skill set. The Archetype was nothing new, but it would be good to see how and when she unlocked a new one.
Lost in his musing, Azarus did not notice the paint dripping from his brush onto his hands. Beads of liquid color rolled across the back of his hand, leaving parts of themselves as a record of their journey before they leapt into the air and onto his coat in artful splatters.
Azarus quizzed his inborn instincts, trying to get a feel for how a Primeval Goblin differed from the rest. He received the impression that goblin bloodlines were mysterious even to the universe. They were creatures of natural chaos.
Unsatisfied, Azarus focused his query through his [Divine Insight]. It brought up a new screen.
Bloodline - [Primeval Goblin]
Subtype - Fairy/Beast
The [Primeval Goblin] bloodline is highly volatile, evolving quickly when faced with external catalysts. The type of catalyst has a large effect on evolution options.
Bloodline function locked. Please purchase in [Divine Store] to access.
That did not answer his questions. It seemed to Azarus that he had two halves of the puzzle. He just needed to mash them together. So he did.
From a certain angle, Azarus’s inborn knowledge was a foreign entity occupying a piece of his soul, feeding him information at another’s behest. If he shifted his perspective, it was a birthday gift from the Universe. For now, he held firm to the belief that it was a foreign entity. Something separate from himself.
Clinging to that thought with as much conviction as he could muster, Azarus defused his consciousness through himself, searching for anything out of place. He scoured high and low, feeling something off but unable to find it. He settled into the center of his power, the field of multi-hued embers, and grew still. It was clear he was missing something.
Before long, Azarus noted a cloud of smoke hanging over the field. He disregarded it at first, but something about it bothered him. What was giving off smoke? A haze of heat, he could understand. But there was nothing here that was being consumed by the flames. He could not think of a reason that a by-product like smoke should exist.
Azarus did not hesitate. He wrapped his will around the smoke cloud. Some slipped away, his control incomplete. He let it go, focusing on compressing the smoke. It resisted his efforts, bulging toward the weak spots in his focus.
With a sudden burst, Azarus bolstered his weak points, leaving only one. The smoke pushed against it, stretching his will thin. He continued to solidify his will behind it as it pushed forward, subtly controlling the weak point to lead the smoke, like a gaseous snake, into [Divine Insight]. The two collided, fighting each other. One was of Azarus, one was not.
Azarus changed his perspective as if he was flipping a switch. His instincts were part of him, no matter their origin, the same as [Divine Insight]. There were many similarities between the two. So many, they may as well be the same.
Azarus’s domain roared to life, his flames softening his abilities with the same ease mortal fire softened metal. His will was the hammer and his perspective the anvil.
Time’s grasp on Azarus was slippery. He did not know how long the process took, but when he was done [Divine Insight] had changed. Eager to use it, he once again urged it to tell him about [Primeval Goblins].
[Primeval Goblin]
Generations after the [True Goblins] were exiled to the mortal realm, their inter-breeding with the local species led to the rise of [Primeval Goblins]. The [Common Goblin], a pest in many realms, results from the Fairy genetics of [Primeval Goblins] diluting to the point of vanishing, overtaken by their Beast heritage.
Azarus filed the information away and graced an irritable looking Moka with a brilliant smile. Bloodlines, evolution, ancient species, and paths not yet taken. For all its faults, this game had much to look forward to.