I was laying face down in the mud of the battlefield, surrounded by huge chunks of dead god. It weirdly reminded me of the ending of Ghostbusters where they'd successfully destroyed Gozer's avatar, only to cover all of Manhattan in marshmallow goop. Belobog was dead and I could feel the divine energy coursing once more through my marks.
All around me, the army of Belobog was in full retreat and our forces were charging out of Crossroad rather than waiting to be assaulted. Dwarves, elves, and humans joined together to slaughter the undead that were as disorientated as a dog chasing its own tail.
There was more going on than I could see as well with the sound of the ground bursting open in many places. Turning my head to one side, I saw thousands, if not tens of thousands, of ratkin pouring into the battle to slaughter the remaining forces under Veles' command. It was the arrival of my "followers" and made what was already going to be a costly victory into the total slaughter of the enemy. I just hoped the ratkin didn't get into a fight with our existing forces.
"I don't feel so good, Mr. Aaron," I heard Sparky's voice nearby.
Slowly, I managed to pull myself together and stood up. The world wobbled around me and a kobold with a pocketknife could have probably shanked me. Both Zoryas were gone, and I was glad of that since I doubted I could have sustained them in my current state.
Sparky...didn't look great.
The red dragon was spread out with broken wings as well as a compound fracture on his leg. He was barely breathing and I couldn't tell if he was able to shapeshift. We'd managed to take down Belobog but the aftereffects were severe.
"Don't worry, Sparky, I've got you," I said, hobbling over to the side of the dragon and casting HEAL. It made me fall to my knees again and spit up blood, which wasn't a good sign. It was another reminder that I had wasted every single ounce of my strength conjuring the goddesses. Still, I focused on trying to heal Sparky's injuries.
"It's okay, Mr. Aaron," Sparky said, sounding distant. "I'm okay dying heroically."
"Sparky, do me a favor," I said, concentrating with every ounce of my power.
"Yes, Mr. Aaron?" Sparky asked.
"Shut up while I work," I said.
"Right, sorry," Sparky said, ashamed.
That was when my newly recharged Mark of the Champion started spitting various updates from my time since the assault on the Water Temple. The sheer number of EXP awards beggared description and were overgenerous, rapidly moving me up several levels at once. That resulted in all of my injuries healing over as well as my magic strengthening.
ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: THE NEW DAWN
(A) - 50 - Slay the last of the Old Gods
ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: SIEGEBREAKER
(A) - 50 - Successfully defend Crossroad from the invading army.
ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: UNITED WE STAND
(A) - 50 - Reunite Ledziana as a single kingdom
Reward
+ 150,000 EXP (Discover way to Water Temple)
+ 100,000 EXP (Mermen)
+ 50,000 EXP (Kelpies)
+ 25,000 EXP (Naga)
+ 25,000 EXP (Vodniks)
+ 40,000 EXP (Living Ooze)
+ 15,000 EXP (Mud Monsters)
+ 45,000 EXP (Water Elementals)
+ 100,000 EXP (Temple Ogres)
+ 50,000 EXP (Belobog High Priests)
+ 50,000 EXP (Water Demon Priests)
+ 20,000 EXP (Giant Starfish)
+ 200,000 EXP (Escape Veles' nuke)
+ 150,000 EXP (Reborn Verminlord)
+ 1,000,000 EXP (Enhanced Belobog)
+ 1,000,000 EXP (Win the Battle of Crossroad)
+ 500,000 EXP (Win the Battle of Crossroad without losing Dragon Keep or Crossroad)
+ 1,000,000 EXP (Reunite Ledziania)
+ Mask of Belobog
+ Robes of Belobog
+ Specter of the Twisted Ones
+ Ring of Madness
+ 1,000,000 GP
MAIN QUEST(S) COMPLETED:
DEFEAT THE OLD GODS SERVING VELES (4/4)
DEFEND CROSSROAD (1/1)
DEFEND DRAGON KEEP (1/1)
MAIN QUEST UPDATED:
JOURNEY TO BALD MOUNTAIN (0/1)
Healing Sparky wasn't instantaneous but I was able to draw from that sudden burst of energy to successfully cast the HEAL spell but also a CURE IV and CURE III spell. Enough that not only wasn't he dying but he'd probably suffer no long-term damage.
"Can you shapeshift?" I asked Sparky.
"Sure," Sparky said, slowly resuming his appearance as being an adorable golden brown corgi.
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"You don't want to be a young man?" I asked. "Because if there was any doubt you're a Dark Undermaster, it's gone now."
"I'm good," the dog said. "Being a young man is hard. Being a dog is fun."
There was something to that at least. I took a second to update my levels, noting that I'd almost reached the maxim of being a demigod. On Ledziania, only demigods could reach 18th level and reaching 20th level was the limit of all mortal beings. Checking my enhanced magic, I took a moment to cast MASS UNDEAD SLAYING and wiped out wiped out a remaining couple of dozen fleeing skeletons.
REWARDS
2500 EXP (Skeletons)
ARAGORN “AARON” BARTKOWSKI
LVL: 17
CLASS: UNDERMASTER SORCERER (MASTER RANGER)
ALIGNMENT: GRAY
AGE: 34
SEX: MALE
RACE: HUMAN (Demigod)
STR: 12 (19)
AGI: 10 (11)
CON: 11
INT: 30
WIS: 11
COM: 15 (16)
CHA: 15
ARMOR CLASS: 27
ATTACK: +9 (+19 to ATTACK, 1d10+19/23 [Undead] DAM, Sword of Perun [Lightning, Holy, INT bonus])
HEALTH: 96
DIVINITY: 7
FEAT: Taunt, Sword and Shield, Two Handed Fighting, Tracking, Craft Magical Items/Recharge Magical Items, Leadership
SPECIAL ABILITIES: ARCANE FIRE (1d6+13 INT bonus, Eldritch Damage, x3 Staff of Dragon Kings, Critical Hit Possible), BLOCK (requires shield), LESSER MAGIC (unlimited times per day), COUNTERSPELL, DIVINE ENHANCEMENT [Push]
LESSER MAGIC EFFECTS: CLEAN SELF, CREATE FOOD, CREATE FIRE, CREATE WATER, MINOR ILLUSION, REFRESH, TELEKENESIS (1 Kilo per INT bonus), VENTRILOQUISM, MEND, TORCHLIGHT, SILENT WALK, IDENTIFY MAGICAL OBJECT, LESSER SENDING (Party Only), BLESS, SOOTHE ANIMAL
SPELL LIST (MAX/5/5/5/5/5/3/3/2)
[1] ARMOR, CURE, FRIENDSHIP, JUMP, PUSH [+++]
[2] ANIMAL SUMMONING, ENTANGLE, SILENCE, WEB
[3] CURE (II), LESSER CHARM, LIGHTNING BOLT, NEUTRALIZE POISON, SUGGESTION
[4] BANISHMENT, CURE (III), POLYMORPH OTHER, DIVINE BOW, REMOVE CURSE
[5] CURE (IV), DRAGONBREATH, IMPROVED LIGHTNING BOLT, REVIVE, SUNSTRIKE
[6] CHAIN LIGHTNING, GLOBE OF INVULNERABILITY, HEAL
[7] AARON'S AWESOME BATHHOUSE, RAINBOW BLAST, RESURRECTION,
[8] MASS UNDEAD SLAYING, PLANESHIFT
SPIRIT SUMMONS: STOMPY, THISTLE, RUSALKA, ZORYA DAWNBRINGER, ZORYA NIGHBRINGER, SPARKY, LEGALLY DISTINCT COPY OF ASH FROM EVIL DEAD
STATUS EFFECTS:
* Alchemical Stone (White): You recover 20 HP after a short rest and status ailments
* Blessing of Zorya Dawnbringer: +1 to AGL, +1 to AGI
* Ring of Ogre Strength: STR is 19 when wearing this
* Boots of speed: Double Movement Speed, Dodge Roll Bonus
* Ranger’s Mark: +4 to hit/damage against Undead
* +4 to all Saving Throws [Divine]
* Can cast PERUN'S DIVINE LIGHTNING BOLT once per day
* DIVINE SENSES [Always Active, No Penalties to Environment]
* Can grant 1st and 2nd level spells to priests and answer PRAYER [ACTIVE]
Level 17 to 18
1,002,500/3,000,000
"So, we won, Mr. Aaron?" Sparky asked, looking around to the bloody battlefield and the losses surrounding us.
None of the troopers had bothered to approach me when I was down in the mud, possibly because of the presence of a nearby dragon but just as likely because there was no way to tell me from the hundreds of other Dark Undermasters that had been trained in the past year. The reasons kings wore crowns was because you couldn't recognize most people by sight unless they had the regalia to let you know.
We'd managed to win a crushing victory today and everyone had a right to celebrate but the fact was that hundreds, probably thousands, of people on 'our' side had died. There were also victims on the side of the genocidal monsters too. The living that had been pressed into service or transformed into sentient undead against their well. Ledziana was now free of the curse of Veles but who knew for how long.
"Sort of," I said, being honest with myself. "War isn't exactly the way they speak of it in the songs."
"You killed a giant god with an exploding ship while riding a dragon," Sparky said.
"Well, yes," I said.
"Two goddesses were fighting by your side, both of whom were your lovers," Sparky said.
"You're too young to be thinking about that," I said, annoyed.
"It is exactly how the songs are," Sparky said.
"Right," I said, noting he was probably right. "Yeah, I don't do this for fame."
"I mean, everyone will attribute to Garland of Nowhere and not you so that's not why you do it," Sparky said, joking around.
I snorted. "Yeah, well, someday people will write a true story of war and all of its costs."
"Probably not," Sparky said. "Then people wouldn't want to do it."
That struck me as very funny in the moment before I shook my head. "I'm going to go talk with the commanders of our armies forces and try to see who is in charge of the ratkin. Maybe we can keep everyone from attacking one another."
"Good luck, Mr. Aaron," Sparky said. "Can I tell Ms. Ania to come down to see you?"
"Please do," I said, really looking forward to spending some more time with her. Hopefully, I still had a couple of days to get to the portal on Bald Mountain.
Unfortunately, that was something I was going to have to broach with the others. I was 90% certain that they would all agree to come with to finish off Veles but the fact was that still left a 10% uncertainty. Agata had other responsibilities to look after now and so did Bloodstorm. Sparky and Joan were people I didn't want to drag into war at their age. Ania would be by my side hell or high water, but Earth wasn't her home. Rachel was someone that I hadn't really gotten to know that well in our time together despite, or more likely because, of our unusual relationship. About the only person that I could 100% rely on with any certainty was Jon and that was just a depressing thought.
Sparky took flight and I was left alone in the mud among the corpses and large chunks of dead god.
"It seems my faith was well placed in you, Lord Bartkowski," A familiar voice spoke from my side.
"Great," I said, turning around to see the beautiful but sinister form of Susano. Jon was sitting on her shoulder. Susano was wearing a loose blue dress that showed a generous amount of everything. It was an effect diluted by the fact that I knew she was a mummified corpse that just so happened to have a pleasant seeming.
"Hey, Aaron!" Jon waved a wing at me. "I wanted to help you during the whole apocalyptic battle thing, but Susano said not to. For some reason that seemed really important."
I checked Jon's character status on my interface.
JON SNOWAN [Status: Charmed]
Oh crap.
"It is time for us to go," Susano said.
"What now?" I asked.
"Yes," Susano said.