“Praise the Minionborn!” The crowd chanted.

“No, no, please. Calm down.”

It’s been ten minutes and I’ve just barely calmed their hysteria. At least they’re not shouting so loudly. Caster sighed.

“Father, I will record and scribe all of The Minionborn’s teachings and commands. We must ready as many of the able villagers as we can so that they can travel throughout the lands and spread the news that The Great War is over, and that true monarch has risen,” the girl named Phoebe spoke to the man at the front of the pack.

“No!” Caster stopped them. The masses froze, unsure if they’d angered their new Elder God.

It’s good that they’re enthusiastic, but it has to be a bad idea to advertise myself being here so soon. I don’t even have a single village to help me yet, much less a nation or a standing army. When I was in Mainhelm with Elenore and Keith, the city was filled with hundreds of thousands, if not millions of soldiers. I need to lay low for now.

“It’s… very important that the people of Perdita learn about me being here, but we can’t rush into every major city and warn the Old Gods. The Inquisitor Apostles might come for you all, and I don’t want any of you to be harmed,” Caster explained. The crowd hushed.

That’s what Elenore called those guys right? The Inquisitor Apostles? I don’t even know what they do, but they sound intimidating.

“The Minionborn has come in the form of a lowly Minion, what the world sees as mere cannon fodder, to give us an example of how to live as an ascended would. To think an Elder God would have such humility when they deserve nothing but adoration!” said the man at the front, taking a step forward, then kneeling before Caster.

“I, P. Sherman, chieftain of this meager village built on the northwest outskirts of Buckley’s Wood, hereby offer my life to furthering your cause of protecting the people of the Badlands of Barodd Myr and mending this broken world. I believe I speak for the peoples in this land when I say that I pledge allegiance to the coming Dynasty, the 6th Age, The Age of The Minionborn!”

“Aye!” The crowd nodded in agreement, kneeling alongside Sherman.

Okay, that’s a start. They’re definitely still excited, but at least I’ve got them to speak with their inside voices.

“Ha! No, he doesn’t,” a new voice spoke, boldly projected across the empty fields’ expanse.

The crowd gasped in horror at the newcomer. Caster followed the direction of the voice and saw that a young man had just exited from the tree line on the west. He was a young man, with short blond hair that was scruffy, but not messy. He wore a simple, yet dignified outfit that made it obvious he wasn’t one of the normal villagers. His black boots alone probably cost more than one of their shacks. With maroon pants and a black vest over a long-sleeved buttoned-up shirt. He was no commoner, but he wasn’t some soft-skinned noble either.

He must be a fighter, like Elenore and Keith! I’m just surprised it took this long for someone to finally doubt me. He wants me to prove myself?!

“The name’s Griffin. Lord Griffin, to you.”

So confident! How does he sound so uninterested – yet so aggressive?!?

“As you can tell by my title, I’m stronger than every member of this backwater village combined. And once I kill the other losers trying to claim MY Badlands, I’ll be replacing old man Sherman along with every other ‘chieftain’ in the Northern Badlands with myself,” he stuck his thumb into his chest.

“I’m sure you will but, I didn’t ask. I’m not-”

“Hahaha! You’ve got some balls for a girl!” Griffin laughed; his chin pointed high toward the sky.

What? I wasn’t trying to challenge him. Was it something I said?! GIRL???

“I like your style kid. Tell you what, if you survive my attack for ten seconds, I’ll let what’s left of you grovel for mercy. Hell, do a good enough job and I might even let you become my court jester,” he shrugged with a smug grin.

Why is he so extra?!

Griffin unfastened a few of the upper buttons on his shirt and forearms. As he did, steam and vapor rose from his skin. Something was warming up from inside his body.

“Now, marvel before the light of Lord Griffin, The Flame of Ambition!”

A never-ending torrent of yellow fire erupted from the man’s hands, consuming the air around them completely. The fire traced along every line of his clothing, displaying not only his immense raw power but the total control he had over its smallest movements. With a toothy grin and expression of total superiority on his face, Griffin took a single step toward Caster, stepping over the crater’s mound.

Oh no, he’s hot – literally! And cool!

“Mercy? Yeah right. This guy just used all his mana and energy to land in the middle of that pathetic column of knights to scam you plebs into serving him. I could have done the same thing myself. In fact, that’s what I was on my way here for – to remind you all of the power of The Flame of Ambition!”

“Please Minionborn! Be merciful to the boy! He did not witness the wonder of your arrival!” Sherman pleaded.

“Silence!” Griffin extended his left palm, and a sphere of red and yellow flame shot forth. It whizzed through the air as fast as an arrow, striking Sherman only inches away from where Caster stood.

-100 HP. Remaining HP of P. Sherman: 100

“AGH!” Sherman grabbed covered his face as the fireball seared his body, knocking him clean off his feet onto his back with a harsh thud.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“Father!” Phoebe shrieked, racing to Sherman’s side in tears.

“Step out of line again and I won’t give you another warning shot, peasant,” Griffin spat in disgust.

“Hey!” Caster stepped between the three, his teeth grit and balled fists already shaking with rage.

This guy is probably stronger than Elenore or Keith, maybe even both! I’ve got to be careful.

“Last warning. This is my territory, lady. Just walk away.”

“I’m not your lady, pal.”

“Whatever you say, friend.”

“We’re not doing this. And I’m not going anywhere!”

He’s only using fire. That means…

“Such a shame to see such a pretty lady gal sign her own death warrant. Oh well!” Without hesitation, Griffin reared his arm back, then brought it forward.

A fireball at least five times the size of the last darted toward Caster.

Caster lowered his arms, keeping his fists balled, he turned around to look down at the terrified faces of Phoebe and Sherman.

Then, the ball of flame bigger than his body hit him.

“Minionborn!” Phoebe screamed as the flame exploded, the entirety of its damage focusing on Caster’s position. Not a single lick of flame touched anywhere else around him. Griffin’s strength was as great as its accuracy.

The shockwave passed, and the smoke began to dissipate. As it cleared, Phoebe and Sherman uncovered their faces to see the figure standing over them. It was Caster. His stance hadn’t budged an inch.

-0 HP. Total Remaining HP: 10

No damage, but it still pushed me backward by a pace. If I didn’t dig my heels into the mud, that fireball would have sent me flying. Thanks, Banner of Command!

The look on the two villagers’ faces was pure awe. Caster blushed and gave them a friendly grin with a thumbs-up, then turned back toward his opponent.

Raising his left arm, he opened his hand and pointed behind himself, aiming past the villagers and the Zz’Wrath. The Primordial Disintegration Ray was released, bathing the area in its aqua aura.

The blast hit the shattered remains of the invaders’ catapults annihilating the construction instantaneously. Caster wound his arm forward in a wide spin along the ground and the beam followed. The fraction of a second it spent firing along each inch of the ground bore down several inches, frying the mud and evaporating the water he’d used as a mirror just minutes ago.

Caster brought the beam up to the lip of the crater before Griffin could even react, then directed it past and above him, missing by mere inches.

Griffin’s eyes widened in shock, jumping sideways away from the attack while holding his arm.

Could he feel my PDR even though it didn’t hit him? Caster wondered as he let go of the beam. Its tail trailed high into the blue skies, vanishing without a trace. The only evidence it left behind was the stunned observers and scorched earth, and the several incinerated trees behind Griffin.

Griffin regained his composure immediately. His shocked expression changed back to his usual overconfident appearance.

“Heh. I knew it. You’re an amateur! You fell right into my trap. After you fell out of the sky with that – average at best, by the way - magic burst you were running low on mana. Now that I’ve baited out the rest of your pitiful reserves, I’ll show you what a real beam looks-”

“-Last warning. This is my territory. Just walk away,” Caster interrupted him.

“You would interrupt me? Lord Griffin, The Flame of Ambition?!? Ha! It’s too late to beg for your life. A nicer Lord would accept your terms of surrender.” An obvious, magma-colored glow began strobing behind Griffin’s back. “But not me. Die!”

Griffin brought his hand forward, and a stream of concentrated flames seared over the lip of the crater, heading straight for Caster.

Caster raised his right arm and opened his hand. His second charge of PDR fired, meeting the column of fire halfway in midair. Both beams clashed with each other in a fantastic burst of blue and red light.

But Griffin’s fire swirled, bearing down on the much smaller aqua beam. It forced its way toward Caster, coming to a slow less than a pace away from his face.

Oh thank goodness, I CAN charge two different instances of PDR with either of my hands at the same time! Caster sighed relief as the overwhelming might of his beam grew in size and damage every fraction of a second.

He wasn’t worried about winning the struggle, he already knew that no matter what Griffin did, his PDR would win in the end. It was just a matter of time before the ability scaled itself.

Griffin’s infernal beam had raged right up to Caster’s palms and shone brighter than the sun as its flames tried in desperation to pass over the tiny bulb of Caster’s Primordial Disintegration Ray. But sure enough, Caster’s ability began to push back.

It was slow at first, inching outward and away, but within seconds, the fires were being forced away at a steady pace back toward Griffin’s. Caster watched in just as much awe as everyone else as the beam’s size began to dwarf Griffin’s attack. If it went any longer, the beam would have been wider than Caster was tall. But once it hit the halfway point between the two, the energy crashed through Griffin’s flames and completely enveloped him.

“AHH!” Griffin screamed, one half from rage, the other half from pain.

-900 HP. Griffin’s Remaining HP: 100/1000

Then, a flash of white light appeared behind Griffin’s body. Caster narrowed his eyes to see something – or someone, behind Griffin. It was a disembodied hand that had outstretched to grab Griffin’s shoulder. The arm pulled back, bringing the fire user into the overwhelming light it had arrived from.

Victory! Reward: Level Up x5! Choose A Stat To Increase! Vitality, Attunement, Strength, Dexterity, [Arcane], Faith, Occult, Luck

Holy hell! That's a lot of levels. I guess that guy was pretty tough! Now that I think about it, I don't think I'll ever have to put a single point into attunement, lucky! I think it's best that I keep pumping the Occult stat. Since it's the only thing that can hurt me, I need to know as much about it as I can.

Vitality, Attunement, Strength, Dexterity, Arcane, Faith, [Occult] Confirmed x5!, Luck

Occult Increased +5!

D'oh! I didn't realize I could split up the levels! Oh well. At least now I can equip my other Ability!

Equip Ability 'Say My Name'? [Yes] No Say My Name Equipped!

Honestly I have no idea when I'd ever actually use this thing, since my PDR already does so much damage. If anything, I want more Abilities to protect me from getting rushdowned! Oh well, you never know what could happen out here.

Caster released the blast and watched as the tail end bored a trail a dozen paces deep into the forest.

Caster sighed, though not from effort. He shook his head.

Guess he got away. Oh well. I hope that’s the last time some weirdo tries to fight me. Caster turned back toward Sherman, Phoebe, and the crowd. Placing his fists on his hips, he grinned.

“Pretty COOL, huh?”