Glen immediately came to a halt and turned to face the visage of the colossus.

After a few seconds of silence, dust trickled from the crevices of the colossus's faceplate, and a faint, almost imperceptible gaze alighted upon Glen.

"Is it you who's speaking?" Glen reverted to his fifth - level werewolf form and inquired.

The voice promptly resonated within his mind once more, yet it did not deign to answer Glen's query."A werewolf? That seems improbable. A werewolf could scarcely possess power of your caliber..."

Although the entity did not respond directly, Glen was certain that it was the colossus before him engaging in conversation.

"And what might you be? To be in such a state and yet still endure?" Glen's tone was as casual as if conversing with an old acquaintance.

However, the colossus seemed irked by Glen's ignorance, and an agitated voice reverberated in his mind.

"How could you be unaware of the great God of Dusk, the sovereign of the land of Celsus, the preeminent warrior of the earth's might, King Besimmons!?"

Glen rubbed his temples, feeling a dull throb. After a brief pause, he said,

"As loath as I am to disappoint, I must admit I've never heard of any of these appellations you've mentioned. Moreover..."

Glen cast a glance around the ruin's surroundings."Moreover, the scale and grandeur of this ruin appear somewhat incongruous with your rather impressive - sounding titles."

The voice in his mind fell silent, and a palpable sense of melancholy emanated from the colossus.

"Indeed, time is the most relentless. No matter how glorious my past may have been, it has been consigned to oblivion. Those were not true glories, merely falsehoods spun for me by the deities."

The once - imposing voice in his mind now carried a profound sense of dejection.

This, however, piqued Glen's curiosity."Falsehoods spun by the deities? You claim to have interacted with the gods? You're not pulling my leg, are you?"

"Heh." The voice in his mind was laced with derision."Have those so - called deities become so nebulous in your perception? They're fond of such machinations..."

It seemed that in the colossus's era, the gulf between the gods and mortals was not so vast. But why did it seem as though the gods had vanished into thin air? …Glen pondered the colossus's words.

Rummaging through the memories of the original host, Glen found no leads. That individual seemed to have little knowledge beyond idle pursuits.

"Which deities are known to you at present?" The colossus's voice sounded again, posing the question.

Glen scratched his head."I seem to recall there being ten principal deities. The Sun God, Bolom, the God of Justice, Akachirra, the God of Starlight, Puvah, and... and... I can't quite recall the others. As for the malevolent deities, I'm in the dark. Oh, and there's a Demon Lord. What was his name again?"

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Glen truly couldn't remember. After all, these were the memories of the original host, who lacked Glen's current acuity. Remembering this much was quite an achievement.

The colossus's mood shifted from melancholy to exasperation. It had to cut short Glen's fruitless reminiscing.

"Enough. You can't even recall the names of the deities. One can only imagine their current obscurity. Heh. Let's set that aside for now, young one. Do you desire to possess even greater power?"

"How much greater?" Glen arched an eyebrow, inwardly musing:

This is such a clichéd scenario...

"Undoubtedly far more potent than your current state. So long as you avoid the Supreme Mage or the King of Knights, you shall be invincible."

The colossus's voice exuded unwavering confidence.

Glen scoffed. The other party was treating him like a child. There was no such thing as a free lunch. There had to be a catch to this alluring offer.

"Speak. What are your terms?"

"I prefer to engage with astute individuals." The colossus first proffered a compliment."This corporeal form of mine is no longer serviceable. Thus, my soul requires a new abode. Your body is quite suitable, capable of accommodating my formidable soul. Rest assured, this will not harm you; on the contrary, it will fortify the resilience of your soul."

"I think not. I'm not one to take such risks." Glen hefted the red greatsword and prepared to depart.

"Wait." The colossus immediately attempted to call out to Glen, but Glen showed no inclination to halt.

The colossus sighed."Let's strike a different bargain. What say you?"

At this, Glen stopped and turned, waiting for the colossus to continue.

"You seem to be a fledgling magic apprentice. I can utilize my remaining power to augment the reservoir of magic within your body. This will expedite your future endeavors in the arcane arts, sparing you a significant amount of time."

Glen lowered his head in thought, then asked,"And the price?"

"Kill someone for me." The colossus's voice turned icy.

"Kill someone?" Glen furrowed his brow.

This fellow's enemy? Surely, he must be long dead by now? …He voiced his misgivings.

"He should still be alive. He's a powerful elven arch - mage with a rather extended lifespan." The colossus explained.

Glen nodded and then said,"What manner of man is he? I need to determine if he's worthy of death."

"He was once one of my subordinates, Averay by name. He offered counsel, but he was a devout follower of the Silver Goddess, that wretched creature. They were exploiting me from the start. Once I'd accomplished their bidding, they sought to eliminate me. Had it not been for my penchant for withholding my true strength, I wouldn't be here now.

"Averay is an unwavering fanatic. He stops at nothing to fulfill the tasks ordained by the Silver Goddess. He has slain countless humans, even those of his own kind. So, you needn't fret over his innocence. On the contrary, he is utterly despicable."

Upon hearing the colossus's account, Glen nodded resolutely."Very well. If what you say is true, I will most assuredly slay this elf, Averay."

As soon as the words left his lips, an eerie silence descended. Just as Glen thought the colossus had lapsed into slumber and was about to rouse it, an intangible force suddenly descended upon him. Something within his body seemed to shift, and the power that disrupted the fluctuating elemental magic grew stronger.

Ultimately, it reached a level that even Glen couldn't help but be pleasantly surprised by. As the colossus had promised, this would save him years of arduous study in the arcane arts.

When the sensation subsided, the colossus's voice returned, though noticeably weaker."There. The bargain is struck. Honor your promise."

Glen was silent for a moment, then ventured,"Are you... dying?"

"Yes. Death holds little fear for me. The world has changed beyond recognition. I'm merely a bit reluctant."

The colossus's form gradually slumped forward.

"Truth be told, it's the Silver Goddess you truly wish to slay, isn't it?"

"So what? With your power, you're no match for a deity..."

The colossus's massive form finally crashed to the ground with a resounding thud.

"One can never tell what the future may hold." Glen murmured.