"It's useless you know?" uttered the wisp while hopelessly looking at Axel trying to make a fool of himself trying to kill a goblin.
"Shut up! What kind of servant are you if you can't even help me beat this thing!" shouted Axel.
"What I mean is that you're in your ethereal form. You need to change your state first but be careful because once you changed it you probably will.. get.. killed.." While lecturing the stubborn god, Axel is already half-dead after he changed his state from ethereal to tangible.
After seeing the pitiful state of Axel, the goblin itself left the area leaving the god unconscious and half-dead. When Axel finally came to the annoying ball of light is hovering above him as if it's checking if he's really dead or not.
"So you're still alive huh? Why did you charge towards that goblin?"
"If this is like an RPG then if I kill it won't I gain some sort of experience?" Axel said this while slowly trying to get up ignoring the pain caused by his stupidity.
"Well, yeah but it's not an efficient way to become stronger. "
"What if I die will I respawn to another place or something?" Axel asked.
"Of course not. Think of yourself similar to a player in one of those games common in your old world."
"Are gods really that common?" Axel started questioning his existence in this reality.
"Of course not! Right now there are only a few thousand gods in existence. And the majority of them are like you too, a lesser god." the wisp retorted quickly as if it was trying to defend the gods.
"Wait why are there many lesser gods in this world?"
"My theory is that, you were summoned into this world with a purpose. We don't know what kind of purpose is that but maybe you're part of a great battle to come or maybe the gods played a cruel trick on you. But anyways because I'm your Servus Dei, I have a basic understanding of how this world works, I also know the basic history of the kingdom we're in and how gods operate. Instead of thinking of yourself as a common race, try imagining that you are a player with only one life and an unlimited potential." After saying this, he immediately notices the perverted look on Axel's face while he thought of the possibility of him becoming strong.
"So tell me, where do I start?" Happy with excitement Axel sat down as he smiled at the wisp while making sure he remembers everything that it is about to say.
"First, we need to reach the town and head towards the local church."
"I'm not really the religious type." He scratched his head while thinking of the reason why his servant would lead him to a place like that.
"Why would we even go there to pray? Have you forgotten that you're a god?"
"Oh right! I forgot about that." The wisp noticed that Axel already seemed uninterested of the fact that he is a god and this annoyed him so much that the idea made him turn from his normal yellow state to red. This change caught Axel's attention making him scared of his servant for a moment. The wisp let out a sigh as if it's dropping the whole matter.
The two walked for a few minutes following the dirt path which was commonly used by the villagers when foraging for berries and other food source in the forest. When they reached the town, Axel noticed that it was quite small. He thought that maybe there are only 15-20 families that are living in this village. The population didn't bother him that much, the fact that it was quite peaceful made him think of his childhood days when everything was so innocent and happy. But thinking about his past also made him remember that bad memories that came after, he smacked his head to make him forget about it if even for a moment.
When they reached the Geton's church, they realized that it is quite rundown and was only maintained by an old man who was seen sweeping the dust gathering in the wooden floor inside the church. After they entered, Axel quickly noticed a dim light emanating from one of the items displayed.
"Hey what's that?" He pointed like a curious kid to the glowing relic now in front of him.
"That is what the locals use to pray to the gods for favors. When a favor is asked of the gods, it is recorded in that relic. It is called an Evocator. It's not the only way to ask gods for favors though you can also pray to them when they're nearby so keep that in mind."
"So do I need to grant all the request they ask of me?"
"Of course not! A god only grants favors to those whom they deem fit to receive them. But accepting requests does have some benefits, in fact it's the best way for a god to become strong."
"Are these requests like missions given by a guild and upon completing it gives you a rewards of sort?"
"Yes that's the best way to think about them. Upon completing their request, the god's prestige will increase which you can then use to improve your skills. If you have no more questions, let's start by checking the relic."
Axel touched the Evocator and it immediately shined bright. One scroll appeared in front of them and after he reached out to that scroll, he felt as if he was dreaming. A vision of the past flowed through him. A girl prayed every day to the gods with only one simple request.
"Please keep everyone safe."
After the vision disappeared a small transparent window illustrated the details of the quest given to Axel.
Quest Name: The Goblin Camp Difficulty: F
Description:
The little girl from the village asked the gods to help keep the forest safe. Kill a tribe of goblin near the general foraging spot used by the villagers.
Reward:
• 100 Prestige
"Hey you mentioned prestige before right? What is it exactly?"
"Prestige is used commonly to increase a god's strength. Think of it as experience points in a basic game. You also gain prestige from killing the goblins and the reward you get after is just a bonus. You're lucky though getting 100 prestige just by completing this quest is a great boost. The higher the number of people praying for the same thing and also the intensity of their prayers can also lead to a higher prestige reward given to the god who can complete the task. This girl must've been praying all day everyday for the reward to be this high even though it's a simple task."
"She must really love this place." Axel whispered as he remembered the innocent prayer flashed before him when he touched the Evocator.
"Will you accept it or not?" The wisp circled the screen as Axel made up his mind.
"I accept!"
Quest Accepted!
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Full of determination, Axel headed to the forest where the goblns are said to have camped. Before leaving the village, he heard that people can't even leave because of the current situation. The goblins are not really that difficult to beat but for a village with no guards or even the capacity to defend themselves are really hopeless in situations like this one.
"Hey I have a question. How can I fight those things anyway? I don't have a weapon. And you saw me getting beaten by that lone goblin we encountered." Axel asked while they were heading to the goblin camp.
"A good question! I took a look on your stats and they're all at the starting point which is 5."
"T-Those are my stats?"
"Yes now here is the rest of your basic information page."
God Name: Axel Primary Title: Lesser God Level: 1 Current Form: Ethereal
Other Available Forms:
• Battle
• Wrath
"I get what Battle Form can do but what is Wrath Form?"
"This is your last resort. Wrath form can only be used once per day and depletes your energy. When it reaches zero then you die but using it gives you triple of the strength you have."
"Wow that's really convenient!" Axel is starting to realize the potential of being a god in this place. With such an awesome form he could easily beat any monster as long as he finishes them fast.
"Let me explain the other two forms. Battle Form is just like Wrath Form without the power boost. Ethereal Form is our current state right now. When you're in Battle Form or Wrath Form, you can be seen by monsters and humans alike so be very careful."
"Why do I need to be careful around humans and monsters?"
"Killing a god even a lesser god can give humans the title 'Godslayer' and it gives a substantial increase in their power. Lesser gods that aren't careful fall to traps that humans set in order to attain such title. Monsters that kill gods evolve further into an even ferocious version of it's kind."
"I see but can't I just use my ethereal form when I'm in danger or something?"
"No, when a battle is taking place ethereal form is disabled for a time thus making it an inefficient way of escaping battles. Other monsters and human can even use skills that hurt those in ethereal form."
"Crap! I was counting on that form whenever I'm in a pinch. I guess I have no choice but to battle huh?" Axel sat on the ground after saying that looking depressed at his current situation.
"Yes that is inevitable."
"So how do I fight exactly? I don't think fighting without weapons is the best for me. Giving me something like a sword would do I guess."
"I, your Servus Dei will play a significant role in your battles. I can transform myself freely to any kind of weapon you want. Just visualize the weapon you'd like to use while in battle form and I will transform to that weapon."
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
"Wow that's so convenient! Let me see." Axel changed from his ethereal form to his battle form. He tried to visualize a sword that he once saw from that one popular series that can defeat the enemies with one hit. When he looked at his arms a shoddy version of it was conjured.
"So this is what I can do for now." He pitied himself thinking he could do better but moved on because he wants to try practicing with the sword. His act of swinging wasn't something you could call gracious but one call feel the force from the attack.
"That reminds me.. Why don't you have a name?" Axel returned his servant to it's wisp form so that it could answer.
"I am but a servant. The act of naming myself is considered blasphemy for my kind."
"But I can name you right?"
"Y-Yes if that's what you wish."
"Well it's gonna be difficult if I don't but what should I name you? Puck? No. IO? No. I know! I'll name you Frim! It's a bit simple but it's easy to pronounce."
The wisp bobbed for a few seconds seemingly happy that his master gave him a name.
"Thank you! I guess this servant will now be called Frim from now on." Although Frim did not want to show that he is extremely grateful, bobbing his body up and down while talking was a dead giveaway.
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A few hours later.
Axel and Frim were discussing the basic fundamentals that he needs to know in order to grasp how this world works. Axel viewed it as a world similar to an RPG where you can view your stats, skills, quest and character information. However, this world lacks the inventory system that is common among RPGs and this made Axel feel a bit disappointed. He also discovered that this world consists of a supercontinent called Alnizia, named after the three heroes that fought the overlord a few centuries ago.
The forest grew thicker and thicker as the lush environment encroached almost all the space. The two walked down the path near the river although it's current is really strong they didn't think about it because it's not in their plan to swim through such current. After a few moments of rest, the two encountered a few goblins but something weird was happening. There were three goblins that were present while they were hiding in the bushes but instead of camping or even going to a destination, the goblins were consuming something but upon closer look, they were consuming someone!
Without further ado, Axel rushed to the scene shouting. "Frim! Sword now!" Frim knew what Axel meant as they came to rescue the poor soul being eaten. The goblins moved as if they were drunk but were aware of Axel's presence.
They quickly charged towards Axel but they ran sloppily that Axel took them one after the other. He slashed the first one in the neck but he wasn't able to cleanly strike it's head off. The goblin was still hurt by the attack and was desperate to bite Axel. He kicked the first one a few meters back. Axel now realized that two goblins were approaching him.
"I'm not strong enough to cut their head off with one hit. Frim turn to a mace now!" The wisp did it's best to transform fast so that Axel may take the monsters down as soon as possible.
The goblin was approaching when Frim finished transforming. Axel just barely avoid the grab of one of the goblins. He then initiated a counter attack, using his mace he hammered it down to the head of the goblin making it fall down to the ground without motion. The other goblin didn't falter and approached Axel. Just like what he did with the second one, Axel hit the goblin hard in the head. He realized that it was an effective way of killing them. The only problem now was the first one!
As he looked for the enemy, he realized that something was wrong. The goblin clearly had a severe neck wound that would normally kill the monster but he saw from afar that the goblin is now drunkenly standing up as if it were not injured badly. He carefully examined that the goblin wasn't even using it's weapons that was strapped in it's back.
"Hey Frim do these goblins look normal to you?" Axel asked to confirm his suspicion.
"No, something is wrong with them. Goblins tend to depend on their weapons to fight. Furthermore, they are also fast and coordinate well with their group. These ones don't seem to care about which attacks first. And lastly, these goblins don't ate human meat before cooking it. It's simply weird for them to be acting like this."
The surviving goblin reminded Axel of zombies. The moment it was trying to grab Axel, he was reminded of an old TV series that he saw while he was a child with a repeating plot about humans living then getting wrecked after a few episodes.
He then charged to the remaining goblin to finish it off. A fatal strike to the head defeated the last enemy. Axel quickly approached the man that was assaulted by the monsters.
The man was wearing a simple hunting clothes along with a worn out sword rusting on some parts and a bow and arrow on it's back. The man was quite big but has a beer belly, black corruption was seen from his neck down to his feet. His right arm was chewed off by the goblins and his left hand was ruptured beyond repair. It's as if the man fought something much worse than the goblins he faced.
"Hey old man are you alive?" Axel carefully tried to wake the man after reaching to know if he has a pulse.
The old man scoffed and struggled to open his eyes while blood seeped from his mouth to his neck as he tried to speak. "Kid.. Can't kill the.. bitch.. Run.. take.. the kids." His last words puzzled Axel. He didn't know which kid the old man was talking about but then something weird happened.
Quest Failed!
This surprised Frim and Axel because they have even fought the goblins. They were under the premise that they were progressing the quest and not failing it.
"Death.. Comes.. In.. Threes!"
A miasma suddenly filled the area as the plants slowly withered and the trees died. It's as if they were transported in another world. The chilling voice was of a woman, when she said those words, cold sweat poured on Axel's back. He couldn't fathom such killing intent that his knees trembled and he couldn't move them even if he wants to run.
He turned his back and saw a frightening woman. She has a long platinum blonde hair and a killer smile that showed her lust for blood as she licked the blood flowing from her right eye. She wore a long gown with flame-like embroidery that was not for show as it clearly moves from time to time. Along with her were tens if not hundreds of goblins that were seemingly under her control.
"Master you need to run! This woman is-" With a blink of an eye, Frim was wiped from the earth as it was some mosquito pestering a human.
Axel was horrified, he can't even believe what's happening in front of him. He can only stare blankly at the place where Frim last existed. The thought of escaping wasn't even in his mind. The only thing he can think of is death.
With a laugh the woman held on to Axel's chin and held it up. She chuckled and said. "Do you know the meaning boy?"
Axel can only guess that what she was asking was what she said earlier. Death comes in threes. It was the first time he heard those phrase.
"I guess a lesser god like you won't know. It-!" Before she finished talking, she threw Axel onto a tree like a broken toy and then after suffering the impact she immediately grabbed hold of his neck and continued speaking. "is the great words of our Overlord! I Love It So Much! It's full of meaning, three deaths doesn't mean killing three people. No. No. No! Want me to give you an example?" Her bloodshot eyes looked at the soulless state of Axel as she shaked him while he was motionless the whole time. "You're a great listener so keep listening! I saw it! I saw the whole thing! Your birth. Your quest! Your enjoyment of the whole thing! This adventure!" She let go of Axel as she raised her arms as if she reached a moment of pure ecstasy while reminiscing. She once again grabbed Axel but now he held on to his right arm as she lifted him up.
"Three deaths." She smiled. "The death of those villagers you wanted to protect. The death of those goblins you want to kill. And the death of the ally you depended on." She cried blood tears as it's shown that it wasn't fully healing anytime soon.
"I was surprised though that old man being eaten by my babies right there caught me by surprise. I was just taming these babies when all of a sudden he came barging in trying to kill me. How rude right? He even injured me that fucking shit!" She used her right arm to disintegrate the body of the old man along with some of the goblins eating the corpse.
"But I guess bygones will be bygones. I'm a very forgiving person. Hahaha!" All of a sudden while laughing she was punched in the face. Although it had no damage, she was still a bit surprised.
'It hurts.. Here.. There.. It doesn't matter there will always be monsters like this one.' He looked at the woman with rage in his heart. He remembered all the bitter things he had to suffer in his past life. All the humiliation and suffering that was enough to make a man go insane. He thought for a moment that it was all in the past but here came the testament that made him face the harsh reality.
"But here it's different! Here I can fight back! Haaaaaaah!!!" He shouted as he released his Wrath Form, gathering all his power into his left hand. The woman didn't care as she was daydreaming while Axel was shouting his heart out and as soon as the punch connected, it shook the ground and a small shock wave was emmitted by the punch.
"Oh! You punched me." She just realized that she was punch. It felt like she didn't even notice it until she snapped out of her daydream. She then continued. "Such a strong young god. Too bad, I'm getting bored with you already." As she was talking, Axel was continuously punching her, making hist fist bleed in the process.
"Die!!!!" Axel screamed his lungs out as his attacks get weaker and weaker. He also felt something strange happening in his right arm. Black marks similar to what the old man had formed in his right arm, crawling and now fully covering his arm and chest.
"I'm bored. I'll let my babies eat you now. I'll be leaving. Buh-Bye." Like a spoiled brat, she removed her grip from Axel as she opened up a dark portal.
'Lesser God' Title is now removed!
'Corrupted One' is now your Primary Title.
"Someday.. I'll kill you. All of your kind. Whatever you are! I promise!" Axel shouted as the woman walked through the portal.
"Yeah.. Yeah.. Whatever." The woman disappeared but her goblin zombies are now swarming to get a piece of Axel.
He tried to fight back but his two arms were uselesss right now. The right arm was covered with corruption and the left was bleeding badly. He had no choice but to escape if he wants to live another day. He even struggled to stand up but time is of the essence! The surrounding enemies cut off all the safe paths. He turned his back and saw the river. The rapids were monstrous but it was the only way out. He rushed towards it and grinded his teeth knowing that death is more likely than survival. He closed his eyes as the waters carried him away.