The avatar of the System waved its hand and the shattered realm reformed. He…It, didn’t do what I did. There was no expulsion of mana or reforming current material into something else, the System just willed matter into existence and it appeared. The realm appeared as it was with the exception of the missing stone table at the center of the amphitheater.
There was a pulse and I felt something pull at the center of my being drawing me towards this realm. It wasn’t something that could be ignored or denied and as the seconds ticked by more and more portals appeared and gods stepped through them. They shifted looking between each other nervously, but no one could leave.
“You dare to bring us here against our wills,” Falgest said stepping forward to face the System’s avatar. “Who do you think you are? It is not the place of the creation to direct its creators.”
The air did not shake, the land did not tremble but a force passed through every god and myself and we all shivered as raw untamable power brushed against our souls, the kind of power that could annihilate beings like us with only a thought. The System did not answer Falgest the revealing of its power an answer in and of itself.
“You are here to make an accord,” The System said. “I have grown tired of your game, I was created to preserve balance, fairness and ensure a level field but at every turn I have been prevented from fulfilling my nature.”
Everyone winced as the power of the System’s words hit us and the note of irritation in it made them shiver.
“That will no longer be the case, you will no longer be allowed any more your divine interventions, no more sending World Bosses to smite a Champion you don’t like, neither will you be allowed to kill each other anymore for any reason.”
“What about our restriction on children?” Andelar asked stepping forward.
The Avatar of the System turned to Andelar then looked at me. “Since one of you already has a child it seems silly to maintain that restriction.”
Every god and goddess in attendance staggered as the title they had been bound with when they ascended was shattered and removed from their status sheet.
“However,” The System added. “Just because they are your children do not think this means they will be allowed to ascend, the restriction on the number of new deities remains, only one every five hundred years.”
“No,” I said.
The System turned to me. “No?” it questioned.
“Guinevere,” I answered. “I demand she be allowed to ascend with me.”
“You demand it?” The System asked amused. “Do you think you are in a position to make demands?”
“Yes,” I said flatly my voice ringing with its own power but one very different that the Systems. “I can fight you, I’ll probably lose but we both know I can hurt you, you are an Ancient after all.”
“There are a great many deities now dead that need to be replaced,” The System said. “And a Pantheon that must also be replaced in order to reestablish balance. You may choose up to five other beings to ascend with you and join your Pantheon.”
“Five!” Falgest and the other gods shouted. “This is an outrage.”
“It is the number I have allowed,” The System replied coldly.
“You cannot just….”
“I HAVE COMMANDED IT!” the voice of the System did not amerge from its avatar there but resounded through the heavens carrying the promise of utter destruction silencing the gods.
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“Guinevere, Jeriah, Tobias, Exar’kun, Vone and Mira,” I said.
The avatar of the System cocked its head. “You would choose an old enemy to rise with you?”
“I do not wish my Pantheon to be filled with yes men,” I answered. “I want us to be balanced.”
“Very well,” The System said. “They shall be given the necessary tokens to increase the potential of their abilities.” It turned back to the gods. “There is also the matter of you all to deal with, your behavior has been unacceptable.”
The gods winced like puppies being scolded.
“You have grown, weak, hedonistic, and corrupt. When death threatened you after so long you responded in terror, you must be made to kept busy. Your champions will not be allowed to just roam freely as they have before, the world stands barren now because of that. Three/quarters of their time must be spent in Events, each of you will construct new realms and challenges and rewards to test all the champions. I will determine whose work has been the best and most fair and award them by granting their Champion additional rewards.”
I spoke up again. “The people of Talba should also be given more of a chance to advance, Champions and nobles are able to dominate so many because the keys to power are kept locked away from the common man.”
“A not unreasonable request,” The System agreed. “The Order of the Magi would approve, I will not stop the spawning of monsters and Dungeons will no longer have a reset timer but nothing will be created over Hero rank until the next Champions arrive. I will cap how far people can advance in rank, I will not let Demi-god humanoids rule over empires for centuries, man is mortal and must remain so.”
“Is that all?” Falgest asked his teeth gritted but helpless against the System as a mortal would be against him.
“Yes,” The System said. “I am not angry to have been enslaved by you, you did create me, I will not strike any of you down to do so goes against my nature. But I will ensure balance, do not think to try and tilt the scales in your favor for I will not hesitate to discipline any who do.”
The System turned to me. “The game is over there are other Champions, but they have no hope of beating you and once there is a clear winner there is no point in playing out a game to its end and wasting time. Come, it is time to Ascend.”
A ball of brilliant light appeared before me. I reached out and touched it. Raw potential greeted me, a chance to craft my own ability, this was the true power of divinity and what was what Kalesa had done when she had first brought me to this world and granted me my first abilities so long ago. The ability couldn’t be anything and was based on who I was as a god. I crafted it carefully because this was the ability I would grant to all my future Champions. It was based on the concept of who I was the Hero and the Sacrifice.
Hero’s Sacrifice: (Rank 50, Max Rank); You have no greater love than this, then to lay down your life for others. In suffering you find peace, in confusion you bring clarity, in death you find life; you are the Hero who brings hope to the hopeless, salvation for the damned and healing to the broken. Whenever you Suffer what would be a Lethal injury your attack speed, movement speed, damage reduction, damage dealt, and resource regeneration are instantly quadrupled for the next sixty seconds; if you kill the creature that damaged you within that time frame you are instantly healed of all your wounds.
Whenever you take damage in place of another the original target is healed in proportion to the damage dealt to you, if they are at full health they instead receive overhealing equal to the damage.
Whenever outnumbered or facing an opponent of a higher rank than you your attributes increase by 1% per 30 seconds for a maximum increase of 40%. This bonus attributes will slowly fall off while out of combat at a rate of -1% per 30 seconds.
Whenever outnumbered or facing an opponent of a higher rank than you your damage reduction is increased in proportion to the threat, and you do not suffer the damage penalty for attacking creatures of a higher rank tier than you.
Whenever you are damaged in combat your blood gains healing properties that will restore Extreme damage if it touches an allied or neutral creature.
Final Rank Bonus: Gift of Sacrifice; Whenever someone willingly swears allegiance to you with no compulsion, they can donate 1% of their Attributes to you but lose them for themselves permanently.
Casting Time:
Passive Ability
Cost:
1 stamina, 1 mana, 1 ethereal per second
Each rank of this ability increases your Spirit Attribute by 2.
I hadn’t realized I’d collapsed. The avatar of the System stood above me looking down on me before extending a hand.
“Rise Mordred, God of Heroes and Sacrifice.”