LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 22 – God Croaked!
"Time for the bumper harvest." - I muttered greedily.
I then walked to the raised pile of crystals and touched it.
I was about to offer it when I suddenly thought of something. I turned to Primrose and motioned to her.
"Primrose, come over here. I want to show you something." - I said.
"Yes, God!" - Primrose was surprised but still walked over.
I then turned to the pile and said, "Watch closely."
And then started the bumper harvest.
"Dark Offering."
Dark flames extended from my hands, slowly spreading toward all the crystals in the pile before balls of flame floated toward my chest.
"Amazing..." - Primrose exclaimed with a shocked look.
"This is part of my power. I can turn these high-energy crystals into pure energy and then use this energy for other things, such as blessing my followers or strengthening myself. To me, these crystals are tonics." - I explained.
"...! I understand!" - Primrose replied.
I nodded and turned to the shrinking pile. After around a minute, all that was left was a pile of dark crystal dust.
{Gained 329.4 Evolution Energy A}
{Gained 329.4 Enhancement Energy A}
Basic Energy: 3,357
Evolution Energy A: 362.5
Enhancement Energy A: 350
The points reached a new sky-high number!
Of course, it was far from enough to unlock Devolve, needing 1,000 Enhancement points.
And there were also other things I wanted to enhance and unlock!
"However, that won't be for long..." - I thought, remembering that I have a lot of cattle outside.
"Since using the Kin to kill gives points, there is no need to rest first."
With that in mind, I turned to Primrose and ordered.
"Primrose, now that you know my little secret, I need you to do something for me. Kill 10,000 of the Minions and give me their crystals. Select those who are disabled or haven't participated in the fight first. I will give you a blessing later." - I ordered.
Pimrose's usually stoic expression changed drastically. Her waxen face turned daffodil-colored, and her golden eyes shined with brilliance.
"Yes, God!" - She almost shouted in excitement.
Her enthusiasm was blinding.
"Wow... Getting a blessing sure is an incentive." - I thought.
Moments later, I received a string of messages.
{Gained 0.5 Basic Energy}
{Gained 0.5 Basic Energy}
{Gained 0.5 Basic Energy}
{Gained 0.5 Basic Energy}
{Gained ...}
In less than 10 seconds, ten thousand messages bombarded me.
In the end...
Basic Energy: 3,357 -> 8,357
In just an instant, my points more than doubled!
Seeing this, I had a complicated feeling in my heart.
I just ordered the death of 10,000 humanoid creatures for the sake of points, and it was done in less than ten seconds.
"Is this the feeling of deciding life and death with but a few words?" - I wondered.
While still half shocked, I saw Minions entering in an orderly fashion, placing still-bloody crystals in front of me before leaving.
In a few minutes, the pile was three times the size of the previous one.
"God, these are all the crystals." - Primrose reported with an expectant look.
"...Good work." - I squeezed out the words.
Taking a deep breath, I reached out to the massive pile and offered it.
A few moments later...
A pile of dust covered the ground, and...
{Gained 1,000 Evolution Energy A}
{Gained 1,000 Enhancement Energy A}
Basic Energy: 8,357
Evolution Energy A: 1,362.5
Enhancement Energy A: 1,350
For the first time, all my energies surpassed the 1,000 mark!
"With this, I can get Devolve and other things..." - I thought gleefully.
Just as I was about to start enhancing, I noticed Primrose looking at me with silent expectation.
It was like a kid who was promised candy if he behaved well and was now waiting for his reward.
"Right. It can wait a bit." - I thought.
"Alright, Primrose. I am about to bestow upon you a blessing." - I said magnanimously.
Primrose didn't respond, looking at me with expectant eyes.
It felt like a kid waiting for his promised reward after finishing an assignment.
Oh, wait, she is a kid, and I did promise a reward.
"So, before I give you this blessing, I should at least explain to you what it is. It is a blessing that converts excess food energy into improving your body in an all-around way, making it easier to evolve later. I used this method to evolve you from a Minion." - I explained.
"Amazing..." - Primrose said.
And then, her face changed as she said in realization, "So, God touched those Minions earlier to..."
"Yes. I gave them this blessing to save the time of letting them evolve step by step." - I nodded in confirmation.
Primrose blinked her eyes before nodding, "I understand. Please bless me, God."
"Hm. Stay still for a moment." - I said while placing my hand against her scalp.
"Yes." - Primrose stayed as still as a statue.
And then, I infused some energy in her.
Evolution Energy A: 1,362.5 -> 1,165
I directly infused 197 points. Coupled with the previous 3 points, it was exactly 200 points.
This was because, to evolve her, I needed 20 points, and considering the points needed to strengthen me, I figured this would be enough.
"Okay, Primrose, it is done." - I said and took my hand off.
"Eh? Already..." - Primrose looked at me and subconsciously blurted.
At that, I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
"Already...?" - I asked strangely.
"A-Ah! Nothing. Please forget what I said..." - She blushed in shame.
"Right... The nutrition you need to strengthen yourself should be a lot, so eating a few sandwiches won't make do. You would need to eat Kin and animals, a lot of them. Can you handle it?" - I asked seriously.
"Yes, God! I can handle it!" - She nodded vigorously.
"Good. Just remember. When you feel full, don't force yourself to eat more. This blessing has a limit." - I cautioned her.
"Yes, God, I understand." - She nodded.
"Hm. I will go back to our room now to do something, so you go ahead and eat before the meat spoils." - I instructed.
"Yes!" - Primrose hurriedly nodded and walked outside, leaving me with a bunch of Kin.
The moment she exited the reception, the surrounding Kin turned to look at me, hunger in their eyes.
I calmly looked at them and glared back, "Yeah, keep looking. That's all you will get."
And then, ignoring them, I walked back to my room.
Back inside the room, after closing the door, I did not waste any time and opened the menu.
Name: Divine fragment of Ic'thotl'itrod
Powers: Dark Offering, Camouflage, Storage, Teleport, Reality Travel, Evolution, Enhancement, Sanitization, Energy Conversion(New), Increase Compatibility 1, Analytical Eye 1(New), Empower Words 1(New), Mark of Zeal 1(New)
Host Abilities: True Tongue 1, Unreality Affinity 1, Void Affinity 1, Space Affinity 1, True Sun Affinity 1, Immortal Body 1, Immortal Soul 1, Divinity 1
Basic Energy: 8,357
Evolution Energy A: 1,162.5
Enhancement Energy A: 1,350
Looking at the menu, I nodded. Compared to before, it was even more impressive. However, something was bothering me.
"Trod, add the enhancement I made in brackets near the relevant powers."
{Yes.}
Soon, the menu changed.
Name: Divine fragment of Ic'thotl'itrod
Powers: Dark Offering, Camouflage(Conceal Presence 1), Storage(Increase Storage size 1), Teleport(Increase Range 1), Reality Travel(Decrease Cooldown 2), Evolution, Enhancement, Sanitization, Energy Conversion, Increase Compatibility 1, Analytical Eye 1, Empower Words 1, Mark of Zeal 1
Host Abilities: True Tongue 1, Unreality Affinity 1, Void Affinity 1, Space Affinity 1, True Sun Affinity 1, Immortal Body 1, Immortal Soul 1, Divinity 1
Basic Energy: 8,357
Evolution Energy A: 1,162.5
Enhancement Energy A: 1,350
"Better. Helps me remember things." - I muttered.1It is me being considerate to the readers. This so-called system is jaggy
After organizing the menu, I returned to the business at hand.
"Trod, show me the powers I can enhance, and make sure to exclude things that can't be enhanced." - I ordered.
{Yes.}
{Enhance existing Powers has been selected}
{Please select a Power to enhance}
Powers:
- Dark Offering
- Camouflage
- Storage
- Teleport
- Reality Travel
- Evolution
- Sanitization
- Increase Compatibility 1
- Analytical Eye 1(locked)
- Empower Words 1(locked)
- Mark of Zeal 1(locked)
"Better. Now, then... Evolution." - I said.
{Please choose an enhancement option.}
Enhancement options:
- Add Function
{Please choose a function to add.}
- Devolve
- Synthesize
Devolve. The host can devolve his genetic chain, allowing the selection of another evolution. Price: 1,000 Enhancement Energy A
Synthesize. The host can synthesize multiple genetic chains, creating a different evolution path. Price: 1,000 Enhancement Energy A
I took a long look at Synthesize and muttered, "You will have your chance."
And then, without hesitating, I said, "Enhance Devolve."
{Enhancement Complete}
Enhancement Energy A: 1,350 -> 350
Instantly, over two-thirds of my enhancement points were used. As easy as they came, they were gone, blown away by the wind.
"Don't cry, Iver. It is an investment. Investment!" - I took a deep breath, resisting the urge to grieve over the lost points.
After calming down, I walked to one of the two large beds, removed my shoes and outer garments, and lay down.
And then, I focused on the Evolution power.
{Power: Evolution has been triggered.}
{Please select the desired option: Body Strengthening, Evolution, Devolve.}
A new option has been added. Without hesitation, I selected it.
{Devolve has been selected}
De-Evolution Options:
- Human. Cost: 14 Evolution Energy A and 140 Basic Energy. Time: 2h
"What the... Why does it cost so much?" - I couldn't help but blurt.
{As you evolve, your genetic coding becomes sturdier and your body more robust. To de-evolve, you need to break down your genetic coding and reconstruct it. Also, you need to reconstruct your body into your previous form. Therefore it costs 13 evolution points to break down your genome and 1 point to reconstruct your human genome. The basic energy is fuel to carry out this operation and reconstruct your body.}
"Damn... luckily, I didn't evolve twice, or it would have been super expensive." - I sighed and tried to think positively.
"Alright. Trod, devolve me back into a Human." - I said.
And then, my mind went blank.
...
Munch* Munch* Munch* Munch* Gulp*
Munch* Munch* Munch* Munch* Gulp*
Munch*...
In the middle of the cloudy night, surrounded by a sea of monsters and a massive pile of monster cadavers, a yellow-blood-covered girl was eating meat slabs prepared for her by a few Minions.
If she were to remove her clothes, one would see the situation of her body.
Her muscles slowly twitched, expanded, and shrank as if being tempered and rearranged. Her blood vessels squirmed like snakes. Even her waxen skin became glossier and healthier.
She faintly felt it. Her body was being strengthened, nourished, and reforged. And it was not even painful. It felt comfortable, even.
"So this is the blessing of God... Incredible." - Primrose thought with shining eyes, not slowing down her eating rate.
She already ate five Minions, and her eating rate never stopped. And the fatigue she was supposed to feel from chewing nonstop never arrived. Even more wondrous was that she didn't puke or explode from eating so much. As if defying the laws of mass and physics, all the meat she ate disappeared as if disappearing into a bottomless pit.
And that was also what baffled her.
"Where did all the remnant mass go? It didn't fully transform into chemical energy since my weight is about the same. Heat energy should have been noticeable, and kinetic energy even more so. Now that I think about it, I didn't even need to excrete. Could it be that all the waste products are transformed into invisible dark matter?" - She wondered.
While thinking that, she suddenly wondered, "Is this the same for those Minions?"
Deciding it was worth looking at, she called the 16 Minions blessed by God over.
When she saw them, she found they all became muscular Minions with slightly bloated stomachs.
"Peak condition Minions! In only an hour, no, less than that, they reached the peak of their constitution! If they eat a few crystals and some food, they will evolve on the spot!" - She thought in surprise.
For Minions to evolve, they need to eat around a hundred Minions, crystals included. This process can take a hundred days. Even if given to the Ascended, they can only accelerate the process through nutritional solutions, shortening it to a week or two. But now, in front of her eyes, these 16 Minions skipped days and even months of raising, almost ready to evolve. And this is after only eating three Minions in a row, those with their crystals removed.
At the thought of this, Primrose suddenly thought of something.
Widening her eyes, she stared at her blood-covered hands and asked herself, "Doesn't that mean I can reach peak body conditioning in a matter of days?"
As an Ascended, Primrose's body was far harder to improve than the simple Minions and required far more energy. Even then, what if she ate a hundred Minions? At her rate of eating, she can do it in less than 24 hours.
Would she have a peak body after eating a hundred Minions? That's insane! Such a tempering process is crazy expensive in both time and resources, and she can achieve it by eating a hundred or two cheap Minions within a day or two. What if she has access to nutritional solutions? Would the process finish within a matter of hours?
"God's blessing is beyond comprehension..." - She thought.
And then, looking at the Minions, she remembered something.
"Ah, right! God didn't give instructions about them. I should go and ask him!" - she said to herself and walked inside the hotel.
A few minutes later, she returned to their new room, took out her keycard, and opened the door.
However, what she saw next was beyond anything she could have expected.
A skeleton draped in God's shirt and pants was burning in black flames, lying on God's bed.
"Ah..." - She uttered, stunned silly.
Her mind was blank, entering a shocked state. Only after a few minutes did she recover enough to articulate some thoughts.
"I-Is that... God?" - She muttered, unsure.
However, she felt a faint connection to that Skeleton. That connection could not be faked.
Just an hour ago, God was alive and well. But now, he was a creepy burning skeleton.
"Ha... Haha... God... Please don't play pranks on Primrose... Please..." - Primrose shakily walked to the bed.
However, the Skeleton didn't respond. The fire continued crackling silently, and it even gained a tiny crack in its skull.
"G-God?" - Primrose hesitantly called out.
"..."
The skeleton did not answer, ever burning.
On the verge of tears, Primrose disregarded her safety and shakily reached out her hand into the black flames. Nothing. It was as if the flames were an illusion.
Then, as gently as she could, she touched the Skeleton's hand.
Snap*
The hand broke!
"Wa... God! I didn't mean to...!" - Primrose hurriedly retracted her hand as if electrocuted.
However, her slight action caused a domino effect.
Crack* Snap* Rattle*
The entire Skeleton collapsed on itself, and even the skull broke, the flames still burning.
"A-Ah..." - Primrose shook.
Her world, breaking.
"N-No... God..." - Her lips trembled, and her eyes watered.
After a few moments, she finally snapped.
She collapsed on her knees and cried.
"Noooo!!! God Croaked!!!! Waaaaahaaaa!!!!"
Like the little kid she was, she wailed while crying her eyes out.
It was like losing her parent, cranked up to the maximum she could emotionally feel.
For the next twenty minutes, she just sat there, crying.
When she could finally gather her thoughts again, she looked up and saw something that stopped her crying.
A slightly smaller new skeleton formed itself in the black flames, flesh and sinew slowly growing on it. And she still felt the connection was as strong as ever.
She finally understood what was going on.
God didn't die.
He was...
"Sniff* Body reconstruction? G-God is Sniff* remaking his vessel?" - She said while wiping her snot with her hand.
Finally, the panic in her eyes was gone.
"I shouldn't have assumed anything... How can a mortal like me understand God's ways?" - She mocked herself.
She then looked at God's new vessel and secretly had a thought.
"God could have warned me, though..." - She complained in her mind.
Shaking her head, she grabbed some wet wipes and cleaned herself a bit, deciding not to eat until God woke up.
And, sure enough, for the next forty minutes, God's body gained more and more mass until it finally became the body of a human.
And finally, the flames went out, and God woke up.
"Mm... So weak..." - God groaned.
Primrose immediately rose to her feet and rushed to God's side.
"God, I am here! Do you need any help?!" - She asked worriedly.
"Hm...? Primrose? Why are you here? Did you finish eating?" - God asked with a kind smile.
"G-God! I wanted to report to you about the 16 Minions, but when I did, you were... were..."
"On fire?" - God asked, not surprised.
"That too... But..." - Primrose hesitated.
"But...?" - God frowned slightly in question.
"You were a... skeleton... and broke down..." - Primrose said hesitantly.
"... What?"