The Stubborn Skill-Grinder In A Time Loop

The first question to consider was…

…just what were these Talents?

Clearly, they were related to existing Titles he held. And the titles he held provided a certain number of these Runes in exchange.

But before exploring these Talents, he needed answers.

The crown held in his hands gave him a connection to the planet, and he instinctively felt he could call upon Alastaia.

The spirit of the world itself, Alastaia, was present, an omni-present feeling throughout the entirety of the core chamber.

“Well, this is strange… speaking to an actual world. Feel up to answering some questions?” Orodan asked, and the ever-present hum became louder, almost harmonious. “How are you feeling?”

“Our mind is cleared, Orodan Wainwright,” it answered in a far more harmonious tone than it had during his battle against it. “We think with clarity once more in an eon, you have our gratitude, and our fealty, World Conqueror of Alastaia.”

The proclamation was a powerful one. World Conqueror, he knew of two beings with that title. Zaessythra, and the imitation of the Arch-Devil he’d fought in the Divine Tower.

Dominion over an entire world… what was he even meant to do with such a silly title?

Thoughts on that could come later.

“It’s a lot to unpack, but how about we start with why you decided to send the Void Horror to nab me?” he asked while pointing over his shoulder towards the Void Horror who sat peacefully cross-legged. “And then… once he discovered I wasn’t so weak, he decided to kill me. I understand getting rid of me to avoid the descent of otherworlders upon Alastaia, hells I’d even understand if you decided to throw me towards the sun and hope they’d avoid the planet. But, killing me, really?”

“We can only offer apologies and make amends, World Conqueror,” Alastaia spoke. “For too long have we faced incursions from the Eldritch and otherworldly invaders. With only six months remaining before the descent of calamity we sought a champion and failing that… the elimination of undue attention which might disrupt the balance of power.”

Fair enough. He wasn’t going to hold hard feelings over what was a calculated decision on Alastaia’s end. The Void Horror was merely following orders to ensure the survival of its own world as well, and at no point would he say it held a malicious attitude. And speaking of the Void Horror…

“And him… you aren’t mad at the Void Horror for betraying you?” Orodan asked Alastaia. “Much as I appreciate his timely intervention, I do need to know that there won’t be problems between the two of you.”

As fair as a conflict between an entire world and one of its guardians could get anyways.

“Bearer of the crown, you command our loyalties now, in wielding the symbol of authority forged by the System itself, we would not act against you,” the world spoke.

“But would you act against my friend here who dared to help me in a critical moment?”

“Orodan Wainwright, unlike gate guardians the world itself is much more constrained in what it can do,” the Void Horror spoke up. “Gate guardians and even core guardians can rebel to an extent, albeit at risk of being cut off from the bountiful world energy we enjoy. Worlds however must obey the bearer of the System’s authority once a world ruler has emerged.”

“Even without such restrictions, we would not act against the wayward guardian whose intentions were pure,” Alastaia spoke. “For too long have our thoughts been a muddled dream, driven by the ever-growing descent into madness as the great wound grows and the Eldritch spreads. We would not bear vengeance against one who aided in our liberation.”

As good an answer as any, and one that put him at ease. Last thing he wanted was to turn around and have Alastaia somehow harm the Void Horror who’d helped him.

“Orodan Wainwright, before you seek any further answers I must know your intentions,” the Void Horror interjected. “What do you intend to do with us gate guardians? What do you intend to do with the families and descendants of us who have faithfully served Alastaia all this time? We mean you no harm and can rel-”

“None of that will be necessary,” Orodan interrupted. “You can remain and live your lives as you always have. Why would I interrupt that? Hells, I even made sure to avoid any collateral damage earlier when those two were throwing magic at me like nobles throwing coins at a beggar child.”

The octopi and many-eyed guardian at least had the decency to look away.

“…truly? If so, you have my gratitude and respect,” the Void Horror said. “World Conquerors often supplant or commit genocide upon the existing beings past the world gates; usually in the hopes of placing their favored races in beneficial positions where they can access the plentiful world energy.”

“Well, I have no interest in doing that,” Orodan replied. “Live your lives and be happy.”

“We shall loyally guard the core for-”

“No, I mean live your lives and do whatever you want,” Orodan interrupted, causing it to flinch in confusion. “Why would I want a guard for the world gates? I mean, certainly, you should protect yourselves and your settlements. But if anyone threatens the world core I’ll crush them myself. I fight my own battles, although I’ll remember the aid you’ve given me today.”

Ever since Adeltaj had given his life for him, Orodan despised the thought of anyone else fighting on his behalf. Adding Zaessythra and Vespidia’s sacrifices to that? Nobody would die for him again, if he could help it.

“Then, do you wish for us to man the world gates at least?” the Void Horror asked.

“No, I want you to do whatever you want,” Orodan said, and then channelled energy into the crown. “Consider this a direct order. You don’t need to guard any gates or protect the core on my behalf. Live your lives, do whatever makes you happy. Whether it’s spending time with your loved ones and descendants or traveling the world and seeing the sights. Just don’t cause too much of a ruckus or kill innocent folks.”

“World Conqueror…” the Void Horror muttered. “Do you truly wish for us to leave your service? Where shall we go?”

“No… no! Just… you can stay exactly where you are, just live your lives freely and do as you wish. Me saying you can live freely does not mean I’m evicting you from your homes,” Orodan said.

“I see, you truly are a warrior through and through, allowing nobody else to steal your glory,” the Void Horror praised. “Then, are we truly to be allowed onto the surface for the first time?”

“Why not?” Orodan asked, and then thought better of it. He turned to the world core. “Is there any particular reason you keep the gate guardians and the powerful beings past the world gate locked inside?”

“Too much power upon our surface can draw problematic gazes from across the cosmos,” Alastaia answered. “But with a World Conqueror like you defending us…”

“Well, I can’t guarantee I’ll defeat all comers,” Orodan replied. Yes, he was likely the most powerful defender the world had now. Both its Conqueror and guardian. But that didn’t mean he was arrogant enough to think he could kill everyone. At least without the time loops. Devil King Gutriyaz could simply destroy the planet and ignore Orodan, and he couldn’t be everywhere. “But I’ll take them on all the same.”

“And we could not ask more,” Alastaia said. “We shall balance the ventures to the surface, alleviating much of the risk. As our defender, you need not be concerned. Your ambitions are grander.”

They ironed out a few more details before finally moving onto the real topic.

“I need to know, Alastaia, will investing in the Title Exchange take away my Titles?” Orodan asked. “I have a strange instinctual feeling that it won’t, but I need to be sure.”

“Your Titles shall be preserved, World Conqueror,” Alastaia answered. “More than just that… it is an investment, not a permanent sacrifice of Runes. Depending on the strength of your soul and how often it can tolerate the turbulent shifts… you can simply withdraw the Runes and invest them once more. We recommend plentiful rest in-between lest your soul be damaged beyond repair.”

“Damaged as in?”

“The soul’s outer layer… destroyed.”

That was it? Orodan destroyed his outer soul layer all the time! He looked forward to seeing what these Talents could offer him.

“Then with the logistics out of the way, and before I ask any more questions, let’s see what these Talents have to offer,” Orodan said, and mentally summoned the Title Exchange.

The list was as long as he remembered, all related to his existing Titles, but he decided to start by mentally focusing in on one particular category.

Physical Talents

[Runes Available: 2020 (+10% = 2222)]

[Physical Talents]

[Physical Aptitude - Increase the natural pre-disposition, aptitude and learning speed of all skills related to the physical body. Cost increases based on existing natural aptitude. → 800 Runes]

[Physical Limit Breaker - Increase the effectiveness of each existing skill level related to physical skills. Cost increases with successive purchases. → 100 Runes]

Two available talents to invest into, and an existing cost of 800 Runes for increasing Physical Aptitude, did that mean he had decent talent in it? But what really caught his eye…

…was the +10% increase to his available Runes. There was no way it wasn’t related to his +0.1 Title Multiplier.

And if turned out to be the case, then time loops aside, his ability to farm the Reward for the second Quest might just be the most grotesquely unfair advantage he had.

“Only two talents? Do all the categories only have these two?” Orodan asked. “And how expensive is 800 Runes considered to be? For the Physical Aptitude talent that is.”

“Additional talents can arise dependent upon your understanding of the category, World Conqueror. Talents increase the very limits in a metaphysical sense. Adding new functions is for skills themselves, and the wielder of them to comprehend and bring into reality,” Alastaia explained. In other words, talents weren’t about to grant him new skills or functions. Rather they would only make skills related to the physical stronger. “As for 800 Runes, your existing talent can be considered quite decent by universal standards.”

Quite decent? That was it? Then again, the universe was truly big, and who knew what sort of monstrous geniuses existed?

He decided to look into another category.

[Runes Available: 2020 (+10% = 2222)]

[Death-Defying Talents]

[Death & Resistance Aptitude - Increase the natural pre-disposition, aptitude and learning speed of all skills related to death. Increase the natural resistance against death’s approach and the severing of the connection between the physical body and the soul. Cost increases based on existing natural aptitude. → 50 Runes]

[Death Limit Breaker - Increase the effectiveness of each existing skill level related to death skills. Cost increases with successive purchases. → 100 Runes]

50 Runes?! Orodan defied death with far more success than this stupid Title Exchange implied!

Most of the remaining categories were similar, with all of them having two talents available for purchase. They were also a look at the measure of his natural talent in a category.

He’d been irked, but none too surprised to see a 5 Rune cost for the Blacksmithing Aptitude Talent.

And he’d been pleasantly surprised to see the cost of Space Aptitude set at an exorbitant 1500 Runes.

Like that, almost all of the Talent categories were the same. They didn’t offer any new functions per se, but a metaphysical improvement overall.

The two World Conqueror talents allowed for greater aptitude for channelling world energy, and increased damage of all kinds against world cores, gate guardians and any being which fed off world energy. Which was strong, but a cheap shortcut in Orodan’s opinion. The Rune cost was a mere 50 as well, indicating he had no existing aptitude for world energy.

The Anti-Avatar talents gave increased aptitude in resisting Divine Energy, and increased damage of all kinds against anything empowered by it. Rather cheap as well. Whatever Orodan had was a result of hard work.

And the Celestial Skill Absorption Talents made Celestial skills more powerful and the absorption of new ones into them, easier. Quite a powerful talent to have, and the cost of 1800 Runes matched the price.

It was the second last category which really surprised him.

[Runes Available: 2020 (+10% = 2222)]

[Cleaning & Perfect Cleaning Talents]

[Cleaning & Perfect Cleaning Aptitude - Increase the natural pre-disposition, aptitude and learning speed of all skills related to cleaning and perfect cleaning. Cost increases based on existing natural aptitude. → Unquantifiable]

[Cleaning & Perfect Cleaning Limit Breaker - Increase the effectiveness of each existing skill level related to cleaning & perfect cleaning skills. Cost increases with successive purchases. → 100 Runes]

[Cleaning & Perfect Cleaning Pioneer - Increase the effectiveness of new discoveries made in the fields of cleaning & perfect cleaning. Broaden the horizons of what is possible, pave the way for others in the field. → 1900 Runes]

“Unquantifiable?” Orodan immediately asked. “What does that mean? And three talents too…”

“Most unfathomable… even we have not heard of such a thing, never before has the System declared a cost unquantifiable,” Alastaia remarked, confusion in its ethereal voice. “And a Pioneer Talent? That can only arise if… Orodan Wainwright, you must have pushed the very boundaries of the System with your cleaning skill. We thought it a mere rumor…”

“Hold on… so you’re telling me, that despite me being a sword-swinging, shield-rucking warrior who smashes his head against foes… the one thing I’m impossibly talented in, is Cleaning?” he asked, an expression of incredulity evident. “How the hells does this make sense? I need some answers before I even think to approach the final category.”

“Most disconcerting… even on my original plane I’d never heard of such a thing,” the Void Horror interjected. “Unquantifiable, that simply cannot be. For there to be no measurable Rune cost… can it truly be? Can the very boundaries of the System be pushed in such a way?”

“I don’t know, and neither does Alastaia it seems,” Orodan said. “But first, it’s time for the truth to come out. Why were you corrupted by the Eldritch? What is it exactly, and what does the Divine Tower have to do with all this?”

“World Conqueror, let us begin on fresh footing,” the world spoke. “We are Alastaia, the world you hold dominion over. For over an eon, we have existed, formed from the breakaway portions of a dying world, given sentience over time as life began to thrive and the resultant world energy eventually formed into a core.”

“Yet, your world core and the crown I hold in my hands clearly bear System glyphs, so it must be involved in some way,” Orodan said, pointing to the glowing object in his hands. “Did the System create you, or did it intervene after a certain point?”

“Intervention, once we attained awareness,” Alastaia answered. “All worlds which form cores are subject to the categorization and authority of the System. To reject this, is destruction.”

“Fair enough, and the crown… this is quite similar to the Eldritch crown wielded by the first emperor of Novarria. What’s the relation between them?”

“It belonged to the former ruler of our sibling world… Vylrystia, destroyed by foes beyond reckoning,” it replied. “Without a world core, the crown is but an inert object. Still powerful, capable of accommodating much energy, but the sacred symbols of the System vanish without the connection to the core.”

That explained why it looked shockingly similar to the crown of Balastion Novar, with the exception of the presence of actual System glyphs glowing on its surface.

“Alright, I think I understand that, but let’s move onto the Eldritch. Why were you corrupted by it, what relation does the Eldritch have to worlds, and the Eldritch Avatar and the divinities that possess it?” Orodan asked. “Clearly there is corruptive and non-corruptive Eldritch. Hells, there’s a psionic Grandmaster on the surface corrupted by Eldritch but showing no visual signs of it. He has a few screws loose but hasn’t become maddened.”

“The Eldritch has existed since before our memory,” it spoke. “The System itself has… a maddening effect. Mortals and even Gods are spared most of it, but worlds like us which channel enormous amounts of world energy and have access to the System’s power and truth, over time we face the maddening, the foul rot which begins to form over many millions of years. This rot is the Eldritch. Whether it comes from the System itself or someplace beyond, we know not.”

The System was tied to the Eldritch then? This mystery only got deeper and Orodan was left with more questions than answers.

“The Eldritch Avatar and the Gods empowering it then, what are they and why do they corrupt, whereas you do not?”

“We had begun to lose our clarity of thought when you found and purged the Eldritch. However, when a world does not have a suitable ruler for long enough… or worse, the conqueror cannot purge the Eldritch, the very world itself becomes corrupted… maddened,” Alastaia explained. “The very ground, the air, the beings upon its surface, and even the land can become corrupted. And even the Gods of that world can face the maddening if careless. The foe which descends in six months is empowered by three such corrupted Gods.”

“Then, there’s a corrupted world that the Eldritch Avatar hails from? Perhaps it could be cured…”

“We have long sought its location, and despite our eldest brother’s attempts to scry its location with light and his burning champions… it eludes us still,” Alastaia answered. “It would also be an exceedingly dangerous endeavor, for a world which has corrupted Gods under its purview will doubtlessly be well-defended with numerous champions and armies.”

“A fight is the last thing I’m concerned about,” Orodan said. “But what’s this about an Eldest brother?”

“He who provides the light of day.”

Which could only be…

“The sun?! No wonder I kept getting killed…” Orodan muttered.

He shouldn’t have been surprised that the sun itself had a consciousness, and perhaps even a world core of its own. From what Alastaia explained, all worlds that formed cores came under the System’s purview. Naturally, the sun, which astronomers projected was the oldest body in the solar system, would fall under that category.

Whether the sun itself lashed out to slay him or sent one of its champions, Orodan knew that it was a prickly and unfriendly thing.

“Anyhow, let us return to the matter at hand. I’ve learned a great many things today,” Orodan said as his hand came up to his chin, deep in thought. “The Eldritch comes from the System, and the Avatar which faces us is corrupted by a fallen world?”

“Correct.”

“Then, I think I have my answers on that matter for now,” Orodan said. “The most important matter however, still remains. The Divine Tower, and how it’s connected to a unique situation of mine.”

“World Conqueror, you mentioned something about the pylon remembering your loops, what would that be?”

“Well, this will take a while, but allow me to regale you with the tale of a poor militia man in the Republic who got into trouble above his head and died charging against a stronger foe,” Orodan said, and then smiled.

An entire two hours passed as Orodan elaborated everything about the time loops to Alastaia, the Void Horror, the remaining gate guardians and the former core guardian. The little bat had even taken to perching upon his shoulder.

They listened with rapt attention, with Alastaia and the Void Horror periodically asking questions. The Void Horror seemed to appreciate Orodan’s leniency and mercy towards innocents throughout his loops, and Alastaia seemed rather flummoxed with his endless willpower and ability to best Gods and even the Eldritch divinities in a contest of will.

“…which is when I finally managed to survive Devil King Gutriyaz’s attack, the cultivators arrived, we spoke and then I decided to make my way down here for some answers,” Orodan finished. “The rest, involves the scuffle we had and my subsequent gaining of the World Conqueror title.”

“Incredible… the explanation for why we had no recollection of bestowing those two Quests finally reveals itself,” Alastaia remarked.

“Not only that… but, World Conqueror, you say you were but seventeen years of age when this entire loop began?” the Void Horror asked.

“Yes, my Status still lists me as being seventeen years old,” Orodan said. Although who knew if Harmony Of Vitality would interfere with his age. True Vampires and certain immortals reportedly had the same value in their age on their Status. Perhaps he might face the same issue given each cell was being periodically recycled to prime condition every instant.

“Then… the pulse! Alastaia… he might really be-”

“Yes, he truly might be the reason for it…” Alastaia said. “Orodan Wainwright, the reason our guardian is taken so aback, is because of the pylon itself. What you refer to as the Divine Tower, is in fact a pylon sent by the System. Sometime, an eon ago, during our infancy, it was thrown unto the earth and caused great cataclysm as it pierced our core and attached itself. We do not know of its purpose, and even our eldest brother has heard naught of such things in the wider universe.”

“Yet, I sense it’s very important,” Orodan said.

“Quite so. Years ago, the pylon pulsed rather madly, and the power of the System erupted from it, channelling into our core and taking control over certain key functions,” the world explained. “The interference was not overmuch… minor, merely the nudging of a single symbol. Yet when we attempted to bestow the Quest unto High Burgher Sarvaan Ilsuan Arslan of the Republic today, to stop the ancient machine under Mount Castarian… the Quest was instead bestowed unto an unknown recipient.”

It was bestowed onto Orodan Wainwright.

No wonder him receiving a Quest felt so out of the ordinary. He was but a mere militia man of Volarbury County, in the poorest town of the Republic. Why would the world have ever bestowed any Quests on Orodan Wainwright? The recipient was meant to be the High-Burgher Sarvaan Ilsuan Arslan, a powerful Master-level warrior.

He now knew why. The pylon, something sent by the System itself.

“And… just when, when did the pylon pulse?” Orodan asked, although he had deduced the answer already.

“Seventeen years ago.”

On the day of his birth, or at least near enough to it that it was impossible for it to be a coincidence.

Was this… ordained? Did he only get drawn into it the day of his death? This revelation only brought more questions for Orodan. What did the cause of this time loop want from him? Why Orodan Wainwright? Who was responsible for sending the System’s pylon to Alastaia and then using it to wrest control of the world’s Quest-giving ability for a single moment?

A part of him missed the simplicity of the days where his only concern was the descending Eldritch Avatar.

Still, dwelling on the nature of the time loops could come later. Doubtlessly he would find more answers throughout the cosmos, by venturing to other worlds such as Xian and X2 and asking the ancient beings upon them.

But before that… came looking at the last category of talents.

Of course, an interruption occurred as a familiar True Vampire gate guardian barged into the chamber.

“Elder…! Is it true?! The Blood Curse can be cleansed?!” the vampire asked frantically.

“Aherozam! How dare you enter the core chamber when the World Conqueror is-”

“It’s fine, let him speak. I appreciate your zeal but I’m not your ruler and neither do I need anyone to protect me,” Orodan interjected, calming the Void Horror. “Aherozam was it? Yes, I cleansed the taint of vampirism from the True Vampire sent to capture me. I believe his werewolf subordinate took him back to Narictus, so they’ll have quite the story to tell, I’m sure.”

“You are… you must be Orodan Wainwright,” the True Vampire said, and then immediately dropped to its knees in supplication. “World Conqueror, my blood and the world energy I subsist off of bid me serve you. Please… allow your subject to ask of you one favor, cleanse this foul taint from my being. Do to me what you did to the tyrant Ragamul.”

This was the True Vampire Orodan had bested during his loops delving into the abyss and attempting to find the first gate. Orodan remembered well how it refused to use any form of Blood arts during the entire fight, and when he used Absolute Soul Dominion against it, he saw a scene of ruin, a nation destroyed, and the True Vampire standing above the broken body of his wife, who was an Avatar.

“I’m not your ruler, please rise,” Orodan said as he put his hands around its shoulders and bade it stand. “I have no problem helping you, but are you sure about this? You’ll become weaker, at least for a while until you acclimatize to the lack of blood arts and the taint naturally strengthening your body.”

“I have already rejected the blood within… I have neither supped on nor utilized the foul power of innocent blood for almost a hundred-thousand years,” Aherozam replied. “I too am from Narictus; exiled for daring to reject the power of the taint after…”

The vampire’s voice broke, and it carried both grief and frustration.

“…after I was forced to take the life of my own wife during the midnight court’s war against the opposing Gods of my home world,” he finished. “My wife was an Avatar on the enemy side, but it needn’t have come to outright death if not for the damned ability of the elders to control the taint within and amplify our bloodlust. I beg of you, please rid me of the curse of vampirism.”

“Very well, I’ll help anyone who asks, and you’ve come to an informed decision it seems,” Orodan said. “It will be quick, but since you aren’t resisting it and in fact want the change to occur, it will be easier. Focus on the idea, the concept of being free of vampirism. Imagine your ideal self, without the curse.”

Orodan’s eyes began glowing as terrifying amounts of soul energy were gathered. The Void Horror and remaining gate guardians actually took a few steps backward. And then…

…Domain Of Perfect Cleaning enveloped Aherozam The Blood Rejecter.

Unlike when he cleansed Ragamul, the True Vampire from Narictus, this time there was no pain or struggle from his target. In fact…

“Strange… I feel liberated, lighter,” the vampire said. Or rather, the human said, as Aherozam couldn’t be called a vampire any longer. “Where is this weakness I’m meant to feel? Are you sure it’s been done correctly?”

“This is… certainly a better outcome than I expected,” Orodan remarked. “You must’ve had the ideal concept of yourself without vampiric prowess for a while now. The transition is far smoother than I thought it would be.”

“Truly? I… wait… the thirst… the thirst… I no longer feel it!” the man exclaimed in shock. “My hands, my skin, blood flows through me once more! I am unliving no longer!”

“I suppose having red blood flow through the veins must feel better than whatever dark ichor vampires normally have, no?” Orodan asked with a smile.

“It does! Orodan Wainwright! I henceforth swear fealty to your cause! Whatever you ask of me I-”

“No. I’ve been over this already, but I need no warriors or subordinates, I fight my own battles,” Orodan interrupted. “Live your life and find happiness.”

A few more rounds of pleading and insistence from the former vampire came forth, which were quelled by the Void Horror who already knew of Orodan’s lax approach to having dominion over a world, and soon, all within the core chamber were silent.

“Now then… onto the main matter, Alastaia, this corrupted category within the Title Exchange, do you see it? It says Time Looper Talents I believe,” Orodan said.

“World Conqueror… I do not know of what you speak,” it answered. “Through my connection to the crown I only count the final category as being Time Talents.”

The world couldn’t see it then? Strange. And more evidence that whatever this time loop was… it had a connection to this pylon of the System and seemed to target Orodan specifically.

“Hmm… it’s fine, let me see what it says.

[Runes Available: 2020 (+10% = 2222)]

#$Tim^%e *L^oo#@p#er $#T$a%l^en!t&s

@!Ch#e$ckp*oi&^nt - U^s%es B&as*ed On T(ot&al R&u^n$e#es He(l@d → 2000 $R*un#es

#$Sto(r*ag^e - Sp@a!ce D(ep*end^ent On T(ot*al R^un&e(s H^e@ld → 2500 R&u%nes

The wording was corrupted quite a bit, yet he could make out what was said. A ‘checkpoint’ and storage. He couldn’t afford the latter currently, and as for the former…

…in later loops he could simply re-invest Runes in a particular category to train it faster. But, for now, this ‘checkpoint’ ability deserved investigation. He sank 2000 Runes into the Talent.

And his world exploded in searing soul pain.

It felt as though something was prying his soul open and inserting a very powerful but scalding hot orb inside. It wasn’t harmful to him, but this… this wasn’t a Reward of the world itself. This was the System acting directly.

Even though only a moment passed, it felt far longer as the pain nearly consumed him, and Orodan could understand why Alastaia had recommended plenty of rest in-between attempting re-investments of the Runes earned from his Titles. For anyone without the ability to repair their soul, this would cause soul damage.

The brightness faded, and Orodan got to his feet to find a concerned former vampire and Void Horror standing by ready to help him.

“I’m fine, it was simply more intense than I’d expected,” Orodan assuaged.\

“The process of investing in a Talent should not cause such titanic fluctuations of energy,” Alastaia explained. “That… was not the regular process. Was that this Time Looper Talent category you spoke of?”

“It seems like it… even the System treats the time loop very strangely,” Orodan said.

As long as the crown was with him, Orodan could access the Title Exchange at any time. And while he hadn’t tried investing into a normal category… he felt it’d be far less painful and disruptive than an investment in the Time Looper Talents category. He would need to account for that if he wanted to make any mid-battle adjustments.

And with the influx of that strange power, Orodan felt that he could create a point in his loops and when he died…

…it wouldn’t send him back to Ogdenborough, but to the checkpoint. This was just incredible. Although, it was still limited by the amount of Runes he held, which after his investment, was 222 Runes. He wasn’t sure how many Runes a checkpoint reset would cost but wasn’t in a hurry to test it just yet.

After all, he had many goals ahead of him.

With the pursuing hunters from other worlds driven off, the horizon looked clear for once. And finally, Orodan was free to act and tie up numerous loose ends.

“World Conqueror,” the Void Horror spoke. “What will you do now?”

That was a good question.

Orodan looked at the former True Vampire he’d purified, the Void Horror whose brother he needed to save, and the world core he rescued from its descent into gradual madness. He had done much good already, but there was still more to be done. And Orodan Wainwright had a list of people who he owed debts to, and those he had a grudge against.

He was the World Conqueror of Alastaia now, but that didn’t mean its surface naturally bowed to him. There were many groups and people he needed to deal with.

It was time to settle some scores.

Eldragon Manor was situated in Trumbetton, the largest town and the center of Volarbury County. Burgher Ignatius Firesword nominally held control over all Volarbury County, but his base of power was especially in Trumbetton.

Lady Katareya Eldragon was an Elite-level diviner of the Cathedral of the Prime Five. House Eldragon was considered minor nobility, primarily due to her working for the Cathedral and that of her deceased husband who used to serve House Firesword as one of its Elite-level retainers yet died bravely defending one of the House’s caravans during a raid.

The woman was also someone Orodan had an affair with a very long time ago. And while he couldn’t say he held any such feelings towards her any longer, she was a convenient target for what he needed to do.

“Oi! What’re you doing there? Snooping on Eldragon Manor are you?” a member of the county militia asked as the man walked up, gripping his sword. Even if a human lacked the instincts that monsters had, Orodan’s size still put regular people on-edge.

“Yes, but for a purpose,” Orodan replied. “Just looking at the lady of the house.”

He didn’t really need visual sight when he had Vision Of Purity, and he sensed Katareya within as he approached. He was more so surveying the changes that his titanic battle had wrought.

He didn’t like the idea of wearing a crown atop his head, so he instead wore it like an armband, on his upper arm. It was strangely malleable, and the System glyphs upon it glowed as it molded to fit his arm. Otherwise, the regular shape of the crown wouldn’t have fit around his rather hefty bicep at all.

The crown of Alastaia he wore allowed him to detect and influence the flows of world energy. It was a strange thing, different from soul energy, mana or vitality, yet composed of He had no use for it, but world energy practically hummed to life around him. He felt he could dictate when and where energy wells popped up, and even a weakling using the crown could cause calamity by increasing or decreasing the world energy density in certain areas.

“Y-you…! Some sort of degenerate peeping tom are ye’?!” the guard exclaimed. “You shan’t be doing any of that around these parts on my watch!”

Orodan sighed. While he had already seen the lady of House Eldragon in various stages of undress, he’d all but forgotten about her and really didn’t see her that way anymore.

The sword shattered upon Orodan’s skin.

“She does seem rather exhausted. I wonder if the Cathedral has her pulling double shifts due to what occurred,” Orodan said as he looked upwards at the destroyed remnants of the moon. A result of his battle against the otherworlders. “Say, what’s the word around what happened to the moon?”

The tides had undoubtedly been affected but mages could temporarily keep settlements safe while enchantments and wards were constructed. The bigger issue was the moon’s slow drift towards Alastaia. Massive meteor showers weren’t conducive to life, and Orodan would have to obliterate the moon entirely for the good of his world.

“Who… who are you?! My lord, I apologize if I’ve offended you, I beg mercy!” the militia man said as an amulet around his neck glowed. A natural reaction to seeing his sword shatter on Orodan’s arm.

No useful answers would be forthcoming from the guard, so Orodan simply homed in and focused.

He’d spent a day familiarizing himself with the crown before coming back to the surface, and it was now midnight in the Republic. Novus and Lucifreya Eldragon, both of Katareya’s children, were sleeping. And the lady of the house herself was out cold, undoubtedly exhausted as the Cathedral looked to discover exactly what had happened.

Nobody involved in the battle upon the moon had told the surface world of anything that transpired. Which meant that unless the Republic had some excellent diviners or esoteric methods, they were in the dark. From their perspective, a terrifying battle had occurred on the moon, and it had promptly been destroyed. The Prime Five would be on alert and ready to respond to even the slightest of disturbances after such cataclysmic events.

Which worked just fine for Orodan, as he wanted to draw their attention.

What was he here for?

“I’m Orodan Wainwright, and I’m here to resurrect the dead.”

The guard could only stare at him, mouth agape, as Orodan’s eyes began glowing with furious light at the amount of soul energy he was channelling.

Even the patriarch of the Time Wind dragon flight, a triple-Grandmaster dragon with energy reserves and generation of terrifying proportions, would struggle to resurrect someone who’d died thirty minutes ago. Possible, but on the high end of power required.

But to reach back into the past and resurrect someone who’d died seven years ago? Even the Gods could not do such a thing as the power required was simply too great.

Yet even Gods couldn’t compare to the endless power Orodan Wainwright was capable of generating.

Limited only by his body, he began channelling enough soul energy to light the night sky up for dozens of miles, making it appear as though Trumbetton was the sun itself, sending light to the rest of the county. The light show might’ve even been visible from neighboring countries.

For Orodan all this was merely a prelude to performing the greatest feat of chronomancy he’d performed to date. To bring back a man who’d been dead for seven years, the deceased husband of Katareya Eldragon.

His body was damaged horribly as his own soul energy wracked it, yet still he persisted and brought it all together, focusing on the rope of time, the connection from the soul of Katareya Eldragon to an incredibly distant soul, her husband’s. And then…

…he pulled the river of time backwards.

His efforts were met with heavy resistance. After all, the farther one attempted to pull time backwards, the heavier the weight of it was. In comparison to the weight of seven whole years of time reversal, the pathetic force of Eximus attempting to stop it with his own chronomancy was negligible.

Orodan felt offended that the greedy God of Time dared to even try.

Slowly, the gigantic displacement in the river was completed, and at last, it was done.

[Time Mastery 30 → Time Mastery 40]

[Time Reversal 27 → Time Reversal 35]

[Eternal Soul Reactor 93 → Eternal Soul Reactor 94]

Two massive jumps in the relevant skills. A feat of chronomancy he doubted anyone else on Alastaia or even the nearby planets would be capable of. No matter what cosmic horror or overlord he met, Orodan’s energy generation would always be a threat they’d have to respect.

But not without cost.

His entire body was a molten ruin. A puddle of glowing flesh upon the ground, and even his powerful Harmony Of Vitality only barely kept him alive.

Still, he’d succeeded, and with the task done, he recovered back to perfect condition within moments.

“Well… this is strange… wasn’t I just having tea with my great-grandfather?” a man asked, standing in the courtyard of Eldragon Manor. “And in the clothes I wore seven years ago before departing on that wretched escort too. You’re the only one nearby, might you share an answer, kind sir?”

“R-ranvus? It… it can’t be… what manner of foul sorcery is this?!” a woman yelled as she charged out of the front doors of Eldragon Manor and flung multiple bolts of offensive light magic towards the newly resurrected man. “I’ll have the inquisitors and Cathedral summoned here! Vile demon! What witchcraft makes you impersonate my late husband!?”

To his credit, the man managed to barely dodge the spells.

“G-good instincts Kat, my love… still the same violent woman as ever,” he said and Orodan had to doubt that statement. The Katareya Eldragon he knew wasn’t violent at all, but that just went to show that the death of someone important could change a person. “It’s me, it really is me, Ranvus.”

“Lies! I refuse to believe it! What have I done to warrant a demon playing such a cruel trick?! I don’t even participate in the devil culling of the Cathedral!” Katareya roared, and then, the black stone of her necklace, began to slowly turn green once more, and Orodan saw a thread of soul energy from Ranvus wisp its way towards the jewelry. Katareya’s rictus of rage began to soften as she saw this, and confusion replaced it. “The amulet… wait… but…”

“It really is me Katareya… forgive me for being away so long,” the man softly said as he embraced his wife. “Where are the children? I believe I was watching Novus train in the academy the other day; he’s doing better than I did at his age! And little Luci hammers the metal so well!”

“Ranvus… is it truly you? I’ve… I’ve been lonely for so long. I must be honest, I’ve-”

“I know. You were lonely and I wanted you to be happy,” the man said. “But I’m here now.”

“My love… how? How can this be? You died seven years ago guarding that incompetent man’s caravan,” Katareya said.

“Kat… you mustn’t speak of the Burgher so… I saw him too during my time in the afterlife, and he was stricken with grief and guilt which lasts to this day. He is a good man, and a good lord. He made sure you and the children were taken care of in my absence,” Ranvus Eldragon said. “As for how I’m here, well… our guest might have an answer.”

They both turned to look at him, and Orodan had never felt more awkward in his lives. How was he meant to tell a newly resurrected man that his wife was a former affair of his in a previous loop?

The answer… was that Orodan would not. Socially blunt and stupid as he was often called, even he had some standards. And telling a man that he’d laid with his wife in another time was crossing that line.

“I’m glad to see you two happy, and I’m sure your children will be too,” Orodan replied. “I’m an Apprentice-level chronomancer who was simply testing the limits of my chronomancy. Partly to see how far I could go, and partly to draw the attention of certain people I require a meeting with.”

“A-apprentice? Is that a jest? Not even the mightiest dragon of the Time Wind could do what you just did… are you a God?” she asked.

“No.”

Orodan had far too many Gods to settle a score with to ever want to become one himself.

“Then why… why choose my husband?” she asked, her voice beginning to break at last.

And that question, was Orodan’s cue to find an excuse to leave. The one time he would gladly be called a coward, as going down that line of questioning was asking to reveal things that decency bade him never see the light of day. And Orodan was a terrible liar.

“Unfortunately, attention of the destructive sort approaches, especially since I’ve forcefully plucked your husband from the afterlife governed by Malzim while simultaneously crushing Eximus’s attempts to prevent chronomantic tampering,” Orodan said as he eyed the two divine comets approaching from the direction of Novarria, while a third comet which was nearer, approached from Karilsgard.

The first comet arrived in a blaze of golden light. The Avatar of the Goddess of Fate, and the first God he had a grudge with, Ilyatana.

“First the moon is destroyed, and then this? The power you produced was immense, might I ask who you are, friend?” she asked, a friendly tone. Likely a case of recognizing that he was powerful and potentially stalling for assistance.

Unfortunately for her, Orodan hated the meddling Goddess of Fate.

“I am Orodan Wainwright,” he introduced. “And I’m not your friend. In fact, you’re a meddling Goddess who overstepped her bounds by trying to control me in the past.”

“What? I’ve done no such thing! Please… I believe we’ve gotten off on the wrong foot,” Ilyatana attempted to negotiate.

“You haven’t done it this time, but given the opportunity and favorable power dynamics, you never failed to oppress me every single time before,” Orodan said. “Now then, let’s see how you deal with having someone restrain you and brainwash you.”

With Psionic Assault added to his Domain Of Perfect Cleaning, it was time to not only cleanse Ilyatana’s divine influence from her Chosen host, but it was also time to cleanse the mind of the Goddess herself.

The Avatar of Ilyatana was thrown to the ground and Orodan kept it pinned down with his foot.

“Wait! This is all a misunderstanding! I’ve never met you or offended you!” the Goddess cried out, and at the last moment she was smart enough to realize that remaining within her Avatar host might end badly.

She was wise to attempt escape, abandoning her Avatar. Unfortunately, her consciousness was forcibly held within the host body of her Avatar through the Absolute Soul Dominion portion of Domain Of Perfect Cleaning.

It was time to clean the foul mind of a wicked Goddess.

Soul energy poured out in waves, and Domain Of Perfect Cleaning began wiping the Blessings and Divine Energy clean from the body and soul of Heredin Aeronsul, the Chosen of Ilyatana whose body was host to her Avatar form.

“Stop! I beg of you! I’ll give you whatever you want! Wealth, riches, my servitude! I beg of you!” she pleaded. After all, he wasn’t merely cleansing her influence from her Chosen. No, what he was doing was altogether worse.

The titanic willpower of Orodan Wainwright crashed into the mind of Ilyatana that inhabited the host body, and he found himself within a mindscape, courtesy of Psionic Assault.

Within the mindscape, the scene was that of a horrid battlefield. Although rather than humans, the corpses strewn about everywhere were those of dragon-kind. This… was the slaughter of the Burning Ember dragon flight that had occurred over twenty-thousand years ago.

“And with that… one step closer to moving past the Grandmaster-level,” a young dark-skinned woman, eyes glowing a subtle gold spoke. “These dragons ended the fates of many, yet today, their own destinies brought them here.”

There was no mistaking her features. They matched the statues of her in the Cathedral too well. This was the mortal Ilyatana, before her ascension to the Goddess of Fate.

Looming above her, was the much younger-looking patriarch of the Novarrian Soaring Flame dragon flight, and beside her… Balastion Novar, looking similar enough, but lacking the depth of ancient wisdom in his eyes that Orodan could remember.

“Your race to reach past the Grandmaster-level will hamper your potential,” Balastion said, and Eldramir only nodded, although the dragon had a sad look in its eyes at the slaughter.

While Orodan wouldn’t have minded witnessing the memory further, the eyes of the young and mortal Ilyatana suddenly blazed a blinding gold and the Goddess appeared before him in her true form. From what the dragons had told him, she was supposedly the youngest of the Prime Five, having ascended just over twenty-thousand years ago, and it showed in how she still looked mostly mortal, albeit with glowing wings of gold sprouting from her back, and her figure was bathed in golden luminance.

“You dare attempt to invade my mind?!” she roared, having given up on all pretence of civility. For her, this was a battle for survival. And Orodan didn’t intend to let her win.

“You attempted to do the same to me a long time ago,” Orodan replied. “Now have a taste of what you intended to do.”

Domain Of Perfect Cleaning shot out, and the Psionic Assault portion of the skill came into play as Orodan battled Ilyatana across the mindscape of the small part of her consciousness that had descended unto her Avatar.

Absolute Soul Dominion could also affect the mind, but merely as a by-product. To directly tamper with the mind, control it, spread messages within it and perform finer work, Psionic Assault was a necessary skill. Especially when working with a small part of a God’s consciousness.

The problem with harming a God through their Avatar was that the small part of their consciousness that they kept within the host had safeguards. Too much damage, which Orodan could do through the Absolute Soul Dominion aspect of his Celestial skill, would simply lead to the thread of mental connection between the small part and the God’s actual mind being cut. The God would perhaps be rendered unconscious for a while, a very long while, but still be capable of coming to awareness afterwards.

The solution then, was to perform a fine surgery, one that didn’t destroy this thread of mental connection. And to that end the Psionic Assault skill was critical. As part of his Celestial skill, it was amplified incredibly, brought up to the level of Domain Of Perfect Cleaning. And with this fine approach, Orodan could savage Ilyatana’s mind while still maintaining the mental thread which linked her consciousness within the Avatar to her actual mind in the divine realm. Returning this savaged piece back to Ilyatana would cause her severe mental damage. It might take many millennia to recover from, and even then, without specialist assistance she might never recover to her peak.

But, what Orodan wanted, was to go a step further, and to that end he took inspiration from a long-time foe of his… the Eldritch Avatar. Particularly from how it corrupted Gods.

Orodan wished to not just damage Ilyatana’s mind but clean it of all foulness and wicked traits. The sort of mindset which would prompt her to try and control a hapless time looper. To that end, he needed not just cleaning… but a cleaning that spread… or rather… the ability to send a cleansed portion of the mind back to the whole and have it be so permanent, so unchangeable, that it forced the greater mind to follow suit.

He needed that piece of tampered consciousness… to be incorruptible.

[Skill Absorption - Incorruptible Being 50 → Domain Of Perfect Cleaning 74]

[Domain Of Perfect Cleaning 74 → Domain Of Perfect Cleaning 75]

“No! You cannot… change my… outlook…” she pitifully muttered as Orodan finished operating upon her mind with surgical precision. Cleaning all the foul character traits and outlooks from it. It was the equivalent of killing her. Hells, some foes of his might just prefer death. But for her and at least a few other Gods who’d tried to do the same to him? He felt no issues with delivering them this fate.

He allowed the small part of Ilyatana’s consciousness to finally depart, the mental thread of connection still intact, and once it reached her actual mind… who knew what would happen?

In the real world, Orodan’s eyes opened and the completely cleansed but unconscious Heredin Aeronsul was all that remained.

And two more angry Avatars were approaching.

“Monster! What have you done to affect her mind in the divine realm itself?!” Eximus roared.

“You’ve defiled the sanctity of the afterlife as well!” Malzim declared. “Where have you taken the soul you’ve so shamelessly kidnapped?!”

“He’s right here actually,” Orodan said, pointing towards the resurrected Ranvus Eldragon. Both the man and his wife looked utterly terrified of course, which Orodan felt slightly bad about. This was a battle far above their level after all. “His soul hasn’t been exploited, harmed or experimented upon. Worry not, Malzim. My grudge is against Eximus however, so please step aside.”

“That is… some good news at least,” Malzim spoke. “But what have you done to Ilyatana? A direct attack upon her is an attack upon all of the Prime Five.”

“I settled a grudge against her… she will be fine once the pain stops, I’m sure,” Orodan replied.

“Fine? Her howls can be heard across the divine realm! That corrupted piece of consciousness you sent back has driven her mad!” Eximus protested.

“And once she recovers, she’ll find herself devoid of any wicked personality traits,” Orodan clarified. “A whole new Goddess. Perhaps even a bit more pleasant for you to work with. Malzim is fine and can leave, but you… I have a grudge with you as well.”

In his opinion, tampering with someone’s mind to alter their personality was equivalent to killing them. It was just that the bad blood between Orodan and Ilyatana ran so deep that he was fully prepared to kill her already. Thus, tampering with her mind was a fair outcome for the wretched Goddess. Her new self might actually earn redemption too.

Eximus wasn’t stupid and could put two and two together. The moon was destroyed in a cataclysmic battle the day before, and now Orodan arrived and tampered with Ilyatana’s mind?

Eximus immediately attempted to depart his Avatar host, and Orodan instantly caught the God of Time’s consciousness preventing his escape.

“No! Wait! I surrender! Please leave me be! I have no enmity with you!” the God of Time pleaded.

“Yet if the circumstances were different, you would happily work alongside that wretched Goddess of Fate and Agathor to manipulate me if it suited your needs, no?” Orodan asked, a malicious grin on his face. “Still, I admit my enmity with you is the least out of the three, so I’ll simply throw you into unconsciousness by destroying the piece of your mind inhabiting this host of yours.”

“Mercy! A great threat approaches for which we are needed!” Eximus begged. “Someone… anyone!”

Who would save Eximus? Malzim was cowardly, even if Orodan quite liked the God of Death. Orodan meant Malzim no harm, but the Death God didn’t know that for sure and so silently stood by, not wishing to earn Orodan’s ire when he’d already declared he had no conflict with him.

Which was when a familiar Phoenix Thrust came for Orodan’s head. The attack of a mere single-Grandmaster on a battlefield where Gods were but prey.

Orodan gently diverted the thrust lest the old man’s halberd shatter against his body.

“Adeltaj Simarji… you have a knack for entering life-threatening situations to save others. Even those who aren’t worthy of it,” Orodan said, looking at his old mentor. He felt both sadness and joy at seeing the first teacher he ever had. Sorrow that it wasn’t the same old man who knew him. And happiness that the time loop had brought the old Simarji back after he’d sacrificed himself to save Orodan long ago. “I’ve bested one God with ease, why do you intervene against hopeless odds to protect this one who isn’t worthy of your sacrifice?”

“Because… if old men like me don’t step in, what example will that set for the young?” the man rhetorically asked, even as his arms trembled with physical exertion as Orodan casually pressed the old man to his limits. “Might I ask you to not cause trouble in Volarbury County? My house has many ventures here after all. Speaking of… you know of me?”

“Yes, House Simarji’s lumberyards supply the wood needs for much of Volarbury County and the capital,” Orodan replied.

“You’re from around these parts? I’ve never seen or heard of you… and yet here you are thrashing Avatars,” Adeltaj spoke. “Unfortunately, I cannot allow you to harm an Avatar of the Prime Five in my presence. At the very least, bringing this fight to my doorstep forces me to act.”

“Tch… always the hero, just like your Quest-bearing friend said… you can’t help but risk your own neck to protect others, can you?” Orodan asked. “How the hells did you ever make it to the age of seven hundred?”

Ironic, that Orodan of all people would ask that question. But the memory of Adeltaj’s sacrifice was still a sore memory.

“For darkness to prevail, the only thing that need occur is for the good to do nothing,” the old man said as he began launching countless Phoenix Thrusts towards Orodan. All of which were casually blocked

“Fine then, Adeltaj Simarji. If you want to save this manipulative God so badly, then you’ll have to earn it. Stand and give me your greatest strike,” Orodan declared as he raised his sword, poising it above the neck of the Avatar of Eximus. “Throwing a hundred weak Phoenix Thrusts towards me will merely result in me ignoring them all. Your next strike, if I deem it insufficient, will lead to me slaying this Avatar and permanently harming the God within. You want to be a hero so badly? Let us see if your conviction can stand up to the test.”

Adeltaj’s eyes were grim, as were Orodan’s.

A powerful Phoenix Thrust came towards Orodan, and at the same time, Orodan’s sword began to come down upon the Avatar of Eximus’s head.

“A hero… is that someone who gives their life in defense of others? Someone who faces down hopeless odds?” Orodan asked. “Show me what a hero is, Adeltaj Simarji!”

The old man roared as his body strained to the point of his orifices bleeding. It was the mightiest attempt he could’ve made, and it still wasn’t enough.

Orodan casually batted the strike aside with a flick of his wrist.

“Not enough! Is this the limit of a hero?! You have one more chance to save this undeserving tyrant’s life, Adeltaj Simarji,” Orodan said. “Concentrate till your face goes red and your eyes leak blood, focus till your brain explodes, cram as much thought, experimentation and ingenuity into every thousandths of a second till each second itself becomes equivalent to an hour of dedicated hard work! A hero not only fights but is also willing to give their life for others.”

As Orodan said this, he threw the Avatar of Eximus towards the approaching Adeltaj and flew towards the incoming Phoenix Thrust. If Adeltaj’s attack was too weak, the Avatar would die.

Adeltaj seemed to realize this, and the old Grandmaster halberdier’s eyes turned frantic and grim. A glimmer of heroism shone within the old man’s eyes. It was the same thing he saw when Adeltaj had given his life to save Orodan.

And as the Phoenix Thrust met Orodan’s sword, the halberd shattered, Adeltaj’s right arm was blown off… but Orodan’s own attack was re-directed off to the side by just the narrowest of margins. Avoiding the Avatar and Adeltaj.

[Teaching 41 → Teaching 43]

“A hero till the end… even at the cost of your arm and weapon, yet in another time, the cost of your life,” Orodan said, a hint of sorrow infecting his voice. Domain Of Perfect Cleaning shot out and restored the old man to normal, and a quick usage of Time Reversal restored his halberd. “You achieved it, didn’t you? Dual-Grandmastery. I sensed that last thrust of yours was far stronger than it had any right to be.”

“I… I did,” Adeltaj said. “I’ve held up to your test, will you spare the Avatar of this God now?”

“I will,” Orodan said and then looked to the Avatar of Eximus. “Congratulations, the heroic efforts of Adeltaj SImarji have granted you mercy. Leave now and depart Inuan altogether. If I see you upon this world again, you will suffer the same fate as Ilyatana.”

The hold of Domain Of Perfect Cleaning was let loose and Eximus was smart enough to immediately flee his Avatar.

“Who are you, stranger? I sense your intentions are not entirely malicious,” Adeltaj said.

“Indeed, if you hadn’t intervened with your poorly timed heroics, I might have gotten rid of a tyrannical God who deserves no dominion upon Inuan,” Orodan said with an annoyed glare towards his first teacher. “As for me… you could say I’m a teacher, repaying a favor to someone I owe.”

“Your own teacher must have taught you well, to be imparting such lessons in the midst of life-threatening battle,” Adeltaj said.

“Indeed, he did, although if he would perhaps act a little less heroic at times I might feel more at ease,” Orodan said glaring at Adeltaj once more, causing the man some confusion. “After all, he has not the unique advantage I have.”

Of course, he realized how hypocritical it was for him of all people to say so. Especially when he’d rushed to his own death in his first life without knowing of the time loops.

Eventually he planned on telling Adeltaj about the time loops, but right now, he had other concerns. Mainly regarding the absence of one particular God.

Orodan turned to look at Malzim.

“Wait! I ask for clemency! I’ve done nothing to earn your ire!” Malzim declared, and in response Orodan put his hands up in a placating gesture of peace.

“Peace. I’ve said this already, but my quarrel isn’t with you,” Orodan said gently. “In fact, I owe you a great debt.”

“Harming one of my compatriots and exiling another is an interesting way of going about that,” Malzim said, and Orodan could only agree with that assessment. “Will you allow me to flee?”

“Of course, you’re free to leave if you wish,” Orodan declared. “I have no interest in your Chosen host either. The only one remaining that I harbor a grudge against… is Agathor.”

“While I will retreat to preserve myself, I must strongly ask you do not harm him,” the God of Death said. “A great threat descends upon our world and only by working together do we stand the greatest chance of besting it.”

“The Eldritch Avatar, yes?” Orodan asked, and the Avatar of Malzim nodded. “If so, you needn’t worry. I’ll deal with it myself. I was part of the battle which destroyed the moon after all.”

“I… I see, I was wondering who had done that,” Malzim spoke. “Still, does Agathor not deserve some mercy for what he’s done? Surely, we can come to-”

“No. He showed no consideration for a mentor of mine and happily tampered with his mind,” Orodan interrupted. “Agathor will receive the same consideration he gave Arvayne Firesword. If he flees now, I will hunt him down eventually. And when I find him, he’ll be treated how he treated my mentor.”

“Well then… I had hoped for peace, but it seems that will not be forthcoming,” Malzim said. “Agathor and Halor are within Karilsgard. They’ve fortified the city and await your assault. You… will not harm the defenders, will you?”

“Not at all, and neither will I harm Halor,” Orodan promised. “Agathor is my target and none other.”

“I cannot say this decision pleases me, but you’ve shown Eximus and I mercy, so I will stand aside,” Malzim declared.

“Thank you, I bear no ill will towards you,” Orodan said. “And while I detest Eximus, he’s the least vile of the three Gods I have issue with.”

It was time to repay the mightiest of the Prime Five upon Inuan.

Karilsgard beckoned.

The shattered remnants of the moon still hung overheard, and the reflected light was a bit strange but still functional.

Of course, Karilsgard was a beautiful city with plenty of glowing lights. Many of which were off today.

The city was on alert, ready to receive an attack. Battalions of defenders patrolled the walls, and various scouts frolicked to and fro outside of its walls. Heavy amounts of siege weaponry and lethal magic artillery lined the walls, and this was a city that even an Avatar would have difficulty besieging.

Of course, Orodan had long surpassed the average Avatar upon Inuan. If he was so callous, Karilsgard and the entire nation of the Republic of Aden would be a smoldering crater upon the map if he struck out with his full power. But that wasn’t his goal.

Word had spread by now, either through Malzim or Adeltaj Simarji, about the battle in Trumbetton where two Avatars of the Prime Five had been casually defeated. As a result, the city’s defenders likely knew they had no hope of stopping Orodan.

He had never actually been inside of the High Spire of Karilsgard and consequently a teleportation took him in front of it, brute forcing past Karilsgard’s anti-spatiomancy wards, causing a loud alarm to go off. The first scout to see him immediately had a look of fright.

Multiple guards began to converge but a divine voice boomed out. It was the Avatar of Malzim.

“Let him through! His conflict is not with the city or its people! None of you can contest him!”

Orodan appreciated the gesture, even if it was meant to protect the innocent guards the Republic military who had nothing to do with the matter. Not that he would’ve harmed any of them to begin with.

Vision of Purity scanned the interior of the High Spire where the council sat, and two familiar Avatars were within.

A teleportation took Orodan inside, and before him…

“Arvayne Firesword, are you still in there, or does this treacherous God have full control?” Orodan asked.

“Invader, you shatter the moon with your battle, harm the very Gods and you now dare address my Chosen? Our world has many forces which protect it, and you will find the guardians of the world gates will prove an obstacle for you when you descend to try and conquer the world core,” Agathor said.

“I’ve already pacified the world core,” Orodan said revealing the crown upon his arm. “The World Conqueror title is a bit ostentatious for my liking though.”

“He did… no wonder the world energy flows went utterly mad recently, Agathor, we need not do battle against him, let us speak first and see what he wants,” Halor said, possessing the body of Alcianne Rockwood.

“All I want is the death of Agathor, failing that, the utter destruction of his mind will suffice,” Orodan said with a happy grin which promised murder.

“Never mind… we must fight,” Halor said.

“This will be a worthy battle! Let us see if you’re as strong as-”

A Flash Strike brought him to Agathor, and the War God’s Avatar was brutally wrestled to the ground and pinned with ease. He had grown far stronger since the old days where he struggled against the Avatars of the Prime Five. Simultaneously, a Spatial Fold threw the Avatar of Halor halfway across the world getting the God of Life out of the way.

“A worthy battle? Once upon a time I wasn’t strong enough to rescue my mentor when you subverted him to your will,” Orodan said as he tightened his grip. “Now, I’ve fought Transcendents and bested the Eldritch Avatar by myself. You’re no worthy battle. Although perhaps when I meet your true form in the divine realm one day we can test that. For now… let’s free your host, shall we?”

“I do not even know you! What have I done to offend you!?” Agathor howled. “You will not find my mind so easy a place to breach!”

Which was correct. Whatever Mythical skill Agathor had, it allowed him to directly interact with esoteric elements with brute force. The God of War could wrestle time, grip and tear space, and even fist fight during mental combat to give himself an advantage.

The moment that Domain Of Perfect Cleaning enveloped the Avatar of Agathor, the resistance was far higher than it was for Ilyatana or Eximus. Almost a third of the difficulty he had in cleansing the Eldritch Avatar.

But, Orodan had successfully done even that, so this, was nothing.

The first order of business was scouring the body and soul of Arvayne Firesword of Blessings and divine energy. To that end, Domain Of Perfect Cleaning was used to affect not only the soul but also the mindscape.

And consequently, he was brought to a core memory within the mind of Arvayne Firesword.

Young, or at least younger than he remembered.

That was Orodan’s first thought when he saw his old mentor. Still wielding the same great sword he always had, but with less wisdom in the eyes, and he carried an aura of vigor and violence, looking unburdened by the world unlike the Arvayne he knew.

Next to Arvayne, was a burly woman, also looking far younger than Orodan remembered. She had a warm look in her eyes, the two of them were embracing and leaning on one another.

“Arvayne… please… you need not seek that power for the sake of victory,” Alcianne said. “The emperor dotes on you, you’ve caught the eye of even the vaunted first emperor himself, why risk it all to ensure victory? Mere barbarians from Guzuhar are not worth becoming the Chosen for that… that brute!”

“My love, please… you must not speak of Lord Agathor so… he is mighty beyond compare and will lead Novarria to glory,” Arvayne said. “Can you not see why I do this? Guzuhar and the savage raiders of Agorhiku threaten us from the north, and the elves ever covet the wealth of our nation from the south. And… that wretch Demosthenos does everything he can to discredit me in front of our liege. With this, I will show him… perhaps we’ll even carve out our own slice of land near the north one day.”

“Arvayne no! You’ve heard of what happened to the last Chosen of his… elder Borkathen was never the same after he took the third Blessing and allowed the divine descent for the first time!” Alcianne said. “Do you not love me? I thought you wanted to have a family together?”

“I do, my love… I do,” Arvayne said. “But when our enemies close in and my position is threatened, what can I do? Tactically, there is no other way I can see.”

“Then I’ll also go down this route! By damning yourself you damn us both! I’ll… I’ll drag you back!” she declared, her eyes tearing up.

“Forgive me Alcianne… I wish necessity did not force me into… wait, who are you?”

Orodan’s eyes held a grim determination within them.

“Someone here to eliminate the necessity of such a choice, old man,” Orodan said.

“Old? I’m not even that old y-”

A comet of divine orange power landed amidst the memory.

“No! You will not interfere with my Chosen!” Agathor roared, appearing in his true form.

The War God had a lustrous black beard and eyes possessed of intensity. Twelve feet of pure muscle, armored in divine plate which looked impenetrable. A great hammer in the right hand, a great sword in the left, and two spears strapped across his back. It looked exactly like the statue he’d seen in the temples. However, to stand before Agathor in-person was a different matter.

Of course, this was a mindscape, and a mental battle was different to a physical one.

“I’ve never actually fought you directly in a mindscape before,” Orodan said as his own weapons came out and his soul began blazing with power. “Let’s see if that Mythical skill which lets you wrestle time can help you here too.”

They clashed multiple times, and Orodan had to admit Agathor was strong. Stronger than any of the other Prime Five, and perhaps if the Eldritch Avatar was down to one divinity it might be as strong as it. Unfortunately for the Inuanan War God, Orodan had faced far worse.

Agathor was smashed down in brutal fashion. His hammer shattered, his great sword snapped, and his spears disintegrated. It was all a mental representation, but it signified mental damage all the same.

Orodan kept the War God restrained within Arvayne’s mindscape as he then got to work. And soon, howls of divine agony began screaming out as the body and soul of Arvayne Firesword were purified, along with his mentor’s mind.

Agathor’s insidious corruption of the Chosen’s mind went deep. These mental tendrils which influenced the man’s behavior were subtle but removed all the same. The elven psionics did a better job in Orodan’s opinion.

And Arvayne’s soul core, it was purged, and all the Blessings removed, alongside all traces of divine energy. With Incorruptible Being now a part of the Domain Of Perfect Cleaning, Orodan could now ensure that Arvayne was warded against psionic corruption for the foreseeable future. His mind and soul were cleansed, and then made incorruptible, warded powerfully against all comers.

And he wondered if he could protect people against the Eldritch or other corruptive influences with this new aspect of his Celestial skill.

“Sacrilege… heresy! Your blatant destruction and upheaval will make you many enemies, and the universe is a big place,” Agathor said. “You will eventually die.”

“I’m counting on it,” Orodan replied. “But before I do… you’ll be going down with me. I can’t touch you in the divine realm yet, but I will one day. For now, though… let’s see what’s within your mind… Prince Agathor.”

He had learned some interesting things during his conversation with Alastaia and the Void Horror. And the memory he found himself within answered a question he had for a while.

The memory was of the abyssal depths.

A war party of unprecedented proportions was at the ready, the first gate open before them.

“Prince Agathor… please… you heard what the gate guardians said my prince,” a man warned. “Beyond this gate lies only death. Have mercy on us.”

“Silence! You will follow my commands, and we shall march to eternal glory!” Agathor roared. “So close to ascending past the Grandmaster-level… what lies beyond, will I become a God?”

One moment everything was fine, and the next, the prince set foot on the other side of the first gate. Which was when everything went wrong, and an ominous feeling came upon the chamber.

The murmurs of the war party were silenced as Agathor muttered to himself.

“Quest Subject… what even is this?” Agathor asked. “F-form a defensive line immediately!”

The troops ordered themselves into a formation, standing at the ready. Yet no matter how prepared they might’ve been prior to descending; it was all for naught when that thing came.

It was the Eldritch Avatar, or at least, the host of it before it had been corrupted.

A gray humanoid giant with lanky limbs. This was the Void Horror which had been thrown into the void between stars thirty-thousand years ago.

Troops were immediately massacred left and right, and even Agathor despite a brave attempt, was brutally swatted about and nearly killed if not for a last-minute intervention from the strongest of his bodyguards who gave their lives in the process.

“The teleportation relays! Cast the spell immediately! Now!” Agathor demanded, and his troops complied.

Just before the Void Horror could reach him, he began teleporting through a chain of linked relays to the surface, and Orodan was naturally drawn along as part of the memory.

On the surface, a regal crowned man awaited and looked incredibly concerned as a bloodied Agathor teleported onto the staging point where the final relay was.

“My son… what has happened?”

“F-father… please, something comes for us, save me!” Agathor exclaimed in terror. “The line of Hasmathor is doomed… our empire is finished!”

“What are you talking about?” the emperor asked.

“Your Majesty, something approaches the surface at tremendous speed!” a nearby geomancer called out.

And finally, as the Void Horror’s hand erupted from the ground, Agathor locked eyes with Orodan and began glowing a bright orange.

“You delve into my darkest memory? I see nothing is sacred to you,” Agathor venomously spat.

“You tried subverting my mind once as well,” Orodan said.

“I don’t even know you.”

“Maybe not this time,” Orodan admitted. “But I know you. And you’re a coward, Agathor. Is that why you made that Blessing which prevents opponents from fleeing? Compensating for a failure, are we?”

“Lies! You know things which you should not! Come fight me and let us end this!” Agathor roared, his face shaking in rage.

Much as Orodan would’ve enjoyed it, a grand battle wasn’t in the cards.

Agathor within the mindscape was far weaker than he would be in the divine realm. And while Orodan looked forward to eventually facing the God of War physically, for now… he would leave him with a gift,

“No… no! You will not sully me like you have Ilyatana!” Agathor roared.

“Tamper with your mind, you mean? Worry not, rather I intend on giving you the gift of courage, and a suitable target to expend it on,” Orodan said. “After all, I do look forward to fighting you eventually.”

Agathor roared in horrid pain as his mind was altered and the changes made permanent in the small piece of consciousness he had within Arvayne Firesword. At last, the remnant piece of the War God’s mind was let go, and Orodan felt satisfied.

He hadn’t done very much, merely given Agathor some courage with one clear directive.

To face Orodan Wainwright in-person for one last glorious battle.

He demanded a fair battle against this hated adversary of his, and tampering with Agathor’s mind and putting him out of commission before that was unacceptable. They would duel, whether through Orodan finding a way into the divine realm, or Agathor finding a way into the material plane. The mind tampering would simply ensure that and prevent Agathor from fleeing like a coward.

In the real world, his eyes opened just in time to see the Avatar of Halor finally return. A hole was blown into the wall as the Avatar entered.

“What have you done to Agathor! He is-”

“Purified and given encouragement,” Orodan replied. “Agathor and I will meet again, I simply made sure of that. As for Arvayne Firesword he is…”

The glow from the Avatar’s eyes subsided as the next words came out. It wasn’t Halor who spoke.

“Free of the Blessings…” Alcianne said as she gingerly approached the unconscious for of Arvayne Firesword. “Is it… real? Has the grip of Agathor truly been lifted?”

“Yes, he is free now,” Orodan answered.

The tears flowed from her eyes, and Orodan looked away, giving the two of them some privacy as even the God of Life seemed content to allow his Chosen her moment.

Orodan looked out the damaged High Spire and into the sky towards the shattered moon.

There were a few more problems to resolve on his world, but he’d already tied up many loose ends and repaid a number of debts. He still had to deal with Balastion Novar and Eldiron, and finally Zaessythra. And beyond that… the arrival of the Eldritch Avatar which he vowed to deal with himself this time.

And at the end of all that… beyond the shattered moon, lay other worlds. And an invitation for tea in six months.