"You've got to be fucking joking. You're not supposed to be here?!" I said, staring up at Phanthu in his towering, ghostly form.
"I assure you, neither of us are here by accident." The ghostly figure replied, flashing a transparent toothy grin.
"I don't understand, I just killed you? Why are we here?!" I asked, stepping away from the giant green ghost.
"I take it the consequence of doing so wasn't divulged to you?" Phanthu replied, raising his brow.
"No, it was kind of my entire mission." I replied.
"During special event Objectives such as this, you're rewarded these meetings for slaying the echoes of gods past, while the god is given the memories of those who killed their younger selves' replica. The system encourages mutual growth, and oftentimes a god would like to know the intricacies of how they were defeated by new blood." Phanthu explained in a calm demeanor.
"I see. Well, I guess if I'm stuck here, ask away?" I replied, shrugging my shoulders.
"I said 'typically', this is not such a case. The information you've given me through our fights alone is truly a boon, one I don't need further expansion on at the risk of diminishing its value. My question is, what do you know of your companion? The one who fought with you at the altar ruins, who compelled my brother?" Phanthu curiously asked, folding his arms.
"That seems completely unrelated to the purpose of our meeting." I replied.
"It is." He said casually.
"…I've known him for most of my life, we trained together. Well, he trained me. He's strong, and protected well." I replied, hesitant to divulge too much about my friend.
"…nothing else? Mind you, I've done my research on your planet. I'm actively doing so now, through another avatar. Feel free to be honest, as there's little chance you know anything I don't."
"Then why the fuck are you asking me?!" I shot back, stepping towards the god angrily. A tinge of regret shot through me realizing I just physically challenged a god, however his demeanor remained relaxed. He sighed, rubbing his eyes before responding.
"Look, I'm going to level with you. The time period you met me was…well, I wasn't in a 'great place' so to speak. My mother died, admitting to an affair instructing me to protect Zeldrich, who was estranged by everyone who survived Vashi's wrath. I didn't have many heroes, other than one who had to die before I realized his path was not my own. And that wasn't for another couple thousand years." Phantu said, his eyes drifting away as he spoke.
"I could understand your apprehension, but I assure you, I don't care about the dealings of earth and its H-grade children. As far as I'm concerned, none of you have proven yourself particularly special on your own. You simply haven't had enough time to prove your paths valuable. I'm here mostly because I have no choice, and I must be the one to offer your reward for slaying my younger copy." Phanthu continued, his eyes darting back down to meet mine.
"That still doesn't answer why you're asking me about Korbin." I replied.
"Korbin? That's what he calls himself?" Phanthu replied curiously.
"Look, I'm not sure if you remember how I reacted to you slaughtering an entire civilization, bu-"
"Stop. Don't, I get it. I'm not proud of what I was. I spent lifetimes chasing down Andolis after he escaped my assault resulting in his people's immediate surrender, and Hyphaelius who never capitalized on the chaos without your team's influence. In the real world, that is." Phanthu said.
"Right I'm sure it's different b-"
"I'm not finished." Phanthu interrupted, flaring his glowing white eyes. He sighed, taking a deep breath before continuing.
"Zeldrich died being unable to handle Vashi's blessing, regardless of his faint connection to the death affinity the ritual required. All because he believed in my dream, even when I stopped caring if he joined me. I felt alone long before my world ended, until I killed the last two to escape it shortly after we'd all reached Godhood. That's not me anymore, and I will react much more poorly if you continue picking at that scar." Phanthu said sternly, though keeping his calm physical demeanor. I looked him up and down, conflicted at not finding any logical gaps in this version of him's words.
"Alright… fine. You're like, 'a totally different person' or whatever. If you must know, what I've told you is about the gist of what I know about Korbin. And I don't see what he has to do with anything here, especially since you're supposed to give me some reward?" I replied, trying to wrap things up so I can begin tuning this guy out and get to my rewards for beating our objective.
"That's the thing, Tom…" Phanthu began, sighing to himself again before opening his glowing palm toward me. Inside rested a blue, translucent ring that glimmered in his hands.
"…tell Korbin, 'no peace is safer than in the eye of the storm.'" Phanthu said, placing the ring in my hands. I looked down at the swirling, ocean blue band gleefully realizing it was my first piece of fashionable jewelry I'd ever received. Placing it on my index finger, my shoulders slumped forward dissatisfied at the lack of any stat boosts rushing through my veins. Though, my posture quickly straightened up after reading the rings description.
Ring Of Vendelius (Epic) - forged from a sliver of a prolific student of the Water Affinity's spirit, the wearer must be attuned to its energies. If the wearer is to be struck by a single fatal attack, it will be instantly dispelled using Destructive Interference. Due to the mana intensive nature of the spell, the ring's ability can only trigger once a day. (Soulbound)
[Affinity Required: Water]
Damn, I'm ashamed to admit I probably needed this.
"Hey, who's Vendeliu-" looking up, Phanthu was gone, leaving me alone in a void of white light. In a blink, I felt the air bend and contort all around as the sensation of falling rushed over me. As my eyes opened however, I smiled seeing Korbin, Lonni, Derrick and Cassi all watching the highlights of our last objective on the projection in our waiting area.
*ding*
*Secret Objective Complete!*
Kill the Titanus Gibslandris before the apocalypse!
Your faction has received:
+300 Event points
x1.5 total experience boost for slaying a Titan
*Secret Objective Complete!*
Kill the H-grade simulation of Phanthu, King Of The Spectral Realm.
+250 Personal Event Points have been awarded to you.
*Planetary Objective Complete!*
Kill the remaining Heretic Sons Of Xernilia before the apocalypse! (Legendary)
Your faction has received:
+250 Event Points
+8 (Epic) Loot options
Holy shit?!
"Hey-hey, look who decided to show up!" Cassi hollered gesturing toward me with a grin.
"What the hell kept you?" Korbin asked, looking concerned.
"I had a meeting with Phanthu. I guess when you kill a simulation of a god, you get to discuss it with them in private after." I replied, shrugging my shoulders. Everyone collectively winced, Cassi turning around to hide her cringing.
"DAMN?! What happened, did he smack you around a little? Did he monologue about the evils of rocks and why you should destroy your homeworld?" Korbin giddily asked through a toothy smile. Everyone got a good laugh out of that one, everyone except me.
"No, no he was actually pretty calm, arguably pleasant to be around if you didn't know his history." I replied, recalling his relaxed demeanor even when he felt apparently offended.
"That's weird, then what did he want?" Korbin asked now genuinely curiously.
"Well, he actually asked me about you." I said, earning a confused look from Korbin.
"What do you mean?"
"He just was oddly curious about what I knew of you. He gave me a message for you, along with this ring." I said, lifting my hand up to display my new jewelry.
"That's cute, I'm jealous." Cassi sarcastically added with a chuckle.
"Shut up." I said, dryly.
"Hey hold on, what was this guy's message for me?" Korbin asked, curiously.
"He said, 'no peace is safer than in the eye of the storm.'" I replied after taking a beat to remember Phanthu's words.
"Oh, I've heard that one bef-" Korbin's face froze as his eyes shot wide open. Slowly, his head began to rock backwards while his body remained stiff.
"Woah woah hey!" I yelled, lurching forward to catch him. Lonni slid his arm under Korbin's back, catching him with one hand. Korbin's body began violently convulsing, as foamy saliva began leaking from his mouth.
"Oh shit, get him on his side!" I yelled, kneeling beside Korbin and pulling his shaking body onto his shoulder. Cassi forced his mouth open, suffering a few bites pulling his tongue from his throat.
"What the fuck, Korbin, wake up!!"
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My eyes fluttered open, raising my hand towards the blinding sun cresting over the ocean on the horizon. It's light crept across the water, illuminating the beach leading into a beautiful garden. Purple and red butterflies danced around the wondrous flora, occasionally landing in clusters on the flowers. At the center sat a Clearwater oasis, with a towering gold and black mansion with my family crest draped along the columns. A fiery black gate separated the two, with a man propped against the wall outside.
"Hey!" I yelled, jogging across the sanctuary towards the stranger. The last I remembered, Tom was telling me about some message Phanthu left me. It turned out to be an expression, one that I'm pretty sure I've heard before. At least, it made sense to me enough, 'protect your peace' and whatnot. In reality, even in peace, there rarely is no conflict. There's a reason it ends, and it's not for a lack of mutual yearning for a happy life. People simply need conflict to survive.
Speaking of people, as I jogged around the edges of the oasis filled with glimmering multicolored fish swimming along the bottom, the hooded man waiting outside the admittedly impressive mansion gates stepped forward. He adorned a set of blue and white robes that hung loosely from either side of his shoulders, and a deep blue chest piece peeking out of the robes. A long, scraggly white beard hanging from his cowl swayed in the wind, lifting his wrinkly palm upward at me.
"Korbin, what a pleasant surprise." The elderly man said, slowly pacing past me with a long, steel cane. The jagged designs etched on his cane swirled at its ends, clanking with every jab into the soft, damn soil underfoot.
"It's certainly a surprise. Why am I here?" I asked, looking the hooded man up and down. He carried himself like that of a feeble man. And yet, a subtle weight hung around his body as he passed by. Like the air itself was…active, or better yet highly reactive feeling my hairs stand on my arms through my metal gauntlets.
"If I had an answer, I wouldn't be here with you." He replied over his shoulder, shakily walking toward the oasis. His hand brushed against a row of flowers that appeared to curl into his hand, like a dog enjoying its head pats.
"Who are you? Tell me what you know about this place." I requested, hoping to expedite this anomaly of a circumstance and return to the Quarterly Event. I can't risk Elysium missing any chance at power scaling, not with Brigid on her way with a renewed hatred for us". The old man chuckled, slowly stepping into the oasis.
"I'm surprised you don't recognize me. You've been so persistent in intentionally ignoring my wisdom, unless it benefits you." The old man replied through a smile. Slowly, his pale wrinkly hands began to glow, the skin tightening around the muscles filling up his arms and shoulders. His posture straightened with the sudden growth in muscle mass, as the white beard fell floating atop the crystal clear water.
"Perhaps this form is more familiar?" The far younger man before me said, in…my voice? My hand extended out, summoning my battle axe and pointing it toward the mysterious man.
"As wonderful as your voice may be, how you choose to use it is insultingly boring. You have 10 seconds to tell me your name, where we are, and how to leave." I demanded. The man raised his cane, placing both hands at the center. His arms shook the cane, sliding the thick metallic sheathes off both ends as two steel axe heads extended on either end, glimmering in the sunlight.
"That might actually be the dumbe-" a barrage of death, blood and screams of dying men and beasts alike flipped through my mind , bending into a kaleidoscope of twisting carnage and bright, blue flashes.
"These blades served a disciple of mine favorably. Well, for the most part. Your student, however, disgraces the true owner of his." The man hissed thunderously, as a small twister of water spun around both ends of his double sided battle axe, flashing with streams of jagged blue light.
"How my students utilize the knowledge I share is out of my control. And I get the feeling I've upset you in some way."
"Good, you're learning!" The man said, giving me a gentle, sarcastic round of applause.
"I'd ask you how to leave, but it seems you don't even know where we are considering you're already trying to literally rise up on me." I replied, turning my back to him and heading for the gate.
*CRACK*
A stream of blue light jetted over my shoulder, striking the ground in front of me. The hooded man emerged from the light, placing his hand on my chestplate.
"You may leave whenever you please, though I believe you recently received a message, mistakenly delivered to you. Would you mind repeating it for me?" The hooded man asked, with only his mouth showing under his long, narrow cowl. My eyes narrowed trying to decide whether or not this apparent God had any reason not to have already killed me if he could.
"First, tell me what you know about this place, and I'll tell you." I replied sternly.
"This is…was my home. Remnants of my domain, modeled after my homeworld." He answered, smiling as he surveyed the serenity incarnate before us. I looked at the mansion, confused as to why my family crest would be anywhere near something like this.
"Was your worlds real estate always this fucked up?" I asked, pointing toward the mansion.
"Not in the slightest, that place is your doing, not mine." He replied dismissively.
"I may be a rather busy architect back home, but I assure you this is no property of mine."
"Your greed may very well be the only trait we share. No, you didn't build that home with your hands anymore than I did this oasis." The hooded man said, motioning toward the peaceful biome.
"…where are we?" I repeated, staring at the god where I believed his eyes to be. He paused before turning his hooded head toward me.
"This feels terribly one sided. How about you tell me the message, and I'll tell you where we are." He answered in an affable tone. I hesitated, noticing his infatuation with Phanthu's words for me. Still, I saw no reason not to relay the brief, rather cliche expression.
"Fine, a god named Phanthu said, 'no peace is safer than the eye of the storm'." I answered.
*BOOM*
Thunder crashed overhead, shaking the oasis as clouds rapidly blew in on a massive, swirling gust of wind. The rapid change in air pressure immediately spiked a crippling headache, as a sideways downpour accompanied by blue streams of lighting rippled through the clear water. I leaned to the side, struggling to stay balanced fighting against the sudden powerful winds and showers of rain ricocheting off my face.
The glowing hooded figure raised his polearm into the air, as a swell of water rushed up and around his body. A massive bolt of blue lightning struck his axes blades as the water peaked over, creating a blinding flash of blue light to fill the small tsunami rising at his back. The wind blew his cowl off, revealing a blue eyed, blonde haired version of me to the fucking T.
"We aren't anywhere! Like a tempest ripping across the desert sands, we simply ARE, until we CEASE!" My blonde doppelganger exclaimed, his voice echoing metallically amidst the air that crackled with static electricity. All at once, the glimmering ocean barreling behind Galenthelos crashed down, smashing my body flat into the ground as my vision faded.
…
"…how? How can this be?!" His angry voice pierced through the infinite darkness I unknowingly rested in.
"It…it doesn't make sense?! You're just a man, a fucking man!" He yelled, huffing as his footfalls paced beside me. He stopped, the sound of stretching fabric grew closer as his words rang next to my face.
"Wake up, you insolent, spirited little pest. You know nothing of what you inhibit with your stubbornness. Wake up. WAKE, U-"
"-UP! Damnit Korbin, wake the FUCK up!" Tom screamed in my face as my eyes fluttered open, barely in time to catch his wild slap. A burning sensation filled the side of my face as I sat up, realizing this wasn't his first swing.
"Oh, yeah, beat the shit out of the guy while he's unconscious. That's fucking genius." I said, rubbing the back of my head. Tom and Cassi offered their hand, which I gladly used to hop up to my feet.
"What the actual fuck just happened to you?!" Derrick asked. I scanned over everyone's worried eyes, pondering where I share the rather unpleasant seizure dream I just endured.
"He's uh, he's epileptic. That was a seizure, something I sort of figured wouldn't happen anymore." Tom answered.
"Shit, I had no idea." Cassi said, looking at me with worried eyes.
"Doesn't matter, it's come and gone. All I had was a weird ass dream but, I've had weirder." I said, trying to dismiss any unnecessary sympathy. Tom snickered to himself before speaking up.
"I'm not going to lie, for a second I thought it was that stupid fucking phrase that got you. And I've never seen you pass out for so long afterwards..." Tom said as his smile faded, sighing heavily after and rubbing the back of his neck through his cowl. I glared at his blades, still connected with their sheathes on either end.
"Yeah…just don't say that shit again." I said, catching myself glowering down at his weapon.
"Because before I was so rudely interrupted by my own body, I was about tell you how unbelievably fucking stupid that expression is." I added, flashing a smirk and heading back towards the massive metal box on the floor.
"Are you sure you're alr-"
"I'm fine, Cass." I interrupted, not feeling up to explaining my medical history right now. I glanced at Tom, hoping he'd back me on my next proposal.
"Now, I don't know about you but, I think our last victory cannot go understated. Can we all stop being so fucking awkward and please open the shiny loot box?"
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