Gloominess +4: The Cradle of Gods. A LitRPG series: Book 4

by Elian Tars

  Head hanging low, my patron froze like a toy that had run out of batteries.

  Biergein roared tiredly, but victoriously, and swung with both daggers.

  A battle between the Gods was truly on a different level. They fought with such speed! So much had happened in just five seconds… So many thoughts, so many actions…

  Shit, I had a little more than six and a half seconds of Small Avatar left.

  I managed to parry Biergein’s daggers and move to the side, protecting the Old Man. Counterattacking with the trishula, I attacked again almost immediately. Taking a step forward, I attacked from below, activating Power Strike. And although there were no logs, I noticed that the last attack, just like the ones before it, became an Elemental Attack under the effect of the Small Avatar. Our fight must’ve looked like a light-show: black smoke fighting a bright-green glow.

  I seemed to be winning in our close-combat fight. Biergein had managed to block most of my attacks, but I didn’t give him a chance to counter-attack, forcing him to retreat. Finally getting a chance to test one of my new skills, I focused all my attention and energy on it.

  Clot of Darkness took four seconds to activate, and Omnipresent Darkness took five. And although the latter was a stronger and more useful skill, Clot was more suitable for a one-to-one fight, especially against a God. The main problem with Omnipresent Darkness was that those who weren’t “loyal” risked losing their connection with their element. However, I doubted this would have an effect on a God. The chance of the debuff activating was below one hundred percent, but I still didn’t want to risk it.

  For whole four seconds I had to use only one hand, so my attacks were weaker than usual. However, they were still effective against the worn-out Biergein. Had I fought with him at the very beginning, he would’ve probably defeated me. But since he had spent a lot of energy on fighting with us, my chances were pretty good. I had to tire him out as much as possible before the Small Avatar ends and hope that the Old Man would get back to his senses and finish what he had started.

  Biergein deflected my upward strike by crossing his daggers. Unable to stop the momentum, he staggered backward. And at that moment, I realized that a shimmering ball of concentrated Darkness had formed in my left hand. I glanced at it with the corner of my eye — it resembled a lightning ball, but it couldn’t keep its form — it was too chaotic, as if it was alive and had a will of its own.

  I closed the distance between us with one leap. Bergein used the opportunity and tried to attack me with both daggers. He aimed at my neck, but I dived under the blades and hit him in his right side with the Clot.

  My ears popped from the explosion and my vision shimmered. Black flames surrounded us, licking the grass with their fiery tongues. We looked as if were standing in the center of a runic circle — smoke was rising into the sky from the sharp, curved lines on the ground, as if from crevasses.

  Biergein coughed, spitting out a clot of black blood. Just like a mortal, he bled. And if we had managed to get this far, it meant that he was nearing his limit.

  The Clot was good for crowd control — all of those in a fifty-foot range who weren’t “loyal” would end up losing anywhere from 200 to 2,000 HP. But since I had used the skill while the Small Avatar was still active, it was probably not only stronger, but also a bit altered. Also, since it was focused on only one enemy, it damage was, at least in theory, sufficiently grater. I couldn’t say for sure, however, as there were no logs. Maybe the damage was too high to be registered...

  But none of that mattered now. The effect of the Small Avatar was nearing its end, and the Old Man still hadn’t recovered. I had to hurry!

  Holding the trishula with both hands, I made a small step forward and attacked.

  “I’m getting sick of you!!!” Biergein roared, deflecting my attack with his forearm. The impact tossed me aside, but I noticed how he sank the fingers of his left hand into his wounded right side.

  With a quick, determined motion, he ripped out a big chunk of his flesh and gut filled with… I didn’t even want to think with what. Without hesitation, he showed it into his mouth.

  His eyes lit up with bright green. If before it seemed that his right eye was emanating madness, now I understood how wrong I had been. What I had seen was just an angry, wild, and unkind eye. His pupils moved in different directions, even rolled backward a couple of times, as if their owner decided to see what was inside his skull.

  Then, for the first time during the whole fight, he stopped growling and baring his teeth. And then, in complete silence, he attacked. Luckily, his madness had killed the warrior inside him — I had no other explanation for why he had been fighting with two daggers, without using any tricks or skill. I managed to block his attack with the shaft of my trishula.

  But the hit was so powerful that I was sent flying fifty feet back. Perhaps I would’ve flown more had I not hit a tree with my back. Shit, it hurt…

  I caught myself thinking that if Small Avatar hadn’t been activated, I could’ve ended up with a broken spine. I had no proof to back up my guess, but I was pretty sure that I was right. No amount of HP would have saved me from something like that…

  Shaking my head, I stood up and immediately rolled to the left, dodging Biergein’s knee that had been aimed at my face. That was too close...

  I suddenly began to get smaller. Small Avatar’s buff had ended and I became at least ten times weaker and slower. Biergein’s speed, on the other hand, seemed to have increased.

  Still silent, he rushed at me. There was nothing that I could do except prepare to meet my end.

  “You’ve done enough, boy,” the Old Man encouraged me. He appeared in front of me at the last moment, welcoming Biergein with the Shield. Pushing off the barrier, Biergein jumped back. Grimacing, he ripped off another chunk of his flesh and innards and devoured it.

  “Poor guy,” the Old Man muttered under his breath. “Stop! You’re gonna kill yourself!” he suddenly shouted. “I don’t want you to die, Biergein! I want you to live and finish what you Archeus, Abdul, and Urtia had started!”

  The Mad God roared in response. “Die! Ancient!!!” he cried, got on all fours, and rushed at us.

  The Old Man didn’t move. When there was about ten feet between them left, Tendrils erupted from the ground. Biergein jumped up and spun like a top in the air, just like the last time, destroying them.

  Dodging with little effort, the Old Man waited for Biergein to land and tried to hit him on the back with the Sword. But the Mad God managed to defend himself with his daggers and rushed at my patron.

  Colliding with the Shield, he jumped back again.

  “Don’t make me do it, Biergein,” the Old Man said dryly. “I don’t want to end your life! Will you listen to me?!”

  “Die!” Biergein spat out in annoyance, jamming his fingers into the wound again.

  “Don’t you dare!” my patron roared. “One more time, and you’ll die!”

  “Haaa!!!” the Mad God chuckled, taking another mouthful of flesh and innards.

  And in that ridiculous position he froze and I noticed the metallic glimmer of the lilac sand near his face.

  You have fallen under the effect of “Rugus’s Aura.” You will receive 100 points of damage for every second spent within its range.

  You have received 100 points of damage.

  “Hold him, Ancient One,” said a soft voice from above us. I looked up and saw Rugus descending from the sky. A little behind him, on a cloud of lilac sand, was Una. She had changed her armor. It wasn’t all that eye-catching, but the white cloak, fluttering majestically in the wind, looked a bit too pompous in my opinion. But that wasn’t all that had changed.

  Magnificent Una

  Level 134

  HP: 13,820/13,820

  Meanwhile, the frozen Biergein was being trapped by the Tendrils.

  Despite the fact that Rugus kept casting the lilac sand, Biergein, roaring and twitching, managed to regain control over his body. He had w
on against the God of Control, but lost against his own madness.

  The Tendrils pulled Biergein to the ground and enveloped him like a cocoon, leaving only his face uncovered.

  Roaring, he tried to free himself.

  “Will you be able to hold him for about fifteen seconds?” Rugus asked, landing on the grass beside the Old Man.

  “Now I will,” he answered calmly.

  “We could use Una’s help,” Rugus suggested and nodded at the girl, who began casting the lilac sand. However, it seemed to me that their attacks didn’t do much to harm Biergein.

  Rugus closed his eyes, lowered his head, and slowly spread his arms aside. A whirlwind of lilac sand swirled around him, spinning faster and faster, and getting bigger with every second.

  I moved further away to avoid being damaged by Rugus’s Aura, keeping my eye on the allies who had so conveniently appeared in the last second. Soon, Rugus’s figure couldn’t be seen through the whirlwind.

  Fifteen seconds passed; the sand stopped spinning and it hit Biergein like a tsunami. Every single grain found its way into his body, making him convulse and pass out.

  “That’s all,” Rugus exhaled, pretending to be tired, and turned to the Old Man. “Now you can finish what you’ve started.”

  Chapter 14

  A Joyful Meeting

  Putting his hands in front of him, the Old Man released a wave of thick, black smoke from the depths of his wide sleeves. Billowing, it surrounded Biergein’s body, making it look like he was trapped in a thundercloud. Whenever his face occasionally emerged from the clouds of smoke, looking almost serene with his eyes closed, I couldn’t help but remember the tale of the Sleeping Beauty.

  Rugus was standing a little further away from everyone so that, as he had told me, his Aura wouldn’t make me uncomfortable. That was very nice from him, I had to admit.

  Una was walking in my direction. I was even glad to see her. I had gotten attached to her during our numerous adventures. But despite of our bond, I trusted her much less than my brothers and sisters in faith. Hell, I trusted Tael and Tiara more than I did her. Rugus might be our ally, but the nature of his element made me suspicious. Just like some of his decisions.

  Nevertheless, Una was my comrade and someone I considered a close friend. I had feelings for her, one of which was friendly affection. Did I feel something more? It was possible, but I wasn’t sure. There was no time for romance in Zurtane. I was happily married. but I had no female acquaintances whom I could trust like I trusted myself to cover my back, and who shared my interests and would do everything in their power to help me reach my goals. Ideally, I would’ve liked my wife to be such a woman, but such a thing seemed impossible right now. And not even the God of Darkness knew when it’d be possible. I was certain that my work wouldn’t be done even once we’ve assembled the Zurtarn.

  “Hey,” I smiled. “You showed up in the last minute like true heroes again.”

  “Hello, Ken.” Una returned my smile. “Of course we did!”

  “Were you lying in ambush, waiting for the right moment?” I didn’t stop smiling, but my eyes were serious and Una was aware of it. For a few seconds, she looked at me in the same manner, but then she chuckled and waved her hand.

  “Don’t talk nonsense. We arrived when we could.”

  “Why did you decide to come at all?” I asked, thinking to myself how Una’s words didn’t convince me at all. I was still sure that Rugus appeared not “when he could,” but “when he felt it.” The two must’ve been watching everything from above, analyzing the situation.

  “Well,” Una drawled, looking up, as if the treetops had suddenly become the most interesting thing in the world. “The Great One suspected that you were going in the direction of the Duchy of Oruel. Your patron didn’t tell him anything, saying that you were gone because of ‘business.’ The Great One also knew that the Mad God had gone absolutely crazy, kidnapping people from the nearby villages. We should’ve dealt with him long ago, but we’ve only found time to do it now. Rugus’s Abode isn’t that far away from here. Remember how I told you that I can teleport there at any moment?”

  Did she just openly admit that her patron was spying on my patron? Then again, Rugus definitely knew about the Ogroids as they were living, albeit in secret, on the territory of his duchy. He must’ve known about the energy source, too. Which begs the question, why hadn’t he tried to conquer the territory yet? Or maybe he had? No, that was absurd. Surely, the Old Man would’ve felt another God’s influence on his congregation, which meant that Rugus steered clear of the Ogroids. Partly, I understood why. Firstly, the surrounding area benefited from the source. Secondly, knowing where it is, he could take it by force whenever he needed it. Apparently, he had no need it for it yet. Perhaps the source wouldn’t last long under his control? Or… Yes, that was it! He must’ve not been able to get to it before, because it was the Old Man who had opened the way to us. And earlier, I unlocked the source with the Part.

  So, most likely, Rugus had really not been able to get to the source physically. If that was really so, there was no point in destroying the Ogroid’s settlement. Why kill for nothing and make enemies of peaceful creatures?

  Then again, Rugus wouldn’t be a God of Control if he didn’t use the chance to spy on us. He probably wouldn’t have been able to see anything near the source itself because it was hidden in the cave.

  Long story short, we couldn’t blame him for anything! The Duchy of Oruel was his territory, which meant that he had every right to visit whenever he wanted. Plus, he was our ally and so he could always say that he had come here because he couldn’t leave his friends in a pinch. As for Una... Well she was his Gleam. Just like the Old Man needed me, Rugus needed her.

  “I suppose that this problem is solved then?” I asked.

  She shrugged. “I suppose so. You know better than anyone what your patron is capable of. If you ask me, killing him would’ve been easier,” she added with a chuckle. “But the Great One said that the God of Darkness would undoubtedly try to save the Mad God’s life and help him recover.”

  “Do you think that killing him is an easy task?” I snorted.

  “We didn’t see the beginning of your fight, only a small bit of it, and even that was from afar. But it seemed to me that you were doing well.” Una gave me a playful wink. I somehow doubted that they had tuned in this late.

  “Why are you against saving him?” I asked.

  “So long as he isn’t a danger to the duchy, I don’t care what happens to him. I just don’t like, you know, having such an unpredictable enemy roaming about. But if he can be useful… Then whatever.” She shook her head and looked me straight in the eyes. “I’m really glad to see you, Ken. I won’t lie, I missed you.”

  “Me too,” I answered. She smiled and took my hand.

  “Let’s go see what the Mad God’s hiding in his shack,” Una said, dragging me toward the lodge.

  I looked at the Old Man, but he was still busy with Biergein and clearly wasn’t going to stop me. I doubted there was anything dangerous in the lodge anyway, and that two high-leveled Gleams wouldn’t be able to deal with.

  We entered a big, square room full of rotten, wooden furniture.

  “Yuck… Disgusting,” Una said, looking around.

  I nodded in agreement. Aside from the dust and dirt, scattered around were dried-up limbs and heads of various creatures. I was especially shocked by Biergein’s collection of ears and noses, hanging on a string over the old, tattered curtains. Dried bloodstains also caught my eye. The biggest stain was in the center of the room, near the hatch of what most likely was a basement.

  Una chuckled, eyes on the hatch.

  “What is it?” I asked, not understanding her reaction.

  “Nothing. I just remembered how I was hiding in a similar basement when we first met. You saved me, like a true knight!” She smiled fondly, which looked rather strange in this dark place. But I had gotten accustomed to the doom and gloom of Zurtane
.

  “You could’ve managed yourself,” I remarked.

  “I could’ve. But what girl doesn’t dream of being saved, huh?”

  “Besides, you weren’t alone in the basement,” I reminded.

  “Details, details...” Una waved her hand and confidently walked over to the hatch. “Heh, you’re not romantic at all. Let’s open it. I think I hear something.”

  Coming closer, I also heard quiet grunting coming from the basement. Bending over the hatch, I squeezed my fingers into a small opening at the side of it and lifted the wood without much effort. Good thing that I upgraded my strength...

  “So they’re still alive. The Great One was right,” Una said, glancing down. “It’s weird that they’re still sleeping. Your battle was pretty loud.”

  Humans and Ogroids were sleeping side by side on the floor. Biergein sure chose a good place to store his, erm, supplies.

  “He lured them in with his madness. He must’ve undid the spell when he fought with us, because he couldn’t afford wasting energy on anything else,” I said, remembering the bright-green lights that Biergein had summoned into his body.

  “The sudden change must’ve made them lose their consciousness...” Una nodded, agreeing with me. “Shall we carry them out ourselves? Or…”

  Help is on the way. I’ve woken up “Priest” Drohen. The Old Man was watching after me as usual.

  “The Ogroids will be here soon. Let them do it,” I answered.

  “How do you…?” Una started, but stopped mid-sentence. “Oh, I get it. Your patron told you telepathically. But if he knows that means that he can talk with the Ogroids telepathically, too. Cool.”

  She didn’t seem very surprised. More like she was stating a fact. I wondered how much she knew about the Ancients and their conflict with the Gods.