Chapter 282, 1/6

Being a god was quite a bit.

That was Ericks first actual thought after leaving Xoat and Nothanganathor behind.

After which he left that thought far, far behind, too.

Erick noticed the whole lot. He was in all places. Within the blades of grass underneath the Benevolent Solar of Margleknot. Within the coronary heart of his lead Valkyrie, Shivraa, who was in Margleknot for some motive, working with Home Benevolence to repair up some housing initiatives right here and there. Far-off on the worlds of Abarial, the place he had first culled corruption from the Fractal Cosmology, and revived a society from slavery and blood and tumor magics, however now there have been gleaming towers and folks strolling round like regular, and particular person decisions given again to the folks.

Erick flowed via the cosmos like a many-colored mild, visiting lands he had saved from corruption and seeing folks rebuild with Benevolence.

Wherever he might, he lent a hand.

Veird and Fenrir weren’t part of his journey, and he didn’t suppose that odd in any respect.

– –

A person was constructing a hospital in some small, nowhere-land, as a result of not one of the locals had therapeutic magics and so they wanted areas for medical doctors and in any other case. Thats why he was right here, utilizing his masonry abilities to construct. The person didnt have therapeutic magics both, so when he cleaved a rock with a hammer and the rock fell and crushed his foot, he was in bother. The medical doctors had been nonetheless three months from popping out right here. Hed lose that foot in a number of days, to an infection and decay. He didnt know that but. All he knew was blinding, capturing ache.

The person referred to as out to the uncaring gods, although it was extra like a collection of expletives than any actual name.

Erick heard his name anyway, as a result of the person wore a necklace of gold that was within the form of a hoop with a break in it; a [Renew] image. Erick supplied a therapeutic contact upon the mans foot. A heat flowed from his necklace in that motion. The person gasped in sudden aid as he grasped his necklace. He was up and strolling round in a day. The person knew he had been blessed, however he didn’t understand how, or why. Not precisely. His necklace had by no means accomplished that earlier than. It had been a present from his grandmother, who had grown up in Margleknot, in Tir Gael.

He carved a circle with a break in it on an unobtrusive a part of the hospital, thanking Benevolence for therapeutic him.

– –

Erick visited a warrior sporting metal and carrying a sword as he prayed at a white spike the dimensions of a tree, deep within the woods of the deep mountains. That spike was truly considered one of Margleknots small common connections, however he didnt know that. Nobody on this land knew that. To everybody however these with a connection to Margleknot, this spike was simply an odd, indestructible and unmovable object. Individuals right here had attributed some form of malfeasance to the spike way back, and so the city round it was deserted.

Individuals nonetheless got here right here typically, although.

The person kneeling on the spike was making an attempt to make his kingdom higher, and he had no concept how one can do what he wanted to do, so he was praying to the lesser gods as a result of not one of the bigger ones knew how one can assist. He was truly taking place a listing, written down on parchment by a loremaster of his homeland. He had paid half of his life financial savings for that checklist, and now he was right here within the woods, in what he referred to as the cursed land.

It was once a thriving hub of interstellar site visitors, however that was eons in the past.

The person went down the checklist of historical names, listening to the maddening whispers on the air. Solely a few of them had been the gods answering him. A lot of the voices requested for church buildings of their names, or sapient sacrifices.

When he referred to as upon Benevolence, Erick gave the person a imaginative and prescient of his kingdom between two rivers, lights in all places, bread in each pantry, meat in each dry storage, and everybody working collectively. Erick was asking if that is what the person needed, and the person was flabbergasted that he had chanced upon a reputation in his checklist that had truly labored. Tentatively, the person requested what he required for such a present.

Erick gave him a 50 step plan.

The person accepted the plan, as a result of not like all the different gods he had requested, Ericks plan didn’t have worship me in any of the steps.

– –

One thing shifted on Ericks shoulders.

He helped extra. He felt extra linked to the whole lot.

The burden on his shoulders felt extra his personal.

– –

Erick felt a twist of one thing untoward. One thing Unwelcome.

He adopted the sensation to a land rife with Purple. Mages stood upon hills and solid energy into crowds, turning folks into thralls, into mana batteries, or slaves, or regardless of the casters needed them to be.

Erick solid lightning down from the sky and burned the Malevolence out of each single particular person there. People who died flowed right into a Grand Reincarnation, to be spilled out on worlds the place they wanted to go to stay higher lives, to develop into higher folks, or to easily have one other likelihood at all of it. The mages casting the spells obtained the identical therapy, however in circumstances that will truly assist them be much less like they had been.

Individuals had been principally good, in the event that they had been allowed to be good, in the event that they werent unduly influenced by corruptive forces.

Erick allowed them to attempt once more.

Erick did the identical factor to a numerous variety of different Nice Evils, lots of which had been nowhere close to anybody who knew of him, and his Benevolence. That required going out of his manner, although. That required energy. Energy required relaxation.

When he was weak from doing what nobody requested him to do, he pulled again and held inside Margleknot and different nice sources of Benevolence, and even on Earth, the place Private Scripts had touched and unfold, due to all of the issues that Erick had already accomplished

He vaguely realized one thing was lacking, however hed determine that out later.

When he was sturdy once more, serving to those that wanted assist, he cleared out extra Unwelcome Malevolence.

– –

The Dragon God of Many Colours stood in judgment over a world that had fallen to a company that had fallen to civil warfare, far faraway from the whole lot the God had ever identified, and but, he had identified this land for tens of hundreds of years, too.

He was sensible and glowing and black and white, with wings that shielded worlds and claws that tore at continents, ripping out corruption and the corrupt. A horde of Valkyries flowed round him, in orbit and within the sky of the world. Some Valkyries had been from Margleknot and different strongholds of the Dragons. Most of them had been taken from the planet itself. Most of them weren’t folks. They had been animals, and fewer, for the animals wanted to be saved, too, for the world itself was doomed by the civil warfare.

Nuclear waste, continental destruction, viruses each synthetic and extremely virulent. An enormous crack within the facet of the world, the place they’d launched a number of antimatter bombs. All of that wanted to be mounted, and it was not a small job in any respect. It required a whole reset.

The Dragon God coiled across the total planet, touching, molding, fixing. He despatched one million lives down the Lightning Path, casting them far and broad, into higher locations, for his or her place was now not right here. Most Valkyries remained. They held in orbit, ready whereas he mounted their planet.

A few of them helped within the fixing. Most didn’t.

The boiled ocean returned, swelling and blue and deep.

The cratered mountains grew lush with many colours, however largely inexperienced.

The poisonous sky twisted with thick air, changing into mana that soaked into the world.

The deeper locations, stuffed with wrongness, positioned there for issues for future generations, turned to thick air. The Dragon God of Many Colours laid down hoards of wealth into the planet for them to search out, for them to rebuild.

Little Benevolence Dungeon Slimes grew quick underneath his contact, after which they burrowed into Benevolence Itself, to create Safeholds for individuals who wanted such. Some folks nonetheless referred to as them dungeons, however the Dragon God referred to as them Safeholds. They might create extra slimes and extra mana in a facet actuality subsequent to this one, and that mana would substitute what the Dragon God had stricken from this world, as quickly as folks discovered how one can use it. These Safeholds would additionally permit these folks afterlives, the place their earlier, small gods, had been claiming their souls for themselves, to devour and develop like pestilent ailments, as a result of thats what some gods did. They werent all just like the Dragon God of Benevolence Itself. Not by an extended story.

This was a standard day for him.

For the folks of this world, this was a day that will be written down in historical past books and preserved forever…

The lifeless cried out for vengeance towards Melemizargo. The survivors demanded that vengeance and made it occur as greatest they may with their meager weapons.

Betrayal.

The gods had tried to take the Valkyries from Erick, after Erick had vanished in his struggle with Nothanganathor, and thus, alliances died. Erick wasnt certain how he knew that, however he knew that. He had seen Shivraa on Margleknot, hadnt he? Sure, he had.

Hopelessness.

Home Benevolence had retracted, pulling as many individuals away from the fronts of the warfare as they may, however the warfare occurred inside their very personal capital of Candlepoint. Candlepoint was gone, although, ruined and lifeless. Yggdrasil was lifeless, too, blackened and rotting in what remained of Candlepoints lake.

The opposite half of Candlepoints lake held out within the frozen void of house. Our bodies unfold within the chill of the void, frozen and inert.

Veird was worse than Candlepoint, by far. Candlepoint was seen from exterior the world, as a result of the world had been ripped aside. Veird was a half-exploded steel ball, with its shells of adamantium twisted outward. One thing had ripped out of the middle of Veird and prompted untold demise. In all probability the Core. Rozeta had mentioned that Melemizargo at all times might have accomplished it, so perhaps he had simply up and accomplished it. Contemplating how they had been preventing proper now, Erick might see that.

When he had left for the battle with Nothanganathor, everybody had been on the verge of preventing.

In his absence, they’d fulfilled that promise ten thousand instances over.

Erick might see precisely what had occurred even with out checking each a part of the previous.

Melemizargo had tried taking on the Valkyries and Rozeta hadnt stopped him, for what might she have accomplished besides lean into his insanity? Nothing. She might have accomplished nothing. Melemizargo was shedding his energy because the God of Magic, however he was nonetheless the God of Magic for at the very least days or even weeks, Erick wasnt certain. Melemizargo had used that energy disastrously.

Including to this, the contained issues of Fenrir, those Erick hadnt gotten to, had been launched. With out the Valkyries there to carry them again, they’d unfold, and a few had gone really unhealthy down there, too.

Fenrir floated in items. Very, very giant items, however nonetheless items. A few of these items had fallen into the black gap that was the solar. The within floor of Fenrir had been scoured of life. The outside grew lethal mushrooms and fungus right here and there, amongst huge, huge swaths of uninhabitable land, made that manner as a result of all the containment magics had been gone, and the ambiance had evaporated

Ericks breath caught.

Quilatalap was mutilated and pinned to an adamantium spire on a crag overlooking the black gap solar. He was not simply lifeless. He was cursed to demise. Easy demise would have been nothing to him; he had survived a [Chaining Soul Destruction] from a Champion of Melemizargo earlier than. So whoever had accomplished this had wanted to get inventive, and so they had succeeded. Erick wasnt certain how he knew what he knew when he appeared upon Quilatalaps corpse, however there was no getting back from this for him. He was frozen because of the chilly of the void. He was ripped aside attributable to some form of divine curse.

He was past lifeless.

Erick floated right down to Quilatalap and pulled his corpse off of the spire, utilizing magic to interrupt the spire however his arms to carry Quilatalap. Erick tried a easy [Resurrection] first, and naturally that failed. He already knew it was going to fail.

He might repair this, however…

Erick sighed, and mentioned, I suppose Im a fairly horrible god, Quilatalap, as a result of I used to be negligent sufficient to not prevent, and Im egocentric sufficient to convey you again, out of any peaceable afterlife you is likely to be in proper now. I hope you dont hate me for it.

Erick kissed Quilatalap.

Many colours descended upon the corpse, after which the corpse turned a person that turned blood that then splattered throughout the frozen void and multiplied 100 instances. After which as soon as extra, into Ericks arms, Quilatalaps eyes went broad

He gasped.

Did he hate? Did he forgive, or condemn? Erick was fearful for a short second

After which Quilatalap hugged Erick, laughing fortunately. Tiny blackgold wings floated behind him. Youre again. Youre again.

An excellent stress left Ericks shoulders as he hugged Quilatalap. Sorry.

Its tremendous, its tremendous, Quilatalap mentioned, holding him tighter, urgent their foreheads collectively. He chuckled, flexing his wings as he appeared in 100 instructions directly together with his different Valkyrie our bodies, and in addition deep into Ericks eyes. He kissed Erick for an extended second, after which he merely relaxed. With eyes of vibrant blackgold, and 100 our bodies that he was quickly studying how one can work, and all of that, Quilatalap hovered within the void, holding Ericks arms, saying, So issues deteriorated once you did not reappear.

Erick smiled sadly. That seems to be an understatement. He appeared round to all of the Quilatalaps within the void, most of them trying in all places however right here, whereas the Quilatalap right here solely had eyes for Erick. This was the one manner I might convey you again, so sorry about that. Do you need to stay a Valkyrie?

I dont need to be right here in any respect, Erick. The whole lot is gone and nothing is true and theres no fixing this, and virtually all of me was Ended, however I managed to carry onto hope for you. I’m not Quilatalap anymore. I’m a husk, and you should return in time and unmake this future.

Erick breathed, after which he nodded.

Quilatalap sighed somewhat bit, at the same time as he smiled. Are you aware what occurred? That and my love of you is all I bear in mind.

Ailing take the brief model, however Im somewhat certain that Melemizargo descended into insanity in his lack of energy, broke Veird and far of Fenrir, and killed at the very least a number of gods. He tried to take over the Valkyrie magic someplace in there.

Not-Quilatalap nodded. That tried takeover occurred on the very starting. A minute after Fallopolis rescued Shade Oozy and Shivraa and Everbless from the ultimate battle, Melemizargo tried to deprave the Valkyries into his worshipers as a way to stave off destruction. Rozeta agreed together with his selection to do this, for she had no selection, and he or she tried to present over the Valkyrie Weavers within the Script to the opposite gods, as a way to parcel out these worshipers. Melemizargo managed to do one thing to Shivraa, however then the Fractal Fairy descended and took all Valkyries again to Margleknot. Quilatalap mentioned, Everybody anticipated Nothanganathor to point out up after that, or so that you can present up and be mad, after which neither of you probably did. The Purple continued to blast Fenrir and in all places else it might, although; the warfare by no means stopped. This whole land was set as much as go uncontrolled with folks subsequent to folks that will trigger wars. Thats what killed most individuals.

Melemizargo nonetheless continued to lose energy, and folks broke Fenrir. Thats when issues actually obtained uncontrolled. Stuff thought obliterated began reappearing and spreading and Melemizargo began taking everyones Mantles again to stave off his demise and Most individuals died. If anybody continues to be alive on the market then I might be stunned.

Erick sighed at that.

Quilatalap mentioned, It was unhealthy. The primary to fall was Rozeta. After Melemizargo tried to take the Valkyries, Rozeta advised him that it was over. About 4 days later he killed her for that. The subsequent to fall had been Atunir, Aloethag, and Zephyrspray. Koyabez managed to final some time, however even he died. That was a single month for the reason that battle ended. Sininindi fell consistent with Melemizargo. Sumtir did, too. Melemizargo himself killed me, Erick. Quilatalap shook his head. I dont know who’s alive or not He paused in fear, after which he merely mentioned, He killed Benevolence Itself. Your areas had been sturdy for some time and it rescued lots of people, however in Melemizargos final act he He killed everybody that managed to outlive. I used to be there, after which I used to be out right here, lifeless. I dont know what occurred to the others. Quilatalap appeared outward and at Erick on the similar time, saying, From what Im seeing, it seems he did additional devastation to Fenrir, however its solely somewhat bit worse than it was when he killed me. He will need to have misplaced his Mantle after I was lifeless.

Ah.

So thats what had occurred.

Ah.

As anger rose inside him, Erick felt a bizarre realization.

He might nonetheless really feel immense, unbelievable anger, at the same time as a God of Benevolence.

Quilatalap wasnt offended in any respect, although.

Quilatlalap smiled softly, and mentioned, I like you, Erick. Go into the previous and make this by no means have occurred. I’m not Quilatalap. I’m a message from Quilatalap. If not on your Valkyrie magic, I believe I already would have died. Dont let me keep this manner, although. Okay? Finish this magic earlier than you go.

Erick breathed, after which he took Quilatalap again in his arms, holding him for an extended second. Quilatalap held him again. He was heat.

I like you, Erick mentioned.

After which he ended Not-Quilatalaps Valkyrie self and folded Infinity in on itself, turning again the clock, leaving earlier than he might see Not-Quilatalap fade away.

Not-Quilatalap smiled, although, on the Finish.

– – – –

Again, again, to the second of change, after which, to proper afterward.