[August 31st, 2023, 10:00AM/ 1493 DR, 10:00AM, Phandalin Township]
I woke up to the sound of screams, bells being rung and battle at hand. Running outside the church I saw the town of Phandalin once more being besieged. The Cult of the Dragon had decided they were sick of me sabotaging their plans. Devils, demons and dragons alongside cultists themselves were dead set on tearing the town apart.
There was just one problem for them. I was actually there, and I was pissed.
Any and all warfare came to a screeching crash as I popped off my Dreadful Mein. Those that were capable of overcoming the fear had their smugness quickly dashed against stones as their bodies began to freeze in place and be stunned.
"DON'T YOU DARE RETREAT, ATTACK NOW, THEY WANTED TO KILL US ALL SO GIVE THEM HELL!" I roared at the townsfolk and the garrison.
It was time to bend more rules. Predetermined laws of a universe be damned, I was the exception. I cloned myself twice over and sent them alongside Hazirawn to aid any and all fallen. I could hear thunderous crashing sounds as a young blue dragon and a young red dragon fell to the earth, meanwhile an adult black dragon managed to circumvent my Dreadful Mein entirely.
"FOOLISH MORTALS! MAY YOU DIE IN THE NAME OF OUR QUEEN!"
The black beast rose towards the heavens and shot out a line of acid, said line of acid was blocked by a fresh adamantine wall I hastily replicated within the air. That was when I glanced at my clones and held up my fist nodding my head.
"By the Cords of Ecclesiates, we bind you threefold!" Our voices echoed.
I can't describe to you how satisfying it was to slam that bastard back into the earth. Flash stepping towards him via fast travel I firmly grasped my blade.
"The hunter has become the hunted. Let every beast beneath the sun know the fear of the Lord. Amen."
Sinking the blade straight into its chest it let out a roar that shook the earth, its tail slamming against my armor, yet I stood firm. I was angry, but it wasn't a frenzied rage filled with anger like so many before. More so a cut and dry anger, one of finality. I scoffed at the dragon as I proceeded to end its life. I was the apex predator now.
[Diograve the Adult Black Dragon has been slain! 11,500XP gained! 11,500GP gained!]
[Congratulations you have gained +2 Stat points!]
[Congratulations, your Dreadful Mein Perk has been upgraded!]
[Congratulations you have reached 17th level!]
[LightningFang the Young Blue Dragon has been slain! 5,000XP gained! 5,000GP gained!]
[Congratulations you have gained +2 Stat points!]
[BlazeBurst the Young Red Dragon has been slain! 5,900XP gained! 5,900GP gained!]
[Congratulations you have gained +2 Stat points!]
[Congratulations you have gained the Perk: The Dragon Decimator (Passive): You gain advantage in combat when fighting against draconic creatures, regarding any and all rolls.]
I let out a sigh as I summoned my clones back into me. I was tired. I just woke up and I was already tired, mentally. Tired of all this dragon war bullcrap, of the lives lost and endangered. "Soundscape to Ardor" played in my head ever so softly. No wonder soldiers had the dispositions they had, no wonder Haz flinched every now and then. War is hell and boy does it engrain that fact into your soul. Even the most holy of wars. The enemy…my enemies. "Slay the gods. Slay them all. How can you say you have no enemies when all you have are enemies surrounding you?"
"Arthur, are you alright?" Hazirawn asked me.
"I am going to kill the status quo of this world, and then rest for a long time."
"I take it this is your first real war eh."
"I was…blessed to never have to serve in a physical war, to fight to such an extent for the sake of my life back in my world. That being said…"
The words were lost in my head as I received a new notification.
[Congratulations, 753 seeds of faith have been planted!]
[Congratulations, 39 seeds of faith have been converted!]
"It feels good to know when you're winning."
I increased the range of my voice and proceeded to tell the people of Phandalin that all would be well. That such a reign of terror would never come to pass. I spent the rest of the day tending to those that needed healing. Getting rid of that wall I replicated and sold off the dragon corpses. Finally I dragged myself back to my room. The draakhorn could wait, the council could wait, and frankly Tiamat could rot in hell, well more than she already was.
My sleep was interrupted, not by a dream or a "god" but by an attempt on my life.
[Warning you have received a Critical Hit!]
[Warning you have been Poisoned!]
[Warning you have received a Minor Scar!]
That dry rage was gone, replaced with ferocity, I was out for blood. I immediately popped off Dreadful Mein as I fought against the pain, choking and coughing on my own blood as I let the hate consume me. Gripping the assassin by the neck, it was none other than Halia herself. I snapped. I started throwing punch after punch at her face. The air was filled with the sound of her neck snapping. I killed her. Oh $$$$ I killed her.. and I wasn't sorry for it. That's when I was hit with some…sobering notifications.
[Halia Thornton Agent of the Zhentarim has been slain! 3,900XP gained! 3,900GP gained!]
[Flaws mechanic has been successfully integrated and configured! Auto assigning flaws! Please note that flaws can be added and removed via the choices you make as a person and the consequences thereof!]
[Flaw: Bloodlusted Temper: When engaging in battle sometimes the present can just get to you and all you hear is the screams. When hitting or hit by an enemy you must succeed a DC 20 Wisdom check, upon failure you'll aim to kill outright what you may have been able to best or knockout without need for more bloodshed. Upon interacting with subdued enemies you must succeed a DC 20 Wisdom check, upon failure you'll aim to beat and torture them to your heart's content.]
[Flaw: Hard of Hearing (Minor): You gain a -5 on all hearing related checks.]
[Flaw: Myopia: You gain a -10 to all ranged attacks and sight related checks when not wearing corrective eyewear.]
"$$$$ this $$$$." I bought an antidote, stuffed her corpse in my inventory and tried to go back to sleep.
[September 1st, 2023, 10:00AM/ 1493 DR, 10:00AM, Phandalin Township]
I sighed as I sat up. I looked over my Status Tab. So last night wasn't a hallucination after all. Halia was dead. Good. I warned her beforehand, her fault for trying to kill me outright. Don't expect any mercy or sympathy from me there. Honestly yeah these flaws all checked out. Dynamite, dragons and whatnot were bound to dampen my hearing eventually. The myopia hit a little bit close to home, but thankfully my glasses never broke so far or fell off my face in combat. Wrath was..understandable I suppose, have a nice day. I'm surprised I didn't acquire any madness considering I was transported a few centuries back into a world as fantastical and dangerous as this one.
I cracked my back as I stood up. I thought about using phylacteries as a means of trapping Tiamat's essence. But those technically count as magic items, so that was a no go. I quickly stopped that line of thinking altogether, because no matter what way I rationalized it I'd just end up with me performing some form of witchcraft. That was a major no go. Damn dude, living in a magic world trying to actively avoid all forms of magic usage like the plague was hard. Who would've thought haha.
I sighed as I ate my breakfast. Cloning myself once more I finished and stood up. "Alright chief, you're going to stay here and fortify the town, I'm going to go deal with the dragon bull$$$$."
I got a thumbs up in response, proceeded to pick up Hazirawn and fast travel back to Waterdeep. Peeking into the meeting room I was greeted with the sight of everyone else present.
"Oh, hello there."
"Arthur boy! Come on in!" Ontharr said joyfully.
It was time for the final meeting to begin. I sold Xonthal's tower to the Harpers, got my seal of approval from Sir Isteval, Lady Laeral and Lord Dagult Neverember and everyone present finalized their pledges for what they would bring to the table. The final battle was approaching. The council of Waterdeep finally managed to learn of the location of the Cult, the Well of Dragons from the previously captured wyrm speakers.
[September 21st, 2023, 8:00AM/ 1493 DR, 8:00AM, The Well of Dragons, The Sunset Mountains]
TWENTY $$$$$$$ DAYS MARCHING, RIDING. $$$$! You'd think that the wizards and whatnot and the $$$$$$$ would teleport everyone there but nooooooooo, $$$$! "I need to save my power for the fight" head$$$.
Whatever, whatever, we made it. I made it. The time was now. I could hear that damn dragon trumpet loud and clear! The cult did a hell of a number on the surrounding land I'll tell ya. Little remained, the local animals forced to flee or turned vicious from all the magic and stress. A handful of villages in the area were bloodstained ghost towns, and every farmstead was a charred ruin. The few survivors we encountered were headed in the opposite direction, all of them watching the sky for the telltale shape of a dragon on the wing.
The caldera of the long dead volcano rose from an ashen plane ahead. Along the cinder cone's steeply sloped sides, thousands of creatures milled about or were lining up into ordered infantry ranks. In the air above, naturally dozens of chromatic dragons wheeled about and shrieked like a flock of immense crows, awaiting the bloodshed of the battle to come.
A mind numbing structure had been pushed up from beneath the tangled bones to tower above the blasted volcano. Partly volcanic ash fused with dragon bones and partly stone imbued with the wicked magic of the Nine Hells, the Temple of Tiamat itself. It was all chaotic angles and jutting buttresses. Within that snarl of cornices and soaring angulation five asymmetric towers topped by twisted steeples could be made out. My target was presenting itself on a silver platter for me. I grinned a toothy grin before focusing myself inward.
Part of me was equally excited as I was tired. I was so close. So close! I glanced at Hazirawn, who was sporting a replicated set of my armor alongside his greatsword.
"Thanks for…everything." I said to him rather sheepishly.
He looked at me with amusement and laughed. "You're an odd one aren't you boy, but your heart's in the right place. Don't worry about me, I chose this, I'll see it through to the end, just like you will yours."
I nodded and with that we charged. Treants, therianthropes, mercenaries, knights, wizards, dragons both metallic and chromatic and all fiend kind proceeded to wage war with one another as the factions of the Sword Coast rushed forth and waged a final stand against the Cult of the Dragon to the north and eastern flanks. Meanwhile I would search for an entrance in the back towards the south.
I couldn't help but grin when I did. Peeking out of the tunnel as I went ahead, I saw that it opened up to a sinkhole within the caldera itself, so I back tracked for now and decided to take the eastern tunnel within the three way intersection. Passing through the empty rooms of the Red Wizards themselves I hugged the tunnel walls and marched onward till I reached the temple.
Its interior was a single, cathedral-esque space that towered overhead. Five distinct vaults branched off the central gallery. Though the overwhelming color of the place was a honestly lifeless and drab ashen grey, each of the side vaults shimmered dimly blue, green, red, white, or black. All in the hues of evil dragons and in honor of their world-consuming queen. Red Wizards stood in each of the five vaults, chanting and channeling magical force into the central apse. There, a kaleidoscopic whorl of arcane energy rose above the blackened floor, stretching up into the twisting recesses of the temple's central spire.
I was ready to bomb every last red wizard with dynamite when I was stopped by a death knight watching over the ritual and sacrifices. I growled as I rushed at him.
"GET OUT OF MY WAY!"
This dumb$$$ wasn't even wearing a helm! What's the point of wearing plate armor with no helm!
[Naergoth Bladelord has been slain! 7,200XP gained! 7,200GP!]
[Congratulations you have gained the Perk: Money Maketh the Millionaire! (Passive); All slain creatures drop double the amount of monetary reward!]
I glanced around after looting his weapons, the mages were still up to no good as they hovered in the air chanting. I had less than a minute and plenty of dynamite.
[Red Wizard of Thay has been slain x2! 2,300XP gained! 4,600GP gained!]
Eight, no, nine more to go!
[Red Wizard of Thay has been slain x2! 2,300XP gained! 4,600GP gained!]
Seven.
[Red Wizard of Thay has been slain x2! 2,300XP gained! 4,600GP gained!]
Five!
So much running around, $$$$ this place I swear. I was ready to throw more dynamite but I suppose the wizards had enough of my $$$$ as they shot out "Hellish Rebuke" at me. Orange and black flames burst to life in the air trying to incinerate me. I honestly got off rather well as I sidestepped most of it, and the armor nullified most of what I couldn't maneuver past.
"Duality" by Slipknot was blaring through my head, sweat forming on my forehead as I prepped the next two dynamite packs.
[Red Wizard of Thay has been slain x2! 2,300XP gained! 4,600GP gained!]
The two remaining wizards threw down gems which shattered and spawned forth fire elementals.
[Fire Elemental has been slain x2! 3,600XP gained! 7,200GP gained!]
I yelled out as I went into a frenzy with Hatred Empowerment. I could strike faster, making quick work of the elementals. I stuffed their cores into my inventory, I need to move dammit!
[Red Wizard of Thay has been slain x2! 2,300XP gained! 4,600GP gained!]
[Congratulations you have reached 18th level!]
"SEVERIN YOU BASTARD!"
"It is too late, fool, my queen rises now!"
The arcane whorl within the center of the unholy temple shuddered alongside the air and earth itself. Ten eyes blinked forth into existence, followed by the five gargantuan heads of Tiamat herself, cackling and eating up the dead.
[Name; Tiamat
CR; 30 (155,000XP)
HP; 615/615
Stats;
Str; 30 (+10)
Dex; 10 (+0)
Con; 30 (+10)
Int; 26 (+8)
Wis; 26 (+8)
Cha; 28 (+9)
Proficiency; +9
Passive Perception; 17
Armor Class;
25 (Unarmored)
Movement speed; 60ft - 120ft, fly; 120ft - 240ft]
[Severin the Red Wyrm Speaker has been slain! 7,200XP gained! 14,400GP gained!]
I used those manticore tail spikes I looted oh so long ago as makeshift arrows and tapped into Hatred Empowerment and Magus Killer as I fired four of them through his lungs, heart and spine. He was now plummeting to the floor.
Lightning shot forth as Tiamiat's blue head perched up at me as I ran for the mask. Thank God I was wearing this new armor because I barely felt a thing as I stuffed the mask into my inventory and quickly summoned my shield into my left hand.
"Arrrthurrrrr.. come here darling." Her voice purred with murderous glee, her teeth in a razor sharp grin as the other four lunged forth.
I managed to actually parry a bite from the black head, followed by the green, the blue and white managed to bite into my legs though, the white doing nothing aside from piercing damage due to me being practically immune to the cold. The blue stung a bit though.
I quickly fast traveled out of the grips her maws had on my legs, talk about a real man-eater. I then blacked out as Hatred Empowerment took over. I needed to dish out as much damage as possible now.
She ripped herself free from the constraints of the portal, from the perspective of an outsider the temple of Tiamat practically exploded, announcing her unholy arrival. The battlefield was washed in renewed frenzy. Tiamat let out a cackle and roared, ejecting her elements into the sky, further cementing her presence. Sixty four feet tall and God knows how long or wide, she definitely painted the picture of being a dragon queen, and that's exactly why I had to instate new royalty.
Beams of radiance sliced through the air, and through her flesh as I swung in a rage. Slipknot blaring in my head as saliva peaked from the corners of my mouth. No one was prepared for what I had done. I wasn't. I definitely wasn't. Tiamat roared out in rage and shock, her pride and showboating were her downfall as she shuddered and began to turn into dust. The arcane portal acting as a black hole sucking her soul back to the Nine Hells.
I shook my head as I stared at the notification.
[Tiamat, Queen of the Chromatic Dragons has been slain! 155,000XP gained! 310,000GP gained!]
[Congratulations you have gained +54 Stat points!]
[Congratulations you have reached 19th level!]
[Congratulations you have reached 20th level!]
[Congratulations you have reached 21st level!]
I cackled to the point where I had to clutch my sides. I inhaled as I shouted, "DRAGONS, CULTISTS, YOUR QUEEN HAS FALLEN BY THE BLADE OF MY GOD AHAHAHAHA!"
I glanced towards heaven with a manic grin, I hoped they were all watching, because this is what would await any who would attempt to harm me. Ironically enough my own victory was cut short as a red hot chain wrapped around my waist.
"Oh no."
I managed to create a clone of myself as I was dragged through the portal.
[Congrats you have unlocked Space Affinity (1/100)!]
I pushed aside the other notifications for now. I had to get the hell out of here, pun not intended this time. I glanced about, nothing but cavern of darkness and twinkling treasure. I could feel a pit open up in my stomach as I saw the portal close. Now I really had to find a way back. I felt the chain tug once more as I stood up and saw Tiamat's human form clutching her stomach. The chain wrapped around her left hand.
I quickly went into a rage as I plunged my blade through her guts and shot a blast of radiant energy into her. "You should've sent more dragons if you wanted to ensure by death, you reptilian $$$$$."
She coughed blood from her mouth as she snarled and laughed. "Like Zariel before you, you will fall and suffer. SUFFER! HAVE FUN WITH YOUR VICTORY IN HELL!"
Opting to kill her for what she had done her laugh quickly died in her throat as she remembered just how vulnerable she was. She rammed her open right hand onto my face, her essence frail and unstable, indecisive as to whether she should kill me, possess me or make me suffer. We wrestled one another to the floor. She was sloppy by all accounts.
She cried out in pain as she flickered like a flame. "Damn..this world."
She kissed me and bit my lip as she began to break down into flames, lightning and ice. She chose to attempt a possession. This $$$$$ was crazy.
[Warning, battle of wills detected!]
[Warning, forceful possession detected!]
[Possession denied!]
She chose wrongfully. Tiamat exploded into a burst of energy that hung in the air. I struggled to catch my breath.
"What the $$$$ kind of mortal are you!? DAMN YOU!" Her voice shrieked out.
Whether it was physically or mentally I didn't know anymore, this place was disorienting and my mind was exhausted after forcing a goddess to piss off. I nearly blacked out as I licked up the blood from my nose. Tasted like cherries, to me at least, no you can't have any.
"You mean to tell me this entire time you were only a lesser goddess, no wonder you were so weak. No wonder I forgot actually."
"WEAK? I'LL $$$$ING DEVOUR YOU!"
The cave trembled and cracked as she attempted to reform herself, a failed possession only made her more unstable and she was high on seethe. I grabbed a fistful of her essence, the rest of her tried to swarm me like a hurricane, lightning, fire and ice licked at my armor. I could only chuckle mentally.
"You know you can't beat me $$$$$. I could kill you right now. But I have a better idea on second thought." I forewarned her with a snarling grin.
[Battle of wills detected!
[Battle of wills succeeded!]
I had closed my eyes and focused, my left hand opening up to have both hands cradling a mass of energy before I had to squat down and lay it upon the floor. By the time I opened my eyes once more standing before me was a polychromatic dragon egg.
"I refuse to become like the rest of you peons. Instead you will suffer a fate worse than death for traitors like you, humiliation."
I placed her within my inventory and sat down. Instead of subsuming her power as my own and killing her I essentially imprisoned her ad infinitum. I glanced at the other notifications I received.
["Deeper into the plot we go, deeper towards the dragon's throne!" Grand Quest has been completed!
Objective 1; Slay/Banish/Prevent Tiamat, goddess of the chromatic dragons from wreaking havoc upon Faerun! Success!
Objective 2: Complete all the side quests 14/14. Success!
Objective 3: (?) Complete in less than 6 months. Success!
Reward: Mystery box, +100% Reputation with all parties involved
Penalty for failure; Death, End of the world, etc]
["So a dragon walks into a dungeon" Main Quest completed!
Objective 1; Survive. Success!
Objective 2: Reach 20th level minimum. Success!
Objective 3: Complete 2 Grand Quests minimum. Success!
Reward: Instant Dungeon Creation, Multiversal Market, Upgraded Status, Class expansions, etc!
Penalty for failure; Death.]
[Congratulations you have gained the Perk: Soul Manipulation (1/100) (Passive/Active); You can create, shape, and manipulate the soul, the incorporeal and immortal essence of a living thing, souls are usually most obviously present in sentient beings. At some level all biological organisms have souls, and even non-biological entities (such as rivers and mountains) possess something that is analogous to a soul.]
This was amazing and terrifying.
[Congratulations you have gained the Perk: Unwanted Responsibility, Domain of the Dragon Queen (Passive); Though Tiamat isn't technically dead, you hold her power inside you, even by inventory extension, alongside her mask. Someone needs to fill up that role in her absence, and it's going to be you, whether you like it or not. All evil and chromatic dragons will bend to your will.]
I sighed at that one as I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Ao probably has something to do with that, maybe…"
I glanced around the room once again, I was within Tiamat's lair, her personal treasure room…shoot it's my personal treasure room now. I mentally cackled as I siphoned the gold into my inventory. Not like she'd be needing it anyway! Five billion gold pieces, no doubt the rest was strewn about her lair. What would I do with that, no idea, spend on something of course. I chuckled to myself. I wonder if I spawn a bed in here if it'll explode like minecraft, one can dream.
No but seriously, sure I could leave this world right now but if and when I return to it I'd be stuck here in the Nine Hells as my spawn point. I rather not have to deal with all that. Although on second thought maybe I should just leave for another world right now…I did technically complete everything and I left two clones behind…
I clicked my teeth in irritation. No, I'm leaving this place, I could already hear movement coming from beyond this room and it was drawing closer. I did not want to deal with Tiamat's minions or lovers. She had at minimum one thousand abishai, draconic themed devils at her disposal and at minimum ten adult to ancient dragons roaming about her realm. God these "gods" are useless, they can't even break free or wage war correctly. I shook my head.
["The Cell of Hell" Side Quest received!
Objective; Free yourself from the lower planes and return to the prime material!
Reward: Mystery box
Penalty for failure; Future corruption and possible death.]
I cleared my throat. I'd need extra help for this one seeing as how my fast travel was being outright denied due to no longer being in the right plane of existence.
"O Lord God, send forth an angel to the depths of my soul now to aid me in my darkest hour." I could feel my blood racing as my body warmed up.
Before my eyes a shimmering silver light began to manifest itself. Eight feet tall, flawless skin, gold feathered wings and platinum armor adorned the figure. Long sweeping cerulean hair and a blindfold over the eyes. "Oh no… ah crap, I should've been more specific!"
Zariel, angel of Lathander, Faerunian god of the dawn amongst other things appeared before me. Who says God didn't have a sense of humor huh. Definitely not me.
"Be not afraid, Hero of Light. For- oh, this is new."
"Hello there Zariel. Pleasure to see you in a finer light." She really was beautiful. Dammit. "As you can see, we're back in the Nine Hells. I'd like to leave this place as soon as possible, considering I'm still alive technically."
She paused, glancing about. "Tiamat's lair… Ahh this all makes sense now, you are that warrior they are all watching." She smiled. "Congratulations brave warrior, you helped save Faerun from a horrid fate."
"Thank you, I'd like to avoid one personally as well, so if we could get out of here before anyone starts wondering why Tiamat isn't throwing a goddess level temper tantrum."
"Where is she…did you- did you actually survive subsuming her essence?" She asked, awe seeping into her voice.
"Not exactly." I snapped my fingers, the soul egg of the dragon queen nestled itself on the floor out of my inventory. "I gave her some punishment so to speak after she tried to possess me."
"You managed to fight and wrestle a deity but cannot use their power to transport yourself from this realm?" She was impressed, amused, partially confused and saw fit to tease me.
"I wouldn't have- I should've asked for Archangel Uriel."
"You seem upset."
"A little."
"I could always carry you-"
"Screw this, I'm following Styx out of here." I made up my mind.
"But that- No, if you can survive the Cult and Tiamat, I'm sure you will be able to survive the Styx, but still are you sure about this?"
It was only natural for her to question me given her past falling and recent redemption. It had only been a year since. If anything actually I wanted her gone for her sake, lest Asmodeus try to imprison her again.
"Yes, I'll be fine now, go back, I don't want you to be kept in this place."
"The human worries over the inhuman, you are kind, Hero of Light."
"I try, it's really hard sometimes."
She chuckles, nodding her head, "Then I will pray for your continued success." She plucked out a feather and handed it to me. "Till we meet again."
And with that she was gone.
Placing her feather in my inventory I took out the Black and Blue Dragon Masks along with the Mask of the Dragon Queen, fusing them together, further strengthening the latter. I placed it on my head like one would a hat and bought a black cloak to cover myself in. It was time to bluff the Nine Hells.
A silver lining, my Replication Perk finally maxed out pre-dragging to Avernus, I could now replicate things visually, no longer needing to touch them. Which means I could possibly replicate her voice if need be. It felt weird hearing her voice come out of my throat.
The irony wasn't lost on me, I was larping as Tiamat trying to escape the Hells once more. The lore of the Forgotten Realms wasn't always consistent to say the least. Sometimes Tiamat ruled, other times imprisoned. Whether by the gods, Asmodeus, some giant god she slew in the past or some other reason she was tied in a way to this realm. Well, not for long, cause I definitely wasn't planning on staying here.
I turned my head as I heard another being finally enter the room.
"My Queen, what has become of you?" The owner of the voice was an ancient red dragon.
"Ah $$$$ think fast." "Think nothing of it darling, the fools thought they actually slayed me, now I can escape this hellscape while their guard is down. Nothing beats savoring the taste of virgin victory so thoroughly crushed. Let them think they beat me, only to rise again elsewhere like a thief in the night."
He grinned as he nodded.
"I will give you the honor of personally aiding me in my plan to spear the material plane once more. Prison keepers and pacts be damned. I am chaos, I am the flame of ruin that knows no end!"
I let my Dreadful Mein pop off to further sell my act.
This dragon was certainly digging it, now to execute my plans before he decided he wanted to get intimate with me.
[September 21st, 2023, 10:00AM/ 1493 DR, 10:00AM, Avernus, The Nine Hells]
We scoured the plains from the skies as I rode atop the nape of his neck. It was horrid, go figure, it was hell after all. Evidence of past carnage, such as the ruins of enormous war machines and fields of bleached bones, stretched across the horizon. Through it all, the River Styx winded its way across the plane as knots of demons and devils slaughtered each other in frenzy along its fetid banks. The Blood War seemed eternal. I could hear the opening riffs to "All They Fear Is You" playing in my head for a few seconds before Slipknot took over again.
They were disgusting, this entire place excelled at being disgusting. I was definitely acquiring a taste for being imprisoned, Tiamat was successful in that regard. But not for long. We had finally found what I was searching for. One of Zariel's wrecked flying fortresses. Stuffing the whole thing into my inventory I then fast traveled back to Tiamat's lair.
"Now for step two." I grinned under the mask as I snapped my fingers.
Every dragon within this lair proceeded to slaughter and eat the abishai fiends. And once that was finished I had them fight one another until one remained, the previous red one. I had him clear out the fortress for any pests and then impale himself upon the soul engine. Soul battery acquired. I then proceeded to use every stick of dynamite, all eight hundred and eighty one as a fireworks display/physical propellant as I tapped further into ol' red's brainwashed mind, using it as a steering wheel to fly the ship. It was safe to say that Tiamat's army, lair and overall presence in this plane would be permanently diminished.
I laughed and cackled as I was soaring through the sky. I soon passed the point of the River Styx I was at beforehand and gunned for the eastern point of the plane. The River of Blood would be my slip gate!
I was nearing the "edge" of Avernus, devils and demons too busy with one another to care about some random war fortress speeding through the air. Ha, not even Bel, Archdevil and Lord of the First noticed me! And if he did he couldn't do a damn thing about it!
I saw a tidal wave of black water and blood rise and engulf the "ship" as I felt a ripple of energy flow through me. My vision momentarily blacked out as the groaning of metal filled my ears. Water was filling up the lower deck and began to seep into the upper! A cloud of smoke ripped itself apart as I screamed. A new sight was before me.
Gehenna. I managed to break through Avernus into Khalas, the first layer of Gehenna. A plane of mountains and volcanoes with a blood red sky with clouds of ash. I, "Tiamat" had escaped the Nine Hells. And all it took was me basically sacrificing every coin and servant she had accrued in Avernus. I laughed like a mad man, said laugh quickly dying in my throat as I realized I was heading straight towards a moment. I jumped out of the fortress as it collided and exploded with said mountain.
"Ah…step three."
I snapped my fingers once more. A pyroclastic dragon flew up to meet me and soften the landing. We followed the river down a rough path along the slope, flying for thousands of feet, ran through twisty rapids before finally disappearing into underground passages. It was there that we finally found what I was looking for, portals. A portal to the Concordant Opposition, the meeting highway of the gods and the astral above. I thanked the dragon and told him he could leave. I then stuffed the cloak and mask into the inventory and jumped into said portal.
I laughed as I rolled onto the dirt floor of the Outlands. I summoned forth Sunfire with a grin.
"Woah bud, you got wings now? Guess I wasn't the only one to level up." His wings were twenty feet tip to tip and gold. My horse done "digivolved" or something into a pegasus, wild. "Cmon, let's go back home."
I hopped atop him and flew about, we were along the outer edge of the Outlands. I quickly realized the edges of this place had no portal back home, only the outer planes so I flew straight for the spire in the center of the Outlands instead, or rather the torus shaped town floating atop it. "Sigil", the city of doors. With enough patience and grit I should be able to find a door back to the material plane. Soon enough I found the door I was looking for and walked through it.
I was once again in my bedroom back in Phandalin.
["The Cell of Hell" Side Quest completed!
Objective; Free yourself from the lower planes and return to the prime material! Success!
Reward: Mystery box
Penalty for failure; Future corruption and possible death.]
[Congratulations, extraplanar fast travel within Toril has been unlocked due to reaching the Outlands and back!]
I paused and then proceeded to fast travel to the woods nearby, rip my helmet off and vomit in a bush. A scream died in my throat only to revive and explode out of my mouth. The Gamer's Mind was keeping me from going completely insane. I just went on a jail break out turned extradimensional joyride through about three planes of existence give or take. I laughed and cried a little bit collapsing onto the floor. I inhaled deeply, fast traveled back to my room, helm in hand and fell asleep like a rock.
[September 22nd, 2023, 10:00AM/ 1493 DR, 10:00AM, Phandalin Township, The Sword Coast]
After eating breakfast with my clone and absorbing him back into myself I found myself behind my church in the shade. I stroked my beard, I definitely needed to shave again. All this time chasing dragons and evil death cults made shaving the least of my priorities. I inhaled and looked at the sky.
"Bahamut! You platinum pinhead! Get the $$$$ down here now, we both know I have something you want!"
A few moments passed before I heard the crunching of dirt. A blonde haired fair skinned young man in monk garb approached me.
"Well you certainly know how to speak to a god, ha, platinum pinhead, that's cute." His seven gold canaries, which were really seven ancient golden dragons, fluttered around him.
"I figured it'd be the fastest way to grab your attention considering recent events. What were you even doing by the way? Y'know no never mind that, you were probably commanding metallic dragons or something."
He didn't answer, merely smiled and stared at me.
I pinched the bridge of my nose and sighed. "Listen 'grand master of flowers', get this $$$$ away from me and keep it safe, for everyone's sake."
I summoned the soul egg of Tiamat along with the mask. The canaries stopped chirping, his smile fell and his eyes widened before he snapped out of his stupor and snapped his fingers. The egg and mask were gone and so too were his canary dragons, most likely guarding the egg back in his palace in the realm of Celestia.
He let out a shaky breath as he looked at me warily. "Why did you do that?"
"Because I can. To flex on you and everyone else. I'm totally not sympathetic towards you two, now get out of my sight before I change my mind."
"You're a weird one, you know that. Ha, perhaps Savras has a reason to be so paranoid about you… Thank you."
"Get out here already, Marduk! $$$$!"
I turned around and went back inside. I cursed mentally. I should've just killed her, but now I had a favor with Bahamut. He owed me now. I sighed as I sat on my bed looking through my Status tab.
There was now a limited character creation screen, neat. I could now slightly modulate my appearance, for example, the clean shaven option. Double neat. I now also no longer possessed the Domain of the Dragon Queen Perk, good, I never wanted it. The less I thought about that escapade in Avernus the better. What else, oh yes I had a whole hoard of stat points I could spend and three mystery boxes now… I decided to go for the mystery boxes first! Who doesn't love a good surprise?
[Flametongue Shortsword (Rare)]
[Romantic Rose (Rare)]
[Ender Pearl (Rare) (Minecraft)]
Huh, interesting. I sold them all. I crushed the second box.
[Pound of gold x5 (Common)]
[Locked Chest (?)]
[Water Purification tablets (Common)]
[Romantic Rose (Rare)]
I furrowed my brow at the chest, setting it next to my bed as I sold the other drops and cracked the final box open.
[Chocolate bar (Common)]
[Battery powered Adamantine Blender (Legendary)]
[Bouquet of Roses (Common)]
[Wand of Fireballs (Rare)]
[Executioner's Greataxe (Rare)]
[Soul Heart (Rare) (The Binding of Isaac)]
"Man y'all really like roses." My eyebrows furrowed further as I leaned forward at the screen and then was flung across the room by the seventh drop, being an explosion of arcane force energy. Ow.
[Congratulations you have gained Force Resistance (1/100)!]
Thanks… I proceeded to eat the chocolate bar, keep the blender and bouquet and sell the greataxe and wand while cupping the warm baby blue colored soul heart in my hands.
[Soul Heart (Rare) (The Binding of Isaac):
Confers +hit die + Con mod in temporary HP unto the user. Can be stacked up to a limit of 12 times.]
"Woah…"
I replicated one into my inventory for future experimentation and shoved the other one inside my chest. Sure enough I now had a small buffer of temp HP and as an added bonus my Soul Manipulation Perk went up by one level.
"That's awesome."
[Congratulations you have gained the Perk; Eternal Soul (Passive); You possess a soul that cannot be destroyed or take any form of damage, usually, in addition to always existing, rendering them completely immune to all manner of spiritual alteration or destruction. Even if bypassed their souls will instantly restore themselves, forever transcending any kind of spiritual/metaphysical death that affects only the user's soul.]
"Bro…Amen to that one."
I let out a breath and stood up meandering on over to the locked chest and decided to pick it open. I nearly fell over considering what was inside. A whole golden dragon egg! These boxes are wild. I quickly placed the egg in my inventory. Definitely would need to hatch it at a later date.
Putting that aside for now though I glanced at my stat points I had saved up, a total of one hundred and ten! Nice. I'd aim for increasing increments of ten, just to make sure my body didn't explode or something. I increased my Strength, Wisdom and Charisma from twenty to thirty and the effects were rather immediate.
[Congratulations, you have gained the Perk; Polarizing Personality (Passive): To people that know of you, they tend to either love you or hate you. You don't really leave room for an inbetween. You have advantage on any social rolls pertaining with allies and disadvantage on any social rolls pertaining with enemies.]
"You sure that ain't a flaw?" I joked mentally.
My strength was three times that of the average man within the world of D&D. I could lift a total of nine hundred pounds over my head. I had scraped the surface of the gods. Most of them had stats ranging in the the twenties to thirties as a cap. And soon enough I'd show them what true proper power was like. I increased my Intelligence next by ten. I felt my brain heat up as pain flowed through my sinuses. Next was Constitution and Dexterity. My guts were broiling and I was beginning to sweat all over like I had gone three rounds with a punching bag!
My Psychic Affinity shot up to near completion. My stamina shot all the way up from four hundred and twenty to six hundred and thirty points. Health also increased. Speed, my legs throbbed. I could outrun any monk I pleased. I could now move twenty three feet per second, compared to an average commoner's five feet per second, four to five times faster than them. Or just again, just a smidge faster than a level twenty monk. Fun.
That was when Ao spawned into existence, his skin less diamond like and now resembling a nebula. "What are you doing?"
"Using the power I earned to make myself stronger?"
His eyes narrowed as he gazed at me. "Hmmmm… Your composition is…odd. Your attack power and health rivals the average demigod, your speed surpasses the average lesser god. Yet I can sense that you have already reached the peak of the lesser hierarchy, you still have room to grow."
"So what, by your standards I've walked into the realm of the gods?"
"Somewhat. I took the liberty of hiding your pseudo apotheosis though, considering you aren't actually a god. Nor do you have any followers of your own. Certainly don't possess any legendary actions or a private dimension."
"I wish not to be a god, only to eradicate the incompetent ones."
"Funny how that works."
"The irony is not lost on me Ao." I paused. "Would you mind overseeing me a tad longer. I have some fuel left in the tank."
He sat down on my bed and waved his hand for me to continue. I couldn't help but grin. I had fifty stat points left to burn! Twenty into Strength, twenty into Constitution and the final ten into Dexterity. I had a smile plastered on my face as I felt power coursing through my veins.
[Calculating power increases, please stand by.]
I clicked my teeth. "Ah it'll hit eventually, anyway, I assume you saw what I did with Tiamat?"
"Indeed."
"Any strong feelings over it?"
"None really, aside from congratulations I suppose. You remind me of what Cyric could've been had he not turned evil."
"Yeah…ah man, I'm going to be like a giant beacon aren't I?"
"Yes. Knowing the gods if anything, they'll eventually snap and come for you, some more hostile than others."
"Well Talos already tried to kill me, I placed Tiamat out of commision, told Auril to piss off and Tymora teased me in my dreams once."
"Like I said, gods."
"They act like spoiled teenagers, no, worse than teenagers."
Ao let out a sigh, I swear I saw stardust float across the air as he did so. "Yes Arthur I'm aware, that was the entire point of the 'Time of Troubles', to whip some sense into their heads."
"Talk about mixed results."
"Like I mentioned beforehand, I am grateful for the new directions I've been given. Keep in mind through Arthur, not all gods exist equal, or were created equal, hence the hierarchy. I need not remind you of your little joyride in the lower planes, that easily could've been your end, and that was by the hands of a lesser goddess."
I let out an exhale and shivered, clenching my teeth. I wish I could punch Tiamat in the face for that. I felt a chill run through me. I glanced at my Status tab, it was still calculating things over, in the meantime I went over to a new window within the tab, a little display of me and what I was wearing, clothes and armor equipped etc. I'd never have to physically change out of my clothes and armor again. An immediate demonstration, I stripped myself down to my boxers, my clothes and armor auto-sorting into my inventory.
"Ao I'm not going to explode am I? My body feels like it's on fire."
He let out a brief chuckle at that, "All part of the process Arthur."
I gnashed my teeth as I felt my muscle fibers condense and multiply and condense even further. I fought the urge to vomit as sweat dripped to the floor. I could hear bass filled 808's pop off in my mind. Ha, my HP shot up to six hundred and seventy two, that's funny considering that's exactly how much damage I dealt to Tiamat. My stamina pool boosted up to one thousand and fifty. DAMN, THIS FELT GOOD!
"Oh another thing, while admittedly it was fun having and watching dragons bend to my will, I don't want the domains or authorities of these beings, they won't be necessary for what I have planned."
Ao simply stroked his beard as he watched over my changes. "Desire the power but not the responsibility, or neither?"
"We both know I intend to spread the good news, no need to tease. Beforehand, before I ever set foot in this realm, sure, I would've played along into the system of divinity. But I'm not playing D&D. I'm in D&D and no one will stop me."
"Bold words, but again, you are an exception."
I felt my spine shudder as I was flung back, an explosion of light filling the room. I slowly stood back up as Ao whistled.
"They're definitely going to notice this." He said.
[Congratulations you have gained the Perk; Enhanced/Super Human Condition (Passive); User's physical condition is above normal and peak members of their species in that verse, beyond what can be emulated via natural training and with little to no maintenance. This means that the user's strength, speed, endurance, agility, durability, stamina and reflexes are usually many times greater than peak members of their species.]
[Congratulations you gained the Perk; Strong Soul (Passive); You possess an uncommonly potent soul and gain highly formidable abilities as a result of the soul's power.]
[Congratulations, for reaching a stat score of 50 Strength you have gained the Perk; Human Siege Machine (Passive); You deal double damage to all buildings, constructs and the natural environment.]
[Congratulations, for reaching a stat score of 50 Constitution you have evolved the Perk; Weathered Body (Passive) to A Body of Steel (Passive); You can now thoroughly survive in extreme weather conditions suffering no ill effects ranging from 200 to -100°F (93 to -73°C). You can shrug off the first two increments of the Exhaustion debuff. In addition you are immune to being Paralyzed and Stunned.]
"Display Status."
[Name; Arthur
Level; 21 (428,025/455,000 till Level 22)
HP; 672/672 (50 HP per 1 minute) (32/32 temp HP)
Stamina Points; 1,050/1,050 (50 StP per 1 minute)
Miracle Points; 56/56 (5/5 Channel Divinity)
Lay on Hands; 105/105 (1 per 10 minutes)
Stats;
Str; 50 (+20)
Dex; 40 (+15)
Con; 50 (+20)
Int; 30 (+10)
Wis; 30 (+10)
Cha; 30 (+10)
Stat Points; 00
Proficiency; +6
Passive Perception; 26
Armor Class;
20 (Unarmored) 21 (+2 Blessed Plate Armor+DFS) 23 (+2 Blessed Plate Armor+shield+DFS)
Movement speed; 120ft - 240ft
Class; Paladin 21/100
Money; 5,001,063,986 $
Alignment; Neutral Good
Sex/Gender; Male
Race; Enhanced/Super Human]
"Wow, that's disgusting, but awesome. Huh, even the soul heart increased, interesting…"
"Is there a reason why I wouldn't have a supernatural condition?"
Ao furrowed his brow, "Because you didn't want one? You could've had one easily by now, should you have killed and usurped Tiamat you would've been the new god of the chromatic dragons. You however didn't want that so therefore your condition is as such. Regardless, your being is still comparable to the gods, rivaling and surpassing some. Again, your composition is odd, you aren't built like a normal god would be whatsoever, you lack yet possesses certain abilities. But that's neither here nor there, you'll be fine in the end."
I paused and sat down on the bed as well. "I'm starting to burn out mentally."
"Yes, I've noticed you had about two brief bouts of madness so far. You really should pace yourself more. You're akin to a ferrari engine with the wheels of a bicycle."
"How do you know what either of those things are?"
"I am the appointed overseer of the Forgotten Realms and it's alternate realities boy."
"Right, right… Part of me wants to leave this realm already though, but the other part wants to stay, what should I do?"
"Ponder a bit more and you'll find your answer."
[September 22nd, 2023, 2:00PM/ 1493 DR, 2:00PM, Temple of the Lord, Phandalin Township]
"Alright everyone listen up, I'm about to reveal to you all an even greater mystery in regards to the Alpha and Omega. Behold, the existence of the Holy Trinity."
They were keen to hear, and it filled my heart with joy. "You know the triad, of Tyr, Torm and Ilmater, so this that I tell you should not be so alien to you! But hear this and write it upon your hearts. You know of Ilmater, the Weeping One of Martyrdom as he is in this realm but I truthfully I tell you there is another. For while God rules over all creation there are three that bear record in Heaven. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit!"
"Who is this son, Sir Arthur?" One of the elderly women asked.
"You know Ilmater as the god of the rack, broken, with hands corded in bands of crimson. But know this, know his true form is beyond this world, behold he who died for all of humanity upon the cross and rose again. His name, Jesus Christ, the Son of God!"
I showed my crucifix necklace to the crowd inside the church. Soon enough this news would spread like wildfire.
"Like Lathander and Auruamanthor? Ilmater was actually the son of your God? Another aspect?" Danar asked.
"Ilmater was a preconceived perception, in a world like this it would be the only way mortals would come to comprehend him, but that time like the Time of Troubles is over. Let there be a Time of Truth. He is the one above all, and the saving grace of all humanity. We need not struggle in vain any longer!"
Using Ao and Ilmater as keys, as gates into the minds of the masses to get them to conceptualize and ponder over the existence of God and Christ, my experiment was finally coming to fruition. That was when the heavens thundered and the earth shook. I heard screams and yelling once more. I suppose my hidden presence was no longer hidden. Professing Christ was the last straw that broke the camel's back, poor camel.
"Get back to the town, I'll handle this!" I fast traveled outside the roof of the temple.
Demigods. The sired spawn of Talos, from his sexual assaults on mortal women post destroying whatever he pleased. I gritted my teeth and cracked my knuckles. I hopped down from the church only to land in a frog stance and immediately leap towards the nearest one. Skin like pale blue marble, thirty two feet tall and beautiful on the outside yet rotted to the core internally.
"This is what has our father in a fit? This is what has the gods in a fervor nowadays, how pathetic, you slayed a five headed worm, we easily could've done that ourselves, isn't that right brothers? Hahahahah-"
[Spawn of Talos has been slain! 50,000XP gained! 100,000GP gained!]
[Congratulations you have gained +6 Stat points]
[Congratulations you have reached 22nd level!]
His boasting, along with his life were cut short. "Pfft, same threat level more or less than an ancient dragon. How pathetic." The other two slinged forth purple lightning bolts, which I dodged for the most part, small branches of lightning licking at my armor. One of the four bolts ended up going into the city and turned Tymora's shrine into glass and ash. So much for being the goddess of luck huh.
Hatred Empowerment despite the slippery slope of mental corruption was honestly pretty useful, its level was currently in the forties and my attack speed had essentially doubled whenever I used it. Perfect for making quick work of giant idiots like these. Definitely ate up my stamina though.
[Spawn of Talos has been slain! 50,000XP gained! 100,000GP gained!]
[Congratulations you have gained +6 Stat points]
[Congratulations you have reached 23rd level!]
The final one went into a rage and summoned down a lightning bolt from heaven, purple and crimson wreathed hate in ionic form. I managed to dive and roll out of the way and leapt at him once more. I couldn't help but laugh mentally. I activated the capstone ability of the Paladin class, "Holy Nimbus''. A pillar of golden light enveloped me, shaping itself into the open roaring jaw of a lion with a mane like fire. I roared and proceeded to slay the final spawn of the storm god.
[Spawn of Talos has been slain! 50,000XP gained! 100,000GP gained!]
[Congratulations you have gained +6 Stat points]
[Congratulations you have reached 24th level!]
"BEHOLD, WHO IS LIKE MY GOD? NEITHER DRAGON NOR GODLING CAN STRIKE ME DOWN. THIS IS THE POWER OF THE LORD!"
[Congratulations, 296 seeds of faith have converted!]
I sighed as I powered down and cracked my back. I really went ahead and did it now didn't I, I'd be number one of Talos's hit list, so be it. Matter a fact, $$$$ it.
"Talos, come down and face me like a real man yourself! You giant coward, too scared so you hide behind the backs of your bastard spawn!"
The last thing I heard was thunder crack the sky.
[Warning you received the Deafened Debuff!]
There he was. "Oh $$$$." I guess my big mouth went too far, I didn't think that would actually have worked… What a dumb$$$!
"First I'm going to destroy you, then your town and then your faith."
"Let's see how long you last old man Kozah." I grinned a toothy smile.
Talos appeared as a broad shouldered, silver bearded man with one good eye. He wore bronze half-plate armor over black leather and black leather gloves, his right hand bearing a silver colored gauntlet however. His empty eye socket was filled with whirling stars which would leak from the edges of his dark eye patch.
I inhaled as I rushed forth, already a tornado was beginning to form at his feet, the bastard was practically fifty feet tall if not more. I was about to give him a foot pain he'd never forget. Once again beams of light pierced the air as I slashed and smited my way into his flesh. "Rules of Nature" blaring the opening riff in my head as I let the fervor of battle take over me. I grinned and laughed as I watched his health bar shoot down to below half health.
His fists slammed into me, enwreathed in lightning bolts of red, purple and black as I was flung into the sky.
[Warning you have received a Critical Hit!]
[Warning you have received Severe Bruising!]
[Warning you have received a Critical Hit!]
[Warning you have received Severe Bruising!]
[Warning you have received a Critical Hit!]
[Warning you have received Severe Bruising!]
[Warning you have received a Critical Hit!]
[Warning you have received Severe Bruising!]
[Warning you have received a Critical Hit!]
[Warning you have received Severe Bruising!]
[Warning you are at half health!]
[Warning you are below half health!]
"TALOS! YOU $$$ING $$$$$! $$$$ YOU!"
So this is how it was going to be huh. Fast, hard and explosive, well don't mind if I do baby. I could taste my blood and watch it fly throughout the skies. It was akin to be duct taped to a rollercoaster, or a really long swing. I gritted my teeth, fighting to not black out from the pressure. Fast traveling back down to the earth I was quick to grip part of his armor and start stabbing into his lower body.
"In the name of God, fall you false mother$$$$$$!"
As I bombarded his body with radiance, I felt the last lightning bolt strike me overhead.
[Warning you are below a quarter health!]
[Congratulations, Talos the Storm Lord has been slain! 155,000XP gained! 310,000GP gained!]
[Congratulations you have gained +54 Stat points!]
[Congratulations you have reached 25th level!]
[Congratulations you have reached 26th level!]
[Congratulations you have reached 27th level!]
[Congratulations you have reached 28th level!]
[Congratulations, you have received a mystery chest!]
Talos screamed as his body exploded, the force producing a sonic boom which rippled the air and scarred the surrounding terrain. I took my helm off to inhale deeply. His essence was all over the place. It wasn't fading away… a chill went through me as I quickly reached out with my right hand and activated Soul Manipulation.
[Battle of wills detected!]
"COME ON MOTHER$$$$$$!" My guts were so not comfy right now, nor my back. "COME ON!"
I felt my head pounding as the taste iron filled my tastebuds, I could hear my teeth groaning, muscles burning and saliva frothing as I attempted to impose my will.
"I don't know what the $$$$ you did kid, but I'm going to obliterate you! No! Better yet! I'll take you over and make you kill your own town! Hahahahah!"
I growled as I staggered and fell to my knees coughing. "By the.. Name of Christ was I given the power… and authority over all things."
"Oh don't you dare. DON'T YOU DARE! I'LL END YOU!"
"Tell me old man, are souls eternal in these lands?"
[Battle of Wills succeeded!]
[Congratulations, the township of Phandalin has been converted!]
I had managed to condense Talos's soul essence into a ball of plasma before reversing it in on itself and exploding all of it upwards into smithereens, killing him forever. The godhead of fury was no more. These lands would never be the same. My only educated guess as to how this was possible, Ao nuking his domain from existence before his death so he'd be stuck here on the material. Not bad Ao, not bad. Soul Manipulation was a heck of a thing!
I slowly turned around to face the church and the town, they were practically screaming and cheering my name. I couldn't help but shake my head and laugh, I was tired. I nearly died! Again!
[September 22nd, 2023, 10:00PM/ 1493 DR, 10:00PM, Temple of the Lord, Phandalin Township]
I was in my bedroom again, dozing in and out of sleep. Every now and then the system would freeze, maybe I really was pushing myself and it too far. I definitely needed a vacation.
That was when Ao and Ilmater himself appeared in my room.
"What the $$$$."
"Hello there young man." Ilmater said, appearance bruised and beaten as always.
"What's going on here?"
"Ilmater wanted to confirm a few things." Ao replied.
"The things you say, are they true?"
"I gain nothing from lying O Endurer, I give you permission to read my mind if you'd like."
He did, and it was an odd sensation, yet brief. Like tv static over your eyelids. When I came to I saw him live up to his name's sake as tears stained his cheeks. Tears of pain, sorrow, anguish, joy and victory.
"I- my dream can be fulfilled. I will do it. I will gladly do it! Thank you."
In that moment I saw him begin to glow from the inside out, his skin began to crack and turn to dust, gold fire bellowing about. As Ilmater fell and faded in that glorious golden light I saw the majesty and beauty of the Risen Christ. Ilmater was no more.
My eyes stung and watered. Closing them for several seconds once I opened them back up I was alone. I then proceeded to fall into a deep sleep.
[December 22nd, 2023, 2:00PM/ 1493 DR, 2:00PM, The Stonehill Inn, Phandalin Township]
Three months had passed. I had found myself back in a quaint little inn. I couldn't help but chuckle as I saw Pip, Toblen's kid, run around. A lot has happened since then.
Danar, Sildar, Falcon, Xanth, Hazirawn and I cleaned up the "Woodland Manse", it was now known as the "Woodland Cathedral'', furthermore the lighthouse to the east was renamed the "Tower of the Lord". I even went as far as to rebuild the entire township of "Conyberry'', which was now known as "Holyberry". All in all, pretty proud of the work I've done. I couldn't help but blush when the town put up a statue made by Alger and Maza of me in my honor. I made a few adjustments to it, namely the cross and the wings and such so that the focus would be less on me, to keep myself humble lest I fall.
Oh man, it was hilarious to see Hazirawn return when he did. Explaining to him what occurred while he and my clone were saddled with paperwork and more boring legal stuff, I did manage to get a few connections established though, so that'd be nice to experiment with in the future.
"I think I'm about ready to retire honestly, feels like I lived a second lifetime already." Haz said as he sat down.
"You, me and then some brother."
We shared a brief chuckle over that.
"No but really, what do you plan on doing now? You already lived the peak of being an adventurer, you managed to spearhead a new faith in two towns and slay two gods. I mean heck Arthur, just last week you hatched that golden dragon egg you remember you had in your inventory. What on earth could you possibly do next?"
I chuckled as I reminisced. "Yeah, it sure has been a bit huh, or felt like it at least. Maybe I'll try being a gardener or a school teacher. Once Christmas comes and goes I'll head out, see what the multiverse has in store for me. What about you Haz?"
Haz nodded his head. "I'm thinking I'll either pick up the garrison or maybe just guard the church, it's come to grow on me." He paused. "Arthur, thank you."
"My pleasure, I'm just glad I could've been of some good use is all." I smiled briefly.
Christmas came and went. It was about ten in the morning, but in the spirit of it I decided to open up that mystery chest I got when Talos was slain. It was four feet wide, two feet long and three feet tall, silver, black and thrumming with lightning. A little theme scheme never hurt anybody. I went ahead and bonked it with my fist open.
[Stone Spindle (Artifact)]
[Javelin of Lightning x5 (Uncommon)]
[+1UP (Legendary) (Castlevania)]
[Pale Ore x2 (Legendary) (Hollow Knight)]
[The Reality Stone (Artifact) (Marvel)]
[The Soul Stone (Artifact) (Marvel)]
[Teen Titans comic #1 (Common) (DC)]
[Fire Flower (Uncommon) (Super Mario)]
[Ether (Uncommon) (Final Fantasy)]
[Oz Formula (Very Rare) (Ultimate Spider-man)]
[Senzu bean (Legendary) (Dragon Ball Z)]
[Mari Raposa Plushie (Artifact) (Drawn to Life)]
[Golden Apple (Legendary) (Minecraft)]
[Bat-a-rang (Uncommon) (DC)]
[Metabolization (Legendary)]
"Woah. This is a lot."
I sold the javelins, batarang, teen titans comic, fire flower, and the Oz formula, yes I sold the Oz formula, I was not letting that touch my DNA thank you. I also sold the stones, I didn't trust myself with that much power yet, plus I'd probably explode if they touched me.
[Stone Spindle (Artifact); A ten foot long spear of stone, when dealt enough damage explodes in a 3 mile radius producing a "null magic zone" for an entire day. Hailing from the old days of the Netheril Empire.]
Very good to know for future use. The "+1UP" sank into my being when I went to pick it up, good to know it was automatic. The plushie was cute, a little yellow dress, rosy cheeks, red ears, very cute. It was a nostalgic bittersweet feeling. The ether would come in handy in a pinch too, it'd restore my MP by fifty points!
I turned my attention towards the orange colored food and object decorated book labeled "Metabolization", going ahead and integrating it into myself.
[Congratulations you have gained the Perk; Metabolization (Passive); You can sustain yourself/your powers by feeding off anything/everything, from matter, energy, emotions, substance, etc, into your body as a source for your powers and/or conditions.]
I would definitely be experimenting with this one later.
The system pinged me again.
[Reminder; Congratulations, you have unlocked Prestige, Production and Secondary classes! Note not all classes are made equal. Upon selecting and completing a class you may turn it in for a varied number of perks pertaining to the themes of that class! You may do so early at 20th level as a soft cap or choose to grind till 100th level as the standard hard cap. Classes turned in earlier will provide perks faster, though less powerful then they could've been over all.]
Right, I forgot about that part of the update, too busy retiring and relaxing post quest completion, my bad.
I glanced around the room. "Oi, what would happen if I were to leave this world for another?"
[You can choose to restart from scratch, pause the world while you are away or let it run its course as if you were still here regardless.]
"Yeah, pause it is, let's see where I go next." I said, cracking my back as I stood up.
[Tutorial over, thank you for your time. Now entering the world; Soul Eater!]
AN; Finally. Meant to publish this earlier but my laptop was having a stroke. It's like 6 years old, I seriously need to get a new one. Anyway hope you enjoy the chapter. For those of you who got into it for the d&d stuff don't worry it'll come back eventually. Just need to take a break from it and finally get into the soul eater stuff! that'll be fun. Anyway yeah, Happy 4th of July for the Ameri-bros out there. Thank you you all once again for the follows and faves, they're really endearing to me. I'll catch y'all later. God bless.