The monstrosity charged onward, directly into the group of knights led by Captain Godrick. Mages and archers responded right away with a tempest of arrows and spells, yet the creature didn’t even seem to bother to block them.

A powerful vibration shook across the cavern as Iv stomped onto the ground where a group of knights was standing, pulverizing the ground, shattering the rock floor, and sending shards in all directions.

Despite the fact that warriors did manage to perform an evasive maneuver, the sheer pressure of the blow still knocked them back, sending them on the ground.

Spells, arrows, even javelins - were being shot and thrown through the air, almost all managed to land on the creature's body, but rarely did they pierce the hard scales of the newborn deity.

I didn’t remain idle though, instead, I joined a smaller squad ready to flank the creature and attack it from the side. Soon, with the main army split into four groups - three melee attacking from the front and both sides, and archers/mages providing ranged support and shielding fire - we started executing regular tactics for dealing with giant-type enemies.

“Chains!” Shouts of commanders of each of the three groups could be heard, forcing the strongest of the knights to swing long, iron tools, throwing them across the beast’s body.

Hooks dug under gaps in the scales, ensuring a stable grip, then, several more people joined in throwing one themselves and then grabbing on the chains, starting to pull from all directions.

And yet, the beasts seemed unaffected.

Even more - moving its colossal body, it jumped back, pulling the chains holders behind itself, dragging them over the ground, making them collide with their brothers in arms, shattering their formation.

“Skirmishers! Buy us some time!...” Roared Godrick, pointing with his blade at the creature's eyes. “...First squad, provide support! Second and third, weaken its body-armor!”

And so, the line of the first squad dispersed, taking a bow-like irregular formation around it, approaching it randomly and jabbing it with spears, and jumping back when it was about to strike back.

In the meantime, the agile-knights kept on targeting its eyes with all sorts of dirty methods - smoke bombs, vials of acid, even throwing some clothes covered in a sticky substance, making it annoyingly cling to the body.

Only then, we moved forward, second and third squads, mostly those wielding heavy weapons - hammers and axes, and started picking on weaker-looking scales, before digging them, trying to break, shatter, or soften them up for a later phase of the battle.

I did the same, raising my blade above my head, and hitting it with all my might.

You have reduced enemy armor rating: [100% → 99.3%]

Again, without a proper weapon, this was going to be ridiculous…

… unless!

I took a step back, just enough to be outside of its reach, as I started chanting under my breath:

“As the guardian, I command thy,

For that’s creature’s hourglass had ran out of sand,

No more remains of its time on this soil,

And so, I mark him as my offering to sleeping gods,

May he squirm in agony as his flesh becomes feast to the tyrants of time!”

Then, quickly adding:

“To you I pray, Oh Lord, of flesh and bones,

You, who once proudly carried the name of a man,

Effortlessly scratching the wall of the dreams,

Without knowing the sin!” Empowered chant recognized You are using [Cursed Touch - Frailty] on target [Avatar of Iv - Deity of Bloody Harvest] Cost: 100 MP

I felt as my magic sank into its colossal body, as well as, that for some reason, it seemed more… effective.

Beast roared, turned in place, facing me, eyes locked with a mixture of disgust and primal hate.

“You leech! Disgusting parasite! How dare you feast upon me! You caricature of creation! Offense to the gods! You un-being!” Its, or maybe - ‘her’ voice was so full of detest as if my very existence was a vulgar manifestation of everything that was unholy to her.

She raised her hands while ‘jumping’ with her front limbs, naturally, we stepped back in order to avoid her collapsing upper body, which was enough to crumble the whole house, and yet, we failed to react to the spell which she had prepared chantlessly.

A wave of freezing water descended upon us in the form of a small blizzard. I could tell that my comrades were in pain, even if I couldn’t hear their screams over the howling wind, me, on the other hand…

[User] under the effect of [Icy Blizzard] Taking 4 dmg/s for a duration -> [User]’s [Race] trait in effect. Damage from [Cold] nullified Movement speed reduced by [66%] -> [User]’s [Race] train in effect. Speed reduced by 5%

Positioning myself, I raised my blade one more time, before thrusting forward.

First, my weapon met resistance, then it passed through, digging deep in the beast's body. I continued to withdraw and pierce my weapon, trying to cause as much damage as possible.

Avatar of Iv - Deity of Bloody Harvest HP: ~ 94% ~

Suddenly the blizzard stopped, and I felt a blow from the side, which sent me flying several meters, before crashing into a wall.

You have suffered [17] [blunt damage] Armor rating reduced: 62.9% -> 44.7%

With its gaze still locked on me, Iv let out a roar of anger, getting ready to charge at me, it already took several steps, building up its pace, but, from the distance I heard one, short:

“INCOMING!”

Before a colossal arrow sent by a ballista pierced its side, making it trip and fall.

“HERE IS OUR CHANCE! AGAIN! CHAINS!” Godrick yelled at the top of his lungs.

And again, long iron ropes were swung and thrown all over the body of the deity, it tried getting up, but, now on the ground, deprived of support of its legs, it could muster barely enough strength to stretch the chains, and yet, it kept on flexing its muscles.

“It’s weaker than before!...” means my curse must have been more than just ‘effective’ “... Go on lads! Focus on its joints! Cripple this bastard!” “You… Little… VERMINS!...” yelled the ‘deity’, as it started singing: “To you, I pray! Oh Lord! Of Flesh and Bones!

You, who once proudly carried the name of a man!

Effortlessly scratching wall of the dreams,

Without knowing the sin!...”

… Why did it sing the same chant as me?

“...I am the god of the new world order,

Stealing authority from the heavens!

Facing the infinite, I laugh at perfection!

Setting up on a mission, to swallow Tyrants of Time,

Fools, trapped, slumbering beneath the veil!

I claim this domain! Hear out my order!

Bloom! Oh Eden of Madness!”

Earth trembled, the stone floor cracked in multiple places as thick vines burst out under the feet of the knights, sending them into the air. Like thick tentacles, newly sprouted plants started thrashing randomly in all directions, beating warriors, breaking their formation - and, more importantly, making them release the chains from their hands, once again freeing the creature.

“Look, parasite, at the power of my creation! Power of His Chosen!!! Death will never defeat Life! New life will always bloom! Will always prevail!” “Pyromancers! Burn it down!” Another order from the commander made the ‘fourth squad’ start sending a rain of fire onto the newly growing ‘Eden’. “Futile efforts! Return to the soil which birthed you! Finish the cycle! Your kin have been tainting this earth for far too long! Humanity! A disease meant to burn and suffocate in the ash of the mountain! Tell me, human! Do you know why ages ago your kin had to flee its old world?”

Beast twisted in place, facing Godric.

“You have tainted and spoiled the land that fed you! You turned your rivers into acid! You suffocated the sky with toxic clouds! The world decided to get rid of you, but these Three Monsters decided to warn you before the explosion of the volcano! You were meant to cease existing!... You… Plague.” “... On my command!” he raised a blade above his head, choosing to ignore everything the deity was spouting. “You will never get out from here alive! And even if, I am just the first of many! Your kin was meant to die! Even if I fail, there will be another! The walking calamities will find you, world-spoilers, for you are the one making them! As long as you continue to exist, we will keep on being born!” “FIRE!” and he brought his hand down.

And dozens of projectiles and spells were sent across the air again. Iv raised its hands, creating a vortex of air and ice, circulating in front of it, deflecting all incoming attacks.

Well, most of them at least.

There was yet another “Incoming!” as another huge arrow was sent at it, piercing the magical barrier, and digging into the monster's core. That was enough to make it lose its focus, causing the spell to lose its power, disappearing in the air and no longer stopping the tempest of arrow letting it fall on the creature, and plants around it, burning them, freeing other squads of the knights to once again take their formation letting them to resume their attacks.

The beast kept on thrashing its body, hitting the ground, sending powerful spells right into the centers of the groups, causing severe damage in the ranks of the knights.

And yet, despite all of the tragedy occurring all over the place, no one was counting the wounded or dead.

Warriors, so very exhausted, tired, with their bodies nearly devastated with drugs that they have been taking for several days, were falling back in line each time it was shattered. In their eyes, I could see only a fanatic-like passion, anger, and urge to just end this. They were constantly overburdening their bodies, with no fear, charging over and over again, knowing, that if they didn’t stop it now, the creature would leave the den and march to the city - towards their loved ones.

I was doing the very same, tirelessly swinging and piercing and jumping to the side gifting more and more light wounds all over the colossal body.

Avatar of Iv - Deity of Bloody Harvest HP: ~ 72% ~

The battle was taking too long. Too long. I knew that if we didn’t change the pace, we would not only suffer greater losses, but maybe even risked a defeat. The beast, despite just earning its third 1.5-2 meter long ballista bolt into its body didn’t seem to slow down one bit

I found our only hope of finishing it faster was in casting a second curse, as powerful as before - with an even longer chant, the problem was that I needed to be nearly “touching” my opponent, to cast it, and each time I started, the creature would react, not letting me finish.

Everyone was doing their very best - but, it was not enough.

Captain Godrick was far too preoccupied coordinating maneuvers of all four groups to even look in my direction, and so, I was unable to even “ask” him for anything. Deciding to take this matter into my own hands, I retreated, moving back, trying to find a certain crazed Skirmisher who might be able to help me with my plan

I didn’t need to look long, I will say once more - all I had to do was to look in the direction of the loudest, most crowded and most dangerous place of all. Agnes was there, right under the creature's belly, where she constantly danced swaying her glaive left and right, wounding the creature over and over again.

Iv grew tired of the ‘little’ fly that constantly kept on annoying her and was about to strike with her tail, sending all the knights into the air.

Now wanting to let that happen, I bolted onward right at Agnes, pouncing on her and pinning her to the ground. Only a second later a huge tail cut the air just inches above my back hitting several knights, wounding them, and most likely breaking a bone or two.

Agnes looked at me from underneath.

“I like your attitude, but please, wait till at least until the third date, would ya’? I am not that kind of girl!”

I helped her up, lifting her by the hands before pulling away, just several meters, to safety.

“I need to ask you something…”

I started.

“This is not the time for it, but yes, I do! We can have a ceremony as soon as we return…” “Don’t joke around, Agnes! It’s serious! I want you to ask you for something very, very risky and dangerous. And yes - it will most likely get us in trouble with Captain Godrick.” “Where do I sign?!”

Ha. Agnes. As crazy as she was dependable.

I quickly explained to her the general idea of my plan as we were marching to the warriors desperately holding onto the chains.

“That’s so crazy! Idiotic!! I love it!” she squealed happily.

We quickly contacted several people, told them what we were about to do, and after receiving puzzled, questioning, glances followed by nods, we started executing the plan.

First, skirmishers all at once sent several smoke bombs on the beast's head, then, the chain-wielders once again threw their hooks, digging it all over the beast’s body, but they didn’t pull. We hoped that as long as it wouldn’t bother it too much, it wouldn't even notice the existence of two chains that hooked onto its body - in the end, it was under a heavy bombardment of the mages.

Under cover of smoke, Agnes quickly ducked under the beast, rolled on the other side, narrowly avoiding the constantly stomping feet of the beast, before grabbing one of the chains and starting to climb up. Once she was on top of it, she ran over the deity’s back all the way towards her head.

She had several knives strapped to her belt, and one long chain with a hook, now wielding it in her hands.

And then, as she was by the head, she threw her chain, locking it around Iv’s neck before jumping down, tightening the lock, choking it, while swinging under its jaw, running across her body, just to jump up, and throw a knife right into her face.

A single dagger dug into the colossus’s eye socket. Only then did the beast roar in actual pain.

This was a sign for me. With all of its attention now focused on Agnes who was maneuvering using the chains, only when warriors that hooked the chains started pulling, again making it collapse, did I run at the beast, touch its side and start chanting.

“As the guardian, I command thy,

For that’s creature’s hourglass had ran out of sand,

No more remains of its time on this soil,

And so, I mark him as my offering to sleeping gods,

May he squirm in agony as his flesh becomes feast to the tyrants of time!

To you I pray, Oh Lord, of flesh and bones,

You, who once proudly carried the name of a man,

Effortlessly scratching the wall of the dreams,

Without knowing the sin!” Empowered chant recognized You are using [Cursed Touch - Frailty] on target [Avatar of Iv - Deity of Bloody Harvest] Cost: 100 MP

My magic once again was nearly sucked into its body, spreading like a venom across its veins, weakening it, crippling even.

Then, I realized why.

Iv was indeed an Avatar of life. Like a plant - weed - parasite among plants, it kept on sucking everything from the ground. Like a plant was weak to fire, just like I was weak to fire and light - her absolute weakness was death.

The empowered spell once again started devastating its body, greatly draining her vitality.

Arrows, swords, axes and maces started shattering scales as if they were made of glass.

Colossus's joints would bend and twist under powerful blows of hammer-wielders, and then Agnes swung from above me and jumped onto her head to deliver the finishing blow.

And then, the world turned grey.

Everything froze. I could see Agnes above me, with a ‘silly’ expression, holding a knife with one hand and chain with another just inches from piercing Iv’s head from behind. I saw my own blade about to dig into the now soft body of the creature.

And I could see the expression of ‘Deity’. Eyes locked on me in disbelief and hate… Then, her eyes...

Moved.

From the side of the chamber, I could hear slow clapping.

“I have no idea if I should praise you for this, or scold you. Like - Me damn it! Took you long enough! Are you aware that this entire dungeon setting is a bit life-themed? Definitely not to let someone… cough-cough… abuse elemental advantage?”

The God in Rags entered my range of vision, his bizarre, two-colored eyes sparkled with joy.

He turned inplace, looking at the giant beast.

“Aaaaand look at you, Iv, looks like you lost a bet.” “... you cheated!” it let out a quiet moan, without moving its lips. “I. NEVER. Cheat. Merely use the advantage of scenario. Did you even bother to read the rule-book?” “I did! You said you would not interfere!” “And did I?” he tilted his head to the side “... all my actions here were to benefit you and only you. Not even once did I contact anyone about it. I didn’t advise anything. I didn’t deus-ex-machina here either. Even now, all I did was stop time before your obvious death. This could be only counted as a form of helping you, as maybe - perhaps, you would come up with some idea to save yourself, who knows?”

He sat on a half-crushed boulder, put a hand into the inner pocket of his robes, took out a bottle and took a huge gulp.

“...What’s going on here?” I strained myself to say even that much.

I somehow managed to ask, feeling as my body was ‘unnaturally tense’, not able to move.

“Oh, nothing. I am just collecting what I am owed. Standard Faustian stuff.” “THIS MAN HERE BEARS YOUR MARK! How is that not inter…” “Rules say that he can be here as long as he was not ‘inspired’ to come here. And I assure, I never contacted him. Personally, that is. The rules do allow you to act if you are smart, you know? For example, if someone was to boost activity of a dungeon, activity, which would surely be noticed. Such news usually, very quickly, reaches the guild, which informs adventurers. That was a ‘gamble’ on my side, in the end, some other House could answer it, no?” “... everything you did for me. The deal we had. You used me! You got your deal with me, and then you made me fail on purpose to collect the payment and strengthen your other champion?!” “Technically, I didn’t ‘make you’ do anything, you could prevent it with just a little foresight, though… Not gonna lie, you did act tad’ retarded, don’t ya’ agree?” “You… YOU…!” “I love you too. As for you…” Zariel twisted back to me “... how quickly kids grow nowadays. Months ago you were just a walking corpse, having problems with simple motor functions. And look at you now! Killing dragons?! Even a new-born-deity? My-my, your goals might be much easier to reach for you than I previously thought!”

… His words were dangerous. I knew what he was doing - making me lose my guard against him. To view him as his ally. Worst of all it had been somewhat working.

Which does not change the fact that just before me he ‘betrayed’ another person who he had a contract with. Person - that also called itself “His Champion”.

“I can tell what you are thinking…” he giggled “... I love how distrustful you became! That’s a really good sign! People that are suspicious tend to live longer. Aaand, before you get any silly ideas, remember that I was always honest with you. And I did bring you back to un-life. Twice may I remind you. You are an investment, Aster. I’m not one to short you Aster! Even if this is all a game to us. Don’t you worry. Not about me, at least. My plans for you are for a much, much, later phase of this scenario.”

Again, he turned towards the giant.

“Pay.” he ordered, extending his hand, palm upward.

After a moment, two ‘blue boxes’ appeared before the two.

There was “14” on the box in front of the Iv, and “167” in front of Zariel, then, numbers shifted, till Iv remained with “0” and Zariel had “181” on Zariel’s.

“It is always a pleasure to make deals with you, Iv. Shame that your gameplay was so short, but, you know what’s my situation. I need to reinforce my position. And Quickly.” “... I am mad. At myself mostly. But… What you did is indeed interesting. If you would set up another scenario, give me a call. Will bite you back for this.” “Sure thing.”

Then, the expression of the creature changed, shifting back to the gaze before the time froze.

“Now. I need to be going now, but, know that you did your part great, even if without being aware of it. This does call for some sort of compensation… so, how about this? I will see you back in.. four? Five days? Then, I will let you ask me three questions. About anything. Though, remember that there are some questions regarding The Game, which I wouldn’t be able to answer - because, you know, contracts and such.” “What...is The Ga…” “Shhh! Sh-sh-sh! Five days I said, Aster. You are not in the right condition to ask questions. If you were I would gladly answer this question, but, I don’t want to play you dirty. For now, savor the taste of victory, and bitterness of what you lost to achieve it. Once you have calmed your nerves, I will come visit you. For now, pardon me, but there are other places calling for my attention. See ya’.”

He vanished, the world regained its colors, and my blade and Agnes’s knife dug into the vital organs of the beast, which roared, groaned, and fell to the ground, bleeding disgusting, dark purple blood.

All the knights pounced on it right away, piercing and slashing and cutting and jabbing and making sure that the beast would not raise again.

Though, their actions were pointless. It was dead after all, I could already see a thick, nearly opaque, cloud of essence rising above its lifeless husk.

It was coalescing above the beast. I was being accidentally mesmerized by it, so much so that I barely had time to notice myself unconsciously calling for it, and it diving towards me in response..

Enveloping me.