so you find out more about Sally this chapter, i introduce an Actual MAJOR antogonist, and Faith points finially get an explanation, not a full one cuz i'm NEVER THAT nice, but the clever readers should be able to read between the lines, and before people ask, NO this series isnt getting a tragidy label, because i dontt think what will be happing, and who will die (and STAY dead) is worth that. pay close attention, and theorise on what could be happening with sally and the divines.... and the OTHER higher beings, because yes there are MORE than just gods in this story..... cuz who made the divines?

ENJOY!!!

After I gave Carmen orders to learn how to run my little drug empire from Yan and Till, I could focus on the other thing I had been working on. It was time for me to start getting serious about faith.

I went to my temple, it was where I felt the strongest connection with my soul, and looked around. The temple itself was made of the same enchanted black stone as the palace it stood next to, but it was streaked with different shades of grey in patterns that reminded me of lightning. It was both imposing and somehow welcoming, mom said she included an enchantment based off some my hair to include a bit of me in it…. Not sure why she thought that mattered, but it sure made a difference. People would look at the temple and see it as an inviting and safe place, instead of the intimidating chapel of darkness and gloom I see it as. It probably makes it easier for me to get more faith, so I’m grateful.

Inside the temple was completely different, apparently Fera was the one who designed this part instead of mom, everything was in calming and soft shades of grey, walls, pews, stained glass pictures (of me as a baby…. But with a halo and wings….. Fera is a bit obsessed with this Alt is actually an angel in disguise idea of hers…..), columns, even the floor was smooth grey slate. The only thing that was different was the central alter, THAT was the dark storm grey of my eyes, but flecked with specks of white and black. The only thing that broke up all this monochrome was the accents and decorations that were shades of blue. Carpets, wall hangings, crystals, frames, ornaments, even a fucking chandelier…

A SKY BLUE CHANDELIER!!! In a temple! Sure it looks cool, but what does it even DO!?!?!?! Haaaaaaaaah…. Fera has weird taste. And all these paintings of me as some angel child are creepy…. I think their eyes follow you when someone walks past them…. who even MAKES stuff like that?

I walked to the private temple living quarters, they looked pretty much the same as the rest of the temple only with ACTUAL colors and furniture. They were mostly empty now, the only ones who stayed in them were my personal servants when they wanted to attend the temple services or just nap when I didn’t need or want them.

Yan and I really need to look into real people with real faith in this cult-…. Errrr…. religion….. to run things. I need Fera, Yan, and Till for other things…. Maybe I can convert some personally? It might take a few more years before people start to buy into those three’s cul-……. No fuck it! It IS a cult!!! No matter HOW MUCH Fera, Yan, and Till tell me it is a real form of worship of a true divine since I am part divine, this is still just a cult! I feel like how Cthulhu or the Flying-Spaghetti-Monster must. It’s a little nice, but mostly it’s just creepy.

Thinking about that I walked into the room I had commissioned made as a part of my own temple, the one that’s hidden and connected to the main alter itself by soul wire. The one only Myself, Fera, Yan, Till, mom, a now deceased crew of architects and building crew, and Aunt Lizote now I guess… even KNOW exists. Sally’s mini-temple and alter.

I knelt before the small soulglass alter and began preying to my Patron divine.

Sally I need to talk with you again…………..

{So you want to know how you can get more faith in as short an amount of time as possible, but you don’t want to put in any REAL work?} (Sally)

Yes, you gotta help me Sally I’m only working with 50 faith points here, I need at LEAST 100 before I can raise a stat by even ONE point!!! At this rate I’ll spend more time peddling my faith for points than actually DOING the stuff I want to!!!

{AWWWW, Alty you just learned one of the truths of all divines! We hate having to manage, maintain, and build up our faith just as much if not more than you do! Luckily for me I cheated a bit and used faith to create more things that GIVE me faith, other than that and talking with you I don’t really use it much so it just builds up naturally. You kinda did the same when you made those girls into your soul-bound and chosen. Although I guess you can’t keep doing that without it destroying you so……..} (Sally)

Wait I did WHAT!?!?!?!?!?! Soul-bound? What the FUCK is a soul-bound!?!?! Chosen? I thought only DIVINES could have chosen! And aren’t they CREATED from souls lost in the void or something!?!?!?!

{For your first question: soul-bound are those that pledge their eternal devotion to a being with a strong enough soul. Basically they give you their soul, their very existence itself, and once you accept it it can never leave your soul again.} (Sally)

WAIT!!!!! So Fera, Yan, and Till cant die? That’s AWESOME!!!! Takes a lot of worries off my mind….

{Oh no, they can still die with the best of ‘em.

……………… MAKE SENSE WOMAN!!!!!! Damn… playing around with me like that…. Come on Sally not cool….

{LOL… Sorry about that, I should be clearer, you are new to all this after all. I forget that when we talk sometimes.... Anyway their soul is bound to yours, this means that if you die, they die. Also if they die, they only lose their mortal body and their soul doesn’t leave yours to go elsewhere. This of course doesn’t make much of a difference to most mortals, only a highly skilled necromancer would even be able to notice the difference, but to YOU it opens up some interesting options….} (Sally)

Come on Sally don’t be a tease!

{……. No I’m not trying to! Tiff-Tiff just keeps licking my pillar-of-faith!.................. STOP THAT WOULD YOU, YOU PERFECT FLUFFY CRETIN!!!! Alty won’t feel it even if you keep doing that! All you’ll accomplish is cutting your tongue! GER-GER stop your daughter!!!!........................................................

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Ok, what was I saying? Oh yeah! *Ahem* As long as you have enough faith and a good teacher, like me or any other divine really, you should be able to recreate them.} (Sally)

I CAN BRING THEM BACK TO LIFE!!!!

{No…. their bodies would be dead, you aren’t enough of a divine to perform miracles like reviving the dead, but recreating a souls vessel, especially one you are familiar with, shouldn’t be out of your power. Although if the soul isn’t bound directly to yours, or present nearby you will just waste a lot of mana and faith on a useless doll of flesh…….. it probably won’t even be able to absorb a soul after that, so it would be best to just not bother with doing that.} (Sally)

So I CAN bring them back from death, just not in their old bodies. Got it. What about my other question?

{Well that’s not quite right………. Whatever, that’s close enough. Most mortals can’t even understand that much so good job, I guess? Anyway for your second question: yes you have chosen, I think you call them pets though…… also about that Alty, you really should treat them better…. Chosen have a well….. difficult existence. What we divines do to them is horrible.} (Sally)

………….. Sally, I won’t change who I am. I see them as pets, not family like Fera, Yan, Till, mom, or even Aunt Lizote. To me they are better than my tools and toys, but they still aren’t at the level I should respect, love, or protect. Even they seem to understand this, and they have told me that they are happier this way, that it “aids their purpose” or something. I’m fond of them, but that is all I feel for them. They could be easily replaced if they die. Please never bring this up again Sally, it would only start a fight between us, and I don’t want that.

{…………………………………………… I feared that was the case. What did they do to you in there Alty? You should be more empathetic to mortals than you are. By the Void Alty, you should BE more mortal than you are………………} (Sally)

……………Sally?

{………What Gerald? I’m sad right now just let me cuddle Tiffany…………. OH ALTY!!!! Sorry about that…. I kinda lost myself there. Where were we? Alt’s chosen, yes that’s right thank you Tiff-Tiff. Alty your chosen are slightly different than normal, they seem to be far less empowered by divine energy, which makes sense considering you’re only partially divine. That said they seem much more connected with you than a normal chosen should be, and there is something else. They seem to have something inside them, something that ate away who they were and BECAME who they are……. I haven’t seen anything like this before Alt, divine chosen aren’t made like that, but yours ARE. As your patron, I can feel that this is the proper way for your chosen to be created, every divine’s process is slightly different after all, but your way is almost TOO different. It doesn’t make sense, and that makes me cautious. I won’t say that you have to stop, but be careful with how you approach making your chosen Alty. Please……} (Sally)

……………………………………. I’ll be careful, thanks Sally. Back to my original question though, is there a way to increase the amount of faith points I have quickly?

{No, there is no easy way to gain faith Alty, not even for divines. We are actually fairly dependent existences, we need faith to even BE as we are. We remain for as long as beings know of us and provide us with their faith, and THEY must be the ones to provide it, we can do nothing to force them to give faith to us. It is the greatest weakness and one of the greatest secrets of the divines, we have incomprehensible, almost infinite power, but we aren’t the ones to supply it to ourselves. We can also NEVER force others to give us faith, nothing with even the barest hint of divinity can, it is quite literally impossible for us to do. We can do many things to many beings: kill them, control them, CREATE them, destroy them, live among them, lead them, or even just leave them alone…… but that doesn’t change the fact that divines are simply……. Dependent…… on them for our very existence.} (Sally)

Sally…….. I have divinity in me, and I have forced others to have faith in me…… If what you just said is true, it would explain why the divines don’t just destroy everything and start all over all the time, but it would also mean that I COULDN’T do that…..

{Alty…. You have never forced someone into having faith in you, you may have influenced them….. influenced them HEAVILY, but in the end it was the beings choice themselves to have faith in you. If they did not make that choice willingly and with some sort of joy, you would get nothing from them. Even your……. methods can’t FORCE that, though it may be VERY convincing at times. And it also is nowhere NEAR a perfect thing, didn’t 4963 reject it out of those you initially tested it on? Even chosen CAN’T give you faith, though they should be the MOST faithful, because you can’t force faith, and their faith is…… different……. And fits outside of that law. It’s why we can never use, or even SENSE their faith…… it is difficult to convey with words, I’ll just send my knowledge of these concepts to you, it would be easier if you allowed them into your mind instead of me trying to explain concepts that take millennia for young divines to learn.

………………………………………………………………………..

Do you understand now?} (Sally)

……………. Yes, you did a good job of explaining before…. It’s just….. wow…… divines are kinda weak most of the time…………

{Not weak, NEVER that, but we ARE very limited. Without certain conditions being met we can’t do much more than watch over and occasionally help mortals, even if we want to-……………………

WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!......................... FUCK!!!!!!!!!!!! Gerald go handle that I’ll join you in a moment! Tiffany go warn your siblings! Alty I’m sorry to cut this short, but I have to do thi-………………………………} (Sally)

Sally?................................ SALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SALLY ARE YOU OK WHAT THE FUCK JUST HAPPENED!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? SAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I opened my eyes and looked at the alter I had, had made for Sally. It was broken now, with multiple cracks running through the crystal clear glass.

Fuck…………… that CAN’T be a good sign…………….. Fuck………………………

I wasn’t sure if I would be able to do what I was planning, but I needed to help Sally. She has been the closest thing I have had to a friend since…….. Ever really, even if she was just a screen. I would not let something bad happen to her…..

No, NOTHING bad will happen to her, I will do EVERYTHING I can to make sure of that………… oh what the hell, I don’t need it for anything right now anyway….. Who needs stat points anyway? A true gamer can thrive and be badass without them……….

I looked at the alter intently and brought up my stat menu

Status

{ Name: Altorus Phantus (Ascendant Angel) [abilities] [THE LIST] }

{ Race: Vampeerus (Phantu) [traits] }

{ Age: 6 years }

{ Faith: 50 }

{ Strength: 194 } { Dexterity: 467 } { Endurance: 83 } { Survivability: 600 }

{ Intelligence: 1194 } { Wisdom: 925 } { Charm: 100,243 } { Leadership: 50 }

I hope this works……………..

I watched as my faith points drained, and actually FELT myself become weaker somehow. It was strange, I didn’t feel different in any real way and my abilities or stats didn’t change, but for some reason I just feel WEAK now. Luckily the feeling was beginning to fade, even now it was barely there.

Status

{ Name: Altorus Phantus (Ascendant Angel) [abilities] [THE LIST] }

{ Race: Vampeerus (Phantu) [traits] }

{ Age: 6 years }

{ Faith: 0 }

{ Strength: 194 } { Dexterity: 467 } { Endurance: 83 } { Survivability: 600 }

{ Intelligence: 1194 } { Wisdom: 925 } { Charm: 100,243 } { Leadership: 50 }

Good luck Sally, hope that helped some…………………………

I got up and walked out. There were other things that had to be done, I couldn’t afford to worry about her anymore yet.

Besides she’s a goddess what could ever threaten HER……………

Sally

Fuck Fuck Fuck Fuck Fuck Fuck Fuckity FUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ever since the intrusion into my plain was made, I could feel something starting to cut off my conversation with Alty, but I didn’t expect THIS….

“Hello again guardian. According to my mistress, it seems that we may have known each other in the past. It must have been one of my earlier incarnations obviously as I can’t ever fathom ever serving someone other than my mistress, but that doesn’t really matter now does it?” (???)

Gerald growled at the man as he walked forward, with a one look from me the growling stopped.

He looked to be in his early 30’s, handsome, and still had the untamed charm he always seemed to have, the one that made women fall for him where ever he went. Everything was the same, his straight silver hair, the lavender eyes, the easy smile, EVERYTHING. That is except for his armor, the once beautiful silver was now a murky purplish red.

I-I-It can’t be………………………….

“H-how?” (Sally)

“I guess I should say good to see you again, but it isn’t. You’re in the way of my mistress and her newest interest, I have come to give you your first and only warning. The demi-divine belongs to my mistress, and if you get in her way she will see that you are forgotten again, but this time she will make sure NOTHING can bring you back………” (???)

Your dead……. You can’t be here……….. I saw your death right before my eyes…… You were the last to fall………… Your soul couldn’t have come back from that…….. I tried everything to bring it back…… to bring everyone back……….. How can you still be here?............. Who is mistress?……. What do you mean serve? YOU HAVE NEVER SERVED ANYTHING?!?!?!................ Why do you want Alty?............................. Wait…………………………….

My face went flat and cold, I could feel it when it lost its expression of shock. I had just realized what he had said. He, no, whoever his MISTRISS is now, wants Alty. They want to take him from me, want me to lose everything again. They want me to fail my duty again. Even if it is HIM, I will NEVER let that happen. Not again.

Well……. I guess if this mistress or whatever wants Alty, she can take him, but only after I’m long forgotten and all I influence fades into nothingness. Then she can have Alty…….. Maybe……… If I don’t come back to show her JUST why she shouldn’t fuck with me………. No probably not even then……..

“This truly is a shame then, I was hoping for a much more touching reunion…….. You may go back and tell you mistress that she will not have the demi-divine she desires. EVER. Now if that is all you came to say then you should leave, my friend here doesn’t seem to like you much….” (Sally)

Gerald stepped forward and began growling again, he also grow to his full ten foot tall combat form. The one that made him into the nigh-invincible war machine he was made to truly be. It seems even with the new concepts I govern, the old ones still found ways to creep into my creations…..

“LEAVE. OR. DIE. PREY……………. YOU MAY CHOSE ONLY ONE………….. AND SOON I SHALL CHOSE FOR YOU……….” (Gerald)

He just smiled, he never was one to react to threats, even if they were serious. Honestly I’m not sure who would triumph if Gerald were to attack. I’m not sure if I would want either to EVER fight, but that luxury might be long past now…………

“I’m leaving, I’m leaving, just came to deliver the message. Oh, and one more thing, the mistress said to tell you: ‘A guardian who couldn’t even protect her own people or the ones she loved doesn’t deserve a second chance. You should have stayed forgotten, that way you could at least atone for your sins. After all, it’s why I stopped when I did, because of your oath of atonement….’ Anyway, I got tons of other stuff to do now, so I’m leaving this wasteland. See you next time, I’ll be the one killing your little pet there!” (???)

He left, just vanished into a reddish haze that faded away, but what he said lingered in my mind. I turned back and looked at the monument that reminded me of my first failure.

It won’t happen again….. I can protect the one I love this time……….. It won’t happen again……….

“Sally………… are you alright? That intruder, he seemed to know you. And that mistress he mentioned, is she the one who-……..” (Gerald)

“Gerald, please…………….. Don’t…………….” (Sally)

“I-…….. Yes of course…… you know, you aren’t alone this time. You have me, and the children, other divines, and you would even have Altorus if you would just tell him about what’s going on. You don’t have to take on all the burdens yourself all the time.” (Gerald)

I gave my friend a small sad smile, he was always so concerned. Our creations are always so very concerned for us…………

“But the burden is only mine to bare. My past, my sins, my duty….. I can’t give that to you Gerald, it would destroy you……………” (Sally)

“But you can at least share the weight some, I can handle that much. And if you told Alt-…” (Gerald)

“NO!!! No….. You may eventually get your wish to help me with my burdens, but Alty should never know the whole truth. The Void still craves him, and even WITH Isireya’s aid keeping away all the divines who hold ill intentions towards him is difficult. And now even SHE has gained an interest in him……. No Alty doesn’t need to know all of this, it would only needlessly scare him……….” (Sally)

………….it even sometimes scares me………… the first demi-divine to be born naturally since the Void itself existed………… who knew that his birth would stir so many different forces to attentiveness………….. But they won’t harm him, I won’t let them. If nothing else I shall protect his soul with my very own………

I looked at my pillar-of-power the large sword my creator bestowed onto me when I was first created. The one she told me to use to protect those I deemed worthy. The one that I had dishonored by failing to protect my race, my family, and my creator from their greatest enemy. The one that was embedded into the ground next to HIS broken sword.

Well if any good came of this, it was seeing Lyle again……….. it is always nice to see family you thought you had lost, even if they are serving your nemesis and tormentor………………………………………………….

there you all go................... why does the text seem smaller now?

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oh well i'll just not mind it. that was the only chapter for today, i'll say this a LOT was given away with this one, and the kingdom confrence chapters are coming up fairly soon. stuff goes down then. i'm thinking of making another bonus chapter with a Carmen POV, let me know if you guys want one in the comments after your theories............ reading fan theories gives me great joy for some reason................

Author out