John thought hard about the God's offer. From his perspective, these gods were using mortals like him as tools to increase their own power or influence. It was also aggravating that Darkness only came to give him answers when someone else was about to snatch him away! If Austerice hadn’t appeared, how long would he have been left oblivious? John certainly didn’t want to become the puppet of some divine being he only just met. It also can’t be denied that the God of Darkness sounds like the title of a villain from a Wuxia novel. If he agreed to become this God's would he have a free will, or would he be trapped fighting someone else's battle. Sensing that John was hesitating to agree, Darkness cleared his throat.

“I suppose I should explain why I am only appearing now. You see, having lived several millenia’s as the embodiment of darkness, I have matured into a being that reflects certain aspects of it. A shadow only appears when something is cast into view by light, and darkness usually shrouds things from view. I normally function as a player in the background. Any actions I take have large ramifications in the Land of Divine Beings, so I act much in the same way. When I do take actions, they are hidden in the shadow of large events.

You are my Apostle, but I do not need a following of mortals to gain power like the lesser gods. Simply, I don't need you right now. Until you gain enough power to influence this world, you have little real value to me. While that is the case, I would both lose face if I had no one to represent me in your mortal world, and I would also lose out in the long term. More importantly... I certainly am not going to sit on the sidelines while that self righteous, misguided, lesser goddess who preaches her own distorted brand of Justice steals my only potential seed of influence in this world!”

Arther raised his voice and took on a defiant tone. So what if he pissed off a god? He had some self respect at least, or perhaps that was just ego? “So after I get enough power to effect this world, I’m expected to be a chess piece to the gods. A fancy tool? Plucked from my world for the purpose of serving you?! What happens if I decide to follow my own path?”

Unfazed by John's outburst, Darkness answered him truthfully. “Well, it’s not like that hasn’t happened before. Past Apostles have occasionally renounced their god and cut themselves off from their divine power. Like I said, I don’t particularly need you. You are here because whenever the Beings Above us all will it to be, you mortals are pulled into this plane of existence to influence a drastic change in this world’s fate. Us gods are each given an Apostle that would act as a medium for our power to influence mortal affairs. Lesser gods often take advantage of the Apostles to build a following of mortals that would worship them and provide divine power to them long after the Apostle themself perishes. If you deny the mantle from me, it is possible that a different god can become your source of Divine power if you choose them, however, you will not be naturally aligned to their aspected divine power and will hold much less strength if you take that route.” Darkness concluded.

John paused before asking, “So there are others like me? Spirit-people who are from my world?”

“Yes and no. In the entire history of this world, there have been three waves of Apostles. Each Apostle is drawn in from their own world and has a natural affinity for their gods' divine alignment. It is unlikely that a second mortal from your world was chosen as there are countless planes of existence that can be pulled from.”

John was a little disappointed that the prospect of there being other people from Earth was low.

He looked at Darkness seriously and asked, “What role do you expect me to take if I officially become your apostle? Some righteous hero, a harbinger of evil, a pawn, perhaps a shiny testament to your vast power?”

“It has always seemed to us gods that the Beings Above select apostles that not only are naturally aligned to use their god’s divine power, but reflect similar ideologies. In history, most lesser gods would guide their Apostles to become leaders of fanatical religious gatherings. Others would become heroes of legend and use their strength to fight threats to your fragile mortal world. Though rare, there are several malicious gods that hold some degree of power in the Land of Divine Beings. The Apostles under them often become plagues to you mortals. They wage war, amass dark power, commit atrocities, and massacre civilians until defeated by the Apostles of benevolent gods. In the world right now, Apostles on both sides are already establishing their influence and they have a head start on you. Weaker gods are assigned Apostles before stronger ones, and the Apostles of other gods began arriving almost a year ago.

The Apostles of the past are mere legends now. If not forgotten, most know them as fantastical characters from stories, or founders of the religions you mortals follow. While still largely hidden, knowledge of you Apostles will surface in the coming years.”

Darkness heaved another heavy sign, clearly winded from talking for so long. Arther got the feeling the god rarely conversed this much to others outside of grumbling under his breath. He would give off the vibe of a shut in, if not for the boundless power radiating from him.

Darkness continued, “In regard to my plans for you... I really don't care much. Although I may be characterized as evil by some mortal beings, like most old gods, I am mostly neutral. We old gods can be either good or bad depending on the circumstances and perspective. Given that it’s believed Apostles normally share their gods ideology or tendencies... They are usually very interesting individuals. While the malicious side of you mortals is distasteful, I rarely act to stop it and usually remain a mere observer if you will. Unlike lesser gods, I rarely need to interfere in mortal affairs unless the circumstances are extremely drastic and even then, there are still the restrictions placed on us gods by the Beings Above. I do not plan on shackling you to some grand cause of mine. You will be, more or less, free to act in accordance with your own will and choices.”

This was a lot for John. The promise of freedom sounded too good for there to not be a catch. He assumed if the God standing him had some nefarious plot, he wouldn’t simply tell him about it. For now, he would focus on getting as many answers as he could.

“Can you tell me why I was made into something that is no longer human since I’ve arrived in this world. More importantly, will I immediately fall back into that insane berserker state when my mind returns to my body?”

John vaguely recalled flashes of his massacre in the dungeon. Nearing his dethroning of the dungeon boss, he had degraded into something no more human than the spirit beasts he ruthlessly crushed with his power. Although it scared him, John would be lying if he said he didn’t yearn for the simple ecstasy he felt when his entire being was focused on soly demolishing any who stood in his way! The feeling nagged at him so he pushed it down. John would have to reflect later as now was not the time to be introspective.

Darkness responded wearily, “Your drive to reach the Dungeons core is the same as other spirit beasts but has two different origins as opposed to their sole desire for spirit energy. As a spirit beast’s body is only sustained by their soul using spiritual energy to form a vessel around it, they have an innate desire for more of it. The energy released from the tear releases enough spiritual energy to form, and draw in the spirit beast. This leads to an ecosystem focused on the strong defeating the weak until the apex predator claims the tear, or dungeon core, in the dungeons center.

You are similar to these beasts in physiology, but have an almost excruciating need for it in comparison. As an Apostle, you have the unique ability to sense and absorb the miniscule divine energy that leaks from the core. Since you can absorb this small amount of divine power, when you learn to incorporate it into your being, you will easily surpass the limits of other mortals at your level.

Austerice piggy backed on the flow of divine power into your body, tactfully avoiding the restrictions placed on us gods, and attempted to persuade you to her side before you had gained a broader perspective. I intervened to prevent that from happening. When your consciousness returns to your body, the small amount of divine power will have already been absorbed. A core that has lost its divine energy will not have as much of a mental draw to an Apostle as it would a spirit beast that lacks intelligence. A dungeon core that only releases spirit energy can still help you raise your strength, however, with some mental discipline you will regain your self control. As you increase your power, you will be able to withstand the allure of divine power more so than your currently weak self.”

“That’s really reassuring to hear. Honestly, I didn’t know I was capable of so much... violence.”

“John... As the one chosen to be my Apostle, that implies we are similar beings despite my divinity. In this world, where there is light casting a person into view, there is always a shadow of darkness following it. More often than not I am only an observer, yet people and gods alike have an innate fear of the darkness that both follows and hides unknowns in the night. That fear is a power I can wield, but it has led to a certain solitude. The only person I am truly close to is my twin brother, Light.”

Darkness looked almost human to John as a slight somber expression crossed his face. “I have seen as many great actions of goodness as I have seen atrocities. Many millennia of observation have left me numb to all of it as the restrictions placed on divine beings prevent us from affecting any real change. As an Apostle, you can actually utilize some of my power to truly change things as you desire. If you truly share my ideologies, I would like to see what you do with the power I can imbue you with.”

John mulled over his thoughts. If everything Darkness was telling him was truthful, then there was going to be a huge shift in the landscape of this world. Other Apostles, who apparently already seeded themselves into this society, likely had a wide range of motivations. If things get dangerous, it was probably smart to be on the team of one of the more powerful gods. The freedom, and promise of power eventually led John to make his decision. He had an inkling of fear that he was being expertly manipulated, but there was little he could do about that, and he honestly wasn’t sure what would actually happen if he refused. John likely wouldn’t benefit at all if he did so.

“Darkness, I will agree to be your Apostle. If you truly plan to leave me to make my own choices, and I don't have to be some kind of pope, we have a deal. But there's one thing that's bothering me. Until now, I hadn’t thought of my life on Earth much since waking up in this world. Now that I’ve entered this space, it feels like a fog has been lifted from my thoughts. Every time I was about to recall them, my focus shifted onto another subject as if forcibly led away by an outside force. Since my mind was moved here, I’ve realized something... why the hell can’t I remember my family? Why can’t I remember ANYBODY from Earth?”