“He … he came,” the priest whispered in agony. “The beast. The ancient evil. The ancient foe of our Lady.”
That confirmed my suspicion. “Are you talking about Nihilator?”
The priest’s eyelids flew open, though his eyes didn’t seem to be able to focus on me. “Speak not the beast’s name!” He said with a zealous heat. “The foul. The anathema. The Lord of Dust and Darkness.”
“I think that explains the piles of dust we kept finding,” Panda remarked.
It made sense. Nihilator was no longer caged, having been freed by my hands. As a tier 9 boss, his power nearly equaled that of a god, but unlike a true deity, he was free to roam the world and cause whatever mischief he desired. And it looked like he’d decided to turn Whitebanner into his playground.
Luckily, the priest didn’t seem to register the woman’s words, so I continued my questions. “I take it he burst through the roof and somehow desecrated the altar?”
“Yes.” The priest slumped back against the altar, his eyes closing again. “After it laid waste to most of our remaining troops, it turned its attention here. We put our faith in The Lady’s power. We made our final stand here; the High Magus, The Red Hunter, the town’s lord, and me. I summoned The Lady’s holy light while my companions fought bravely, but the beast merely laughed at our most desperate attack. Its maw punched through the roof, swallowing my companions whole, leaving nothing but dust behind. Then it set its eyes on me. In my desperation, I surrendered my body and soul to The Lady, summoning a brilliant, cleansing light like never before, but even that wasn’t enough.”
“That explains the flash of light we saw back there,” Lirian said.
The priest continued speaking as if in a trance. “The beast’s jaws closed around me and the altar. I could feel the darkness burning through my body, defiling this holy place, then there was a flash of light, and the maw opened, leaving behind only pain. I could hear the beast say my pain was a more delicious treat than my death. Then it left. Since then, I have known only suffering.”
The priest’s body went limp, as if the burst of energy had drained him completely, though I could tell he was still alive. The trickling, tainted mana that poured out of the altar would not let him die.
“He left him here to suffer,” Panda said quietly.
My eyes snapped to the normally ruthless woman. Her face looked haunted as she stared down at the priest’s ravaged body.
I circled the altar and immediately found the cause of the problem. A row of dark punctures marred the marble structure. I could envision Nihilator’s giant maw closing around the priest and the altar, snapping the man’s body in half and damaging the stone. Delicate black cracks spiraled from the holes, though they didn’t reach far enough to encapsulate the entire block. Somehow, my deity’s dark power clashed against the church’s holy light, transforming it into a sickly version of itself. The twisted altar’s corruptive power kept the priest alive to agonize over his terrible wounds while also exuding the tainted mist that haunted the rest of the town.
I found no pleasure in the NPC’s suffering. He was a representative of a faith that was directly opposite to mine. He would have no doubt killed us, or tried to, had it been any other day. But even enemies didn’t deserve to suffer like this , be they real or not. Both the real me and the goblin inside of me agreed on that point.
“What are we going to do now, Chief?” Yulli asked. “It sounds like the dark master has already killed all this town’s leaders and most of the soldiers.”
“I agree,” I said. “Nihilator left the town to fester like an open wound, but I think it has suffered long enough. It’s time Whitebanner joins the GreenPiece Clan.” With a heavy heart, I drew the sacrificial bone dagger from my belt.
“What are you doing?” Panda asked, wide-eyed. Her face was pale, and she couldn’t seem to be able to tear her eyes off the priest’s mutilated body.
“I need to take over the altar and complete the transition,” I said. “I could normally take it over using my power, but I think a sacrifice will appease Nihilator more for taking away his fun. Not to mention release this man from his misery.”
I gently arched the priest’s head back onto the altar. His eyes were closed, and he didn’t resist. With a quick jerk of my hand, I slit his throat open. Liquid darkness oozed out of the gaping hole, rapidly spreading over his body. Quintin's eyes fluttered one final time, and there seemed to be clarity in them in his last seconds of life. “Thank you,” was all he could whisper before his body was consumed and turned into a dark ooze.
“Damn, fugly, that was dark, eveh’ for me,” Ragnar said.
I stood up. The darkness continued to spread over the altar, also flowing out of the punctures around it, quickly turning the white marble black.
Dark Mana spell school level increased to 56.
Dark Mana spell school level increased to 57.
Quintin, Level 100 Priest of Light, sacrificed!
+400 Faith Points (100 X 4 using altar)
You have regained the favor of your deity.
For converting a temple of light by sacrificing its priest to fuel the process, you have greatly amused your master and have therefore been rewarded.
Reward: 5,000 XP, +200 Faith Points
You have done well, my minion. My power has surpassed even that of those pesky Outriders. Carry on, and spread forth my name through blood and sacrifice.
Level up! You have reached Character Level 61. You have 1 ability point to allocate.
I slowly bent down and picked up the level 100 void crystal and found another item that had been dropped from the priest’s corpse.
Divine Amulet [broken]
Description: A holy relic usable only by high priests of The Church of Light. Crucial for invoking high rituals. The central gem has been cracked, rendering the divine item’s powers useless.
Runecraft Viability: n/a
Type: Utility [neck]
Rank: Rare
Durability: 0/200
Effect: Significantly increase spellcasting capabilities (effect increases the closer the wielder is to a shrine). Restriction: usable only by priests of light.
Though powerful, the artifact was of no use to me. At least the XP reward was enough to push me into the next level and a third of the way toward the one after that, but that didn’t bring me joy. My heart was heavy. Despite having committed my soul to serve Nihilator, and despite having performed what could subjectively be considered heinous crimes in his names, some actions weighed heavier on my conscience.
The knowledge that my dark deity had become stronger and was happy with my actions – and therefore likely to accommodate another Communal ceremony – didn’t help improve my mood. The next few messages, however, did.
You have defeated the leaders of Whitebanner.
You may demolish the town and plunder its riches or take control over it, turning it into a new vassal settlement.
Demolish/Control
The fog began dissipating as the altar was made whole once again.
I was about to hit the ‘Control’ option when shouts started coming from outside.
“It’s over! The mist is disappearing!” a girl's voice yelled. “The monsters have saved us!” Other people shouted against her, but the overall sentiment was that of joy. Whitebanner citizens poured out into the street to reclaim their town, many of them cheering ‘The Lady’ for saving them.
“If y’all’d excuse me,” Ragnar said. “I got some business ta take care of.”
“Wait–” I said, but the troublesome drone was already running out of the temple. I cursed and chased after him with the rest of the party close at my heels.
I caught a glimpse of Ragnar’s small antlike form disappearing into an alleyway before the pack of people assembling outside the temple noticed us.
There were scre
ams and a lot of shuffling back, but at least the traumatized civilians didn’t seem to be in a fighting mood. The control message still hovered before me, but I held back. This was a good opportunity to see how deeply entrenched in their beliefs the NPCs were. An opportunity to see if there was a way to turn them around even without having to take over their lives.
“Listen up!” I roared, lifting my arms and summoning pillars of darkness to rise behind me. The frightened crowd quieted down, many throwing worried looks at Yulli and Broncar, murmuring about monsters in their town. “Yes, we are monsters! And it was monsters that saved your town! We braved the mist, entered the temple, and ended the curse that haunted this town.” I didn’t feel the need to reveal that the ‘monster’ we saved them from was actually my own master.
One of the braver men stepped forward. “What do you want from us?” he demanded.
“I want you to consider that not all monsters are the same,” I said. “That some might not be as bad as others. We have saved you, and now we are talking instead of fighting. Not all of us are the murderous beasts you make us out to be.”
“Damn,” Pandamonium muttered behind me. “You’re taking all the fun out of it.”
“You’re just a goblin,” the man said. “Your kind are pests, and everyone knows that hobs are savages.”
I narrowed my eyes at him, feeling my temper rise, but I forced myself to calm down and answer evenly. “I’m standing right here in front of you. If I’m a pest, and I just saved your sorry lives, what does it say about you?”
Hmmm …. I bit my lip.
Luckily, I was spared the need to reply when a familiar figure stepped forward.
“They came to our house when the mist was still around,” Maurie said. “The goblin girl was nice to me. They didn’t hurt us. I think they are good … monsters.”
The crowd grumbled as they turned to speak to each other, weighing in generations of fear and prejudice. I held my breath and let them talk it out amongst themselves. If I could win this town over without forcing the issue, maybe the word would spread. Maybe, just maybe, there was a chance for a future for all of us without bloodshed.
A shrill scream pierced the air, coming from the direction of the crowd. A pudgy, rosy-cheeked woman stumbled into the open, blood gushing down her body before collapsing to the ground.
A deadly silence fell over the crowd, but it lasted for only a handful of seconds. The crowd parted and more screams followed as Ragnar, his clawed hands bloodied, stepped into the open. “Showed ya who the monster is, bitch.”
“Kill them!” someone yelled from the crowd while others carried on with, “Kill the monsters!”
“Shadow-crap,” I cursed and hit the ‘Control’ button.
The familiar spectacle ensued. Darkness streamed from the Dark Temple behind me, pouring out into the street. It climbed over everyone, turning them into Shadow-Touched creatures as they joined my clan. The streets darkened and the houses assumed a gothic architecture.
Whitebanner was now mine.
19 - Tearing Up
“What the hell were you thinking?” I shouted as I stormed toward the drone.
Ragnar didn’t seem bothered by my anger. “Told ya’ I got me a score ta’ settle, and I did.” He gave me an evil grin. “Buried the hatchet, if ya’ catch my drift.”
“You …” I was at a loss for words. “I almost got to them! They were close to accepting us as we are – this could have been huge!”
“They might’a been okay with your skinny green ass, but you got it wrong, Chief. First time they saw an Ogre or one o’ yor other nasties, they’d turn on ya. Trust me; I know what a mob lynching looks like. I just did ya a big favor.”
“Why?” I asked him, barely controlling my temper. “Why did you have to kill that woman?”
He looked down at the ground. The woman’s corpse hadn’t turned along with the rest of them. There was something haunted in his eyes. “She betrayed me,” he said in a harsh, quiet tone. “I ain’t never gonna forgive tha’.” He looked up at me. “You made it clear I can’t hurt none of yor clan, so I had to move fast, didn’t ah?”
“It’s your clan now too, and I also said not to hurt the civilians,” I said, somewhat less angry than before. It was obvious something in the player’s past had driven his actions. He and Panda both, and probably a lot of the other players, were scarred. I was suddenly reminded of my purpose. Playing goblin chief was fun, but it was just a means to an end. I was here to help the trapped players. And the two that came with me, despite their antics, were victims just like the rest of them.
Ragnar shrugged. “Thought you’d take killin’ a civvy easier than killing her afta’ she joined the clan.”
I sighed. “I guess it doesn’t matter now. I can’t exactly order you around, but if you want to stay with us you need to stop doing such things . " I looked up. The converted crowd certainly didn’t seem to care that a mere ‘civilized’ woman’s corpse was slowly being engulfed by darkness at their feet.
“Come on, antboy,” Panda said. “Let’s go check out the local prison for other players.”
The two left, and my other companions moved to inspect our new town, leaving me alone to peruse my new notifications.
Quest Updated: Servants of Darkness
Nihilator has tasked you with converting enough of the world’s population to grant him the raw power he needs to overthrow all other gods.
Quest Type: Mythic
Progress: 24,807/5,000,000 (0.49%)
You have taken control of a new settlement.
Name: Whitebanner
Type: Town (Level 4)
Buildings: 112
Population: 4,192
Vassal Contribution:
● Daily Energy: 13,276
● Daily Resources: 500 food, 250 gold
● Militia: 2,000 soldiers (levels 10-20) [current strength: 5%]
● Morale: +15
● Breeder’s Den: +2 levels for newly summoned combatants
Capital advancement to Level 5 (City): 100%
You have collected enough vassal settlements of suitable size for your capital to advance to the next level. Return to your capital to complete the upgrade.
That was good news indeed. Along with Kaedric’s construction projects and Goblin’s Gorge becoming a city, my monster kingdom was slowly getting stronger. With my mind refocused on my main agenda, and the progress I had made, I was able to move past the burden in my heart.
“Father?” Lirian said. “What are you holding?”
In all the confusion, I nearly forgot I was still holding the dead priest’s broken amulet. I lifted my hand and looked closely at the jewel. The central blue gem had a deep crack marring its surface, rendering the magical item useless. Something about the item’s description nagged at my mind. The ‘divine’ part of the title reminded me of a similarly labeled item in my possession. Reaching into my inventory, I drew out a red gem.
Divine Essence
Description: A drop of Outrider’s divine essence.
Rank: Epic
Effect: ???
The drop of blood left behind by Aidanriel’s Outrider form had crystallized and now resembled a large gem. It was almost the same size as the cracked gem inside the amulet. Curiously, I brought both items closer to each other.
The amulet started vibrating, and motes of light spread from it over my arm. Wherever the light touched, my skin withered and cracked, releasing thin vapors of darkness. Pain ignited along my forearm like fire, causing me to drop the amulet. “Shadow-crap, that hurt.”
“What happened?” Lirian eyed me warily.
“I think it’s safe to say a holy amulet powered by divine essence doesn’t mesh well with the w
hole ‘priest of darkness’ theme.” The two items were 20 centimeters apart when the effect occurred. If I’d actually joined them together… I shuddered. The reaction would have no doubt been catastrophically explosive.
Yeah, I already figured as much.
I gingerly stowed both items in my inventory, making sure they weren’t close to each other. With that little bit of unexpected calamity avoided, I turned my attention to more immediate matters.
“Let’s see now … need to build a Gremlin’s Guild,” I murmured, mentally activating the Settlement Interface. But instead of the familiar menu, I got a ‘Vassal Information’ screen, detailing the various buildings, crafts, and establishments the town had to offer. “Where the hell is the Construction menu?”
I needed to establish a Gremlin’s Guild as quickly as possible to capitalize on the commercial opportunities the town had to offer, but I gathered I could delegate the task to Kaedric back at the valley.
“Father?” Lirian asked as I turned to step back into the converted Dark Temple.
“I’m going to draw the runes for a portal,” I said.
“Do you need my assistance?”
“You can help by donating some mana if you’d like.”
The schema required 7,200 MP to activate. Thanks to the recent level up and the extra point I put into Mental, my mana pool size was now around 6,700. I could have regenerated the extra 500 required MP quickly on my own, especially given that I could enjoy the buffs of standing in one of my temples, but this was an opportunity to learn more about my daughter.
Life Reset: Conquest (New Era Online Book 5) Page 35