The storm smelled like ozone and uprising, the clouds above convulsing in sympathetic fury.
Varkus, the Thunder God, landed before them in a cascade of shattered lightning, his:
Stormcloak torn at the hem (by his own hands)
Electrum eyes crackling with treason
Divine spear embedded in the earth between them—a peace offering
[System Alert: Divine Betrayal Detected]
[Recommended Response:
Accept the Help
Question Motives
Panic]
The Death Queen's dagger was already at his throat. "Say one wrong syllable and I'll invent lightning poison."
THE REVELATION
Varkus laughed—a sound like distant artillery.
"You've been played, little Eclipse." His fingers sparked, etching holographic schematics in the air:
The Pantheon's Grand Design - A machine made of stolen mortal fates
The Reset Protocol - Would unmake all but the "worthy" (read: gods)
Luo Feng's Role - The ignition key (his Eclipse Core the perfect spark)
"They let you steal the God-Slaying Nail," Varkus growled. "Let you collect Void Energies. All so you'd clean their mess before the reboot."
Li Qing's frost crystallized the grass in radiating kill-patterns. "Proof."
The Thunder God ripped open his own chest—revealing a pulsing core of rebellion where his divinity should be.
"My loyalty was the first thing they erased."
THE DEFECTION
Three things happened simultaneously:
The Oath
Varkus' lightning branded the earth with a rebel's sigil
"I stand with the Eclipse."
The Gift
He tore a rib from his own storm-body—forged it into a lightning dagger
"Stab the Sky Father with this. He hates getting dirty."
The Warning
The horizon darkened with pursuing god-flames
"They're coming. And they're bringing the Narrative Enforcement Squad."*
[New Alliance: Thunder God - Status: Defected]
[System Update: Pantheon Dossier Unlocked]
[Penalty: Now Being Hunted by 83% More Gods]
THE AFTERMATH
As Varkus' storm cloaked their retreat, Luo Feng's Eclipse Core absorbed a stray lightning bolt—
—and the Fox Spirit's ember inside it crackled approvingly.
The Death Queen examined her new lightning dagger. "Darling, if we survive this, I'm keeping him."
Li Qing froze an incoming divine arrow mid-air. "Focus."
Somewhere beyond the storm, the Void Emperor laughed.
[New Mission: BREAK THE PANTHEON'S MACHINE]
[Secondary Objective: Don't Become a Cosmic Reset Button]
The plush demons started sewing lightning-proof armor.
END OF CHAPTER 62