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Blessing of the River Styx

FreylyTheAcolyte
14
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The average realized release rate over the past 30 days is 14 chs / week.
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Synopsis
In a world where Gods and Monsters have descended, their Ichor grants powers beyond mortal limitations, all to survive the brutal wilderness. When 23-year-old Corvus was dragged into the realm of the River Styx, he received powers beyond the capabilities of any god. His powers came from death’s essence rather than consuming ichor from beasts and gods. With this, Corvus could ascend beyond any limitation set by the System. The Blessing of Styx allowed a power outside of the realm of possibilities. The ability to return after dying. But as each death grows more harrowing, so does the pain after being killed. It lingers in his bones, his flesh and most of all his mind. Gnawing away at his sanity with each new death. Hunted by a malicious mastermind and cast away from the pantheons of the ruling Gods, Corvus was forced to start a team of his own. A pantheon he could rule over with the one commonly shared goal. Destroying the Gods.
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Chapter 1 - Blessing of Styx

6:45. Corvus hadn't slept a wink; the darkness practically painted itself along his face with how sunken his eyes were. His bones creaked under the weight of his body. "Ouch!" The coffee table had a habit of getting in the way of his foot in the morning. His toe throbbed as he poured himself a mug of black sludge from yesterday. 'Yay...'

The light switch flicked on. His brush scrubbed away the yellow plaque that had built up, while the floss removed what little food residue had persisted from the night before. A small sigh pierced his lips as he sat down on the toilet, the weight of his butt making the plastic covering creak.

The apartment shook. A small voice peeked from around the corner. "Corvus-?" His eyes glanced through the small gap only to find the body of his sister's face planted into the floor. Even he couldn't help cracking a smile at the sight.

"You...need to be more careful, Emma." As much as he tried to appear concerned, his voice betrayed him. Corvus' hands wrapped around her waist as he pulled her up from the ground back onto the bed. His delicate hand fixed her golden hair to show off the hidden beauty in the tiny apartment. 

Before she could even speak another word, he vanished, quickly reappearing with a tray of food. A bowl of soup with a side of medicine in the form of jelly. Emma's greedy little hands moved with haste, not wasting a single second.

His eyes gazed into the darkness of the soup, but only his reflection stared back. Warped and disturbed by the ripples and chunks of meat.

"Do you want some?" Her voice snapped him out of his trance.

"Ah, no, I couldn't-"

"You keep staring. That means yes, dummy!" She reached her hand down once more, bringing a spoonful to his mouth. Though he was hesitant, he didn't protest it once it entered his mouth.

It was...bitter. But somehow also sweet. His face creased, forming a soft smile, which was met with Emma's. Corvus' eyes glanced toward his watch.

"Damn it! Time flew by! I'll see you later." With that, he rushed through the metal door of the apartment. His nose was instantly bombarded with the musty, gagging smell of the alley. 

Violent lights flashed from each wall, holographic posters featuring various mayoral candidates took up most of the visible surfaces. A particular one caught his eye, marked with a red cross and accompanied by a foul-mouthed phrase. 'Vote for me! The Donkey's Ass!'

"Haha, these hackers know what good humour is!"

 His face was unveiled from the cover of darkness by the faint vestiges of light rays piercing the mechanical gate. A small scanner was stuck to the side of the gate, prompting him to place his badge for verification. With a soft click, the doors open briefly before closing behind him. The warm sunbeams and fresh smell of lawn clippings filled his soul as he wandered the full park. Kids raced each length while a large group of adults participated in a large dance spectacle hosted by one of the mayoral candidates. 

"Must be nice being able to exercise like this every morning." The entire group seemed...happy. He knew what that was like, at least he remembered the feeling. And for old time's sake, he sat down and enjoyed the view. 

His eyes widened slightly. The light had dimmed very slightly. Wait no. It was diminished actively. Before his eyes could hit the sky, the ground quaked, sending him into the air. With a mighty thud, his head smashed against the grassy earth. Not even a second passed before a choir of screams erupted from the opposite end of the park.

Corvus' tired eyes no longer bore the spark of fatigue. In a mere instant, he found himself hiding in a bush. His eyes were cast at the large crowd of people running for their lives. Memories flashed across his mind to try and figure out what was happening. The last thing he remembered was five large circles of shadows descending from above. 

The collar of his shirt flicked up. With a slight click of the tongue, he creased it back neatly. 

'There were five shadows, but how come only four beasts are rampaging?'

For the second time, his collar came undone, a warm breath managing to dishevel his entire outfit this time. His gaze uncomfortably shifted behind him. A tall creature the size of an elephant bearing the head of three tigers met his gaze. Its large paw rose high in the air and hammered the ground where Corvus had been. With a swift roll, he managed to dodge its titanic size.

Four separate speakers were switched on with their outdated intercom system.

|ATTENTION! FIVE CATEGORY TWO GNARLINGS HAVE DESCENDED IN QUADRANT 26 OF THE CSCOA. ALL CIVILIANS ARE ADVISED TO REMAIN INSIDE!|

His eyes darted back at the slaughter that had already commenced at the opposite end of the park. Four creatures for a hundred or so people. And he had one all for himself. 'How lucky am I?' A frightened smirk brushed his lips as he raised himself, brushing the dust off his trousers, ducking and barely dodging the dangerous swipe of the furious creature. But the air pressure sent him tumbling over, mouth full of grass. 

Again, his eyes stared at the dirty underpaw of the great gnarling. His eyes shut tightly, a smile spreading across his cheeks. 'Ah...finally.' He awaited the great pressure of the paw. 

And he waited.

And waited.

His eyebrows scrunched together as his eyes opened to look around. The beast was no more, or rather, it was pinned against the wall by a crimson javelin. 'What the hell-?' A chill ran down his spine as his head spun around, his gaze on an orange-eyed woman carrying yet another identical javelin. 

Her beautiful white tunic swayed in the gentle breeze as she stared down from above, her face hidden by the shadows. "You survived valiantly. I applaud you, but sit here tightly while I finish off the rest." She offered him a smile before dashing toward the remaining four. 

As hard as he tried to pry his eyes away from her figure, the sight was too incredible to miss. Her body danced through the air, and with no effort at all, she flung spears of crimson through the air that could seemingly pierce even steel with ease.

One such spear carved its way through one of its three skulls, barreling through the other two heads before collapsing to the ground with a mighty thud. But that did not stop her momentum, instantly jumping onto another's mighty grey back. Her crimson javelin planted itself deep into the spine of the beast, stopping it mid-rampage and falling to the ground, its agony-filled wail echoing through the halls of the central stacked city. 

'This- This is the power of a vanquisher...I've only seen them through broadcasts. And even then, this is far beyond what any tier one or two could accomplish. She must be... a tier three Vanquisher!' In the mere seconds, he let his mind wander, the last two beasts fell to he ground with an earthquake-shuddering shudder. Her graceful figure landed only a short distance away from him. 

Corvus quickly rose to his feet, sprinting toward the vanquisher. "Ah- Uhm, thank you for saving my life!" He bowed his head as far down as he could. A small fit of giggles escaped her lips.

"There is no need for that, it's just my job." She poked her finger against his chest. "But you are the real brave one. Brushing the side with a tier two gnarling? And not even an Ascendant. That takes real courage. Anyway, I've got to go, duty calls." Before he could say another word, she dashed off.

He watched her graceful figure jump past the building line. Corvus' face turned into a smile before turning away toward the exit to the park.

"Actually!" In close to a split second, she had returned, jumping down beside him. 

"Since I was the only Vanquisher here, I need a civilian to make a report...so if you could call me later, I would greatly appreciate it." She smiled somberly as a piece of paper with a number switched hands.

And once more, he was left alone. The smell of the blood was beginning to really bug him. A heavy sigh cut through his lips. 'What a day.' 

A heavyweight suddenly pressed down on his body. He found his face once more enjoying a buffet of dirt. The very park itself shifted into two riverbanks, split by a great black body of water that flowed endlessly toward the horizon. The dead rose, marching toward the two figures clad in darkness by the dock. One by one, they passed the great river until eventually his turn arrived.

Four beady red eyes stared from the veiled darkness of their mantels. "Pay-ment" He croaked.

"Uhm- I am a little sorry but I don't have any money on me...and what is this place?" Corvus rubbed the back of his head, looking around with great curiosity. This place had seemed a little familiar, but the name was just out of reach in his mind.

The two ferrymen looked at each other. The first thrust his hand forward, gripped Corvus' throat, and held him against the blade of his scythe. "No-Gold...No-Entry" His finger pointed to the other side, which looked slightly better than his riverbank. But before the sharp steel could tear into his throat, the second ferryman interrupted him.

"He is not of our world - His life is intact." With no hesitation, the first ferryman let go, dropping him onto the dry, scorched earth. Corvus stared up at the two veiled figures, and a hint of surprise flashed across his eyes. But an even bigger question strung together in his mind.

"Sorry to bother...but uh, how do I get home?" 

Several silence-filled moments passed, and the ferrymen stood motionless and unblinking while gazing upon his soul.

"This one is-very close to us. Allow him passage through the river." The first ferryman moved, taking Corvus' hand gently and guiding him into the murky black water. 

"This doesn't seem right-" His skin peeled back, and every nerve flared up with pain as he delved deeper into the water. The dark water filled his lungs to the very top as he flailed his limbs wildly in all directions, gripping for life while sinking deeper into death.

Then it all became black. Only a single noise managed to echo through the water.

A loud beeping noise accompanied by three bright red digits reading '6:45'.