[Charge… 3%]
Aron knew exactly what would follow if he unleashed this much power on Goliath. But for some reason, the creature who should have been the smartest in the sea was acting utterly strange.
'Come on, then,' he thought, watching the creature charge toward him like a mindless beast.
His hand glowed golden with raw pressure and overwhelming strength, so intense that the water around it evaporated, massive bubbles rising upward. He was ready—ready to smack the creature down for good.
[The sea beseeches the immortal]
Seeing the blue notification, Aron quickly lowered his charge, the energy dropping to 1%, as he smashed the beast right at its front.
DOOOOOOM!!!!!!
The beast felt the impact right on its mouth, reverberating through its brain and whole body, all the way to its tail, as it lost a bloody tooth and consciousness then and there. With that single impact, the depths of the sea echoed like never before, the sea falling silent, and with it, the beast gradually fell too, the glow on its fins simmering down.
There was darkness now; his golden eyes helped him no more. But he saw something—something like a starfish slithering out of the beast's ear hole, a parasitic intruder that felt utterly foreign and wrong. But he couldn't investigate much as his lungs and body no longer supported him in the depths, so he quickly swam up desperately before he lost his last breath. He splashed above the surface of the sea, finally breathing and taking in the air.
"Haaaaa…" he heaved, sucking in heavily. His lungs finally came back to life, though his hands trembled from residual pressure and delayed pain lanced through his chest. The crushing restraint eased slowly.
He looked around, seeing Khorn and Peter far away on the crashed plane, alive and well. He had panicked a bit when Khorn's prayer reached him, his thoughts growing wary that they had been pushed that far.
It didn't take much time for him to reach them—swimming like a native shark, instantly closing the distance. Khorn looked tired and pale, but she smiled, her amber eyes glazing as she saw Aron.
"My lord," she said, relief echoing in her tone, still worried about the backlash of his overly negative karma. "You won. You really won against a literal Goliath," she said with awe.
Aron nodded. It wasn't his goal, but it had to be done. He checked on Peter, who was alive but unconscious, blood all over his shoulder though most of it had healed. The corpse of Ron lay to the side, and the roasted body of the bastard of Poseidon floated near the wrecked plane. He turned to Khorn, more than proud, placing his arm on her red head.
"You did great, Khorn," he said.
Khorn smiled—a genuine smile—feeling his head pat. This was it, this was what she lived for. His praise. His attention. Nothing else.
"…Peter also did good. He saved me when I thought I was at my wits' end," she said.
Aron nodded. "That's why I chose him. He has a talent—something that will not bloom now, but will be a great asset to everyone in the future," he said.
But as he turned back to Khorn, he saw her growing paler and paler. He gazed closely, seeing her shiver while trying to hide it from him.
"Give me your hand, Khorn," he said.
Khorn hesitated, but gave her hand anyway. The moment he checked, he saw it pop right in front of him.
[Herald Khorn]
[Karma: 0]
Aron heaved out a breath. No wonder—a fire elemental like her was freezing. With karma like that, the world would indeed take back what it had gifted—and take more in the process.
"You used your Dominion?" he asked, his tone a bit harsh.
Khorn looked down, nodding, saying nothing at first. She did what she thought she needed to do—win. That was what he had taught her. No matter the cost. The results mattered most. Even if her body was starting to freeze from the inside. Even if her own element left her behind.
"I had to, my lord," she finally said, her voice steady despite the chill. "It was worth it. I proved myself worthy of your blessing—of you."
Aron tried to transfer back the karma he had gained, but Khorn pulled her arm back quickly.
"No!" she said. "I will not take it, my lord. You're already suffering enough. I won for you. I can endure this. Accepting it would only make me useless in your eyes, a burden you might disca—"
"You will die!" he interrupted. "That's how the world treats an elemental. It makes you powerful, yes, but the consequence…" he muttered, unable to finish.
Khorn didn't look at his face—no, she couldn't. She turned away, pride flaring even as ice crept through her veins.
"I am strong enough. This much cold can't break me… cough!"
Cough! Cough!
She covered her mouth, trying to stop, but blood splattered out—blood that should have been warm, yet felt cold on her palm.
"Khorn, take my karm—"
"No!" she snapped, eyes fierce. "I won't give you a reason to leave me again..."
"….."
Aron stayed quiet. There was nothing to say. He knew how stubborn she was. So he simply took off his coat and shirt, shaking them rapidly until the water and moisture flew off. He said nothing as he covered her from behind with his dried clothes.
"You were always hard to deal with among all your brothers and sisters," he commented lightly.
She felt it—the slight warmth. A faint smile tugged at her cold, cracked lips. Oh, how she missed this. This was enough for now. Enough to stay strong. Enough to stay alive, but...
'Should I tell him now...?' she thought.
"My lord…" she called.
"Hmmm?" he answered.
"There's…there's a reason why all of us are so separated. Why James, john and the others remain angry," she murmured, meeting his eyes with effort despite her weakening state.
Aron had waited patiently for this truth. He crouched to her level, half-naked in tattered pants.
"I'm listening..." he said softly.
She nodded faintly. "After you left for years… when the gods rose, something broke us apart… cough!"
"But what?" he pressed gently, holding her shoulder.
[Sea guardians approaching]
The blue screen appeared as the waves grew heavy, the sea glowing blue once more—but no hostility accompanied it.
"Stay put," Aron said, standing cautiously. "Charge…"
The blue light bloomed brighter beneath the sea as the Goliath's head popped up again—and it was not alone. From another corner, another enormous beast rose with a pointy head and eight limbs, and last but not least, the worst of them all appeared: an evolved Goliath reaching dragonhood, its head three times larger than the ones before, rising higher and higher.
[Charging….3%]
Aron knew by then it was going to get messy—extremely messy. These beasts were literal guardians and rulers of the vast sea. He was ready to jump when—
[The sea voices: her children are not dangerous.]
Aron paused and sniffed.
It was right. He couldn't sense or smell any killing intent, even from the Goliath whose tooth he had plucked out. But that wasn't the issue. Why—why were three beasts, rulers of each section of the vast sea, here before him?
"… what do you all want?" he asked, his voice vibrating in harmony. "...and why are you lot here?"
The draconic one descended, sniffing closely.
"It's been four hundred years, immortal," it said. "You don't know me?"
Aron shrugged, erased memories left gaps. "…Should I?"
It smirked, steam rolling from its nostrils. "I was a baby then. Greetings can come later, we have important issues in hand…" It nodded toward the Goliath.
Its tail lifted the wiggling starfish—the same intruder from before.
"Is that a parasite?" Aron muttered.
It placed the tentacled thing before him, half his size, its swirling appendages resembling tapeworms. But the mark on its fourth fin chilled him the most.
'This symbol…' he thought ominously. He knew where it was from—knew it all too well. But that didn't mattered.
"Again I ask… what. do. you. want?" he said.
The dracon snarled. "We want to give you a mission, immortal, a mission to save the sea."
And the moment those words were spoken, his blue screen appeared.
[Mission]
[Save the aquatic world from Poseidon's parasitic invasion. If completed, the host gains 10,000+ karma.]
[Will you accept the mission?]
[Yes] or [No]
The karma was extremely tempting. If he didn't know the future, he would have accepted it immediately. Now he finally understood why they were here. It wasn't about the mission.
'It's about Poseidon. They're slowly realizing—he's trying to take over the entire sea, even using underhanded methods like this…' he thought, looking at the parasite.
Aron clicked [No], ending the mission instantly.
"Your request, I will have to deny," he said calmly.
All three monsters snarled, growled even, but the dracon knew better. "Why is tha—"
"Listen," Aron interrupted. "You sea monsters are still young. Your plan to pit me against Poseidon will not happen… for now."
"For now, you say…" the dracon snarled. "Why? Are you afraid of the Olympians?"
Now it was Baiting him, from that desperate attempt alone Aron knew there situation was getting serious. He should have ignored it but his heralds were by his side, and he had a Reputation to maintain.
So he simply charged up, his fist radiating gold, reaching his maximum—three percent. He said nothing, only tightened his fist.
"Wait, immortal, what are you doin—" the beasts echoed, backing away from the crushing density of divinity. Goliath retreated into the sea. It's missing tooth giving him PTSD.
Aron swung his fist, not at them but toward the sky.
The sheer power and precision split the heavens, clearing the dark clouds and revealing the stars and glowing moon. The white light shining upon them all.
"You still think I am afraid?" Aron spat.
Silence....
The beasts returned, awed, one of them staying down, while the dracon stepped closer.
"Hmmm… but you will accept this mission eventually," it said.
Aron nodded. "I hate them as much as you do. But believe me, it's not time yet."
The beasts felt the hatred in his words, deeper than their own. It realized, the legends were true, those golden eyes indeed belonged to the Slayer of all things. Knowing that... no finally understanding it, they backed away.
"Very well, immortal. In the future, then."
"Wait," Aron called, stopping them. "Before you go, take us to a volcano nearby."
He turned to the stubborn girl beside him, shivering and on the verge of death. "My herald needs it."