Miraj looked around in panic, wondering what to do. Knowing that anything living that went in his mouth never came out alive scared him. He tried to use his ability to search inside his belly, but it was so vast that he didn't even know where it ended. It was impossible to find something that he had no idea where he placed.
"Maxy! I'm looking for you!" Miraj shouted. "Oh… Why is my butt so itchy suddenly… No! Focus on Maxy only…"
However, soon the itchy butt turned into a pinching butt. He felt something prick him, making him jump high in fright. But being so huge, he was like a meteor falling back on the ground. When he landed slightly on the side, the ground shook, and the distant mountains trembled.
But then Miraj looked down in anger, "Who bit me?!"
"Yara lowa nima…!" The creatures shouted, begging Miraj for something.
"Chonky! You're fat!"
Miraj's huge ears twitched in reaction to the voice, "Maxy? Where are you?"
"Look down."
Miraj lowered his huge face closer to the ground and the voice. His large nose sniffed and exhaled gusts of wind as if a storm was brewing. But soon, he noticed two ant-sized creatures and saw the shiny golden head on one of them. Even the scent matched, so he quickly asked.
"Maxy?" Miraj exclaimed. "I thought I ate you!"
Sylvester chuckled. The sight of Miraj looking like a massive monster was cute to him. He knew if anybody else saw him like that, they'd scream like a little girl. "You grew, Chonky. It looks like a new ability has been found. Why don't you try and let out all the water you took from these people?"
Miraj looked around himself, raised his chubby arms, and glanced at his big belly. He grabbed some of his fat and looked around. "But… That stone is small."
"That's a mountain."
Miraj confusedly hummed in agreement. He was just happy to find he didn't kill Sylvester. "I'll be small again if I throw all the black water out?"
"That should do the trick." Sylvester nodded, not really sure about it himself.
With that, Miraj opened his mouth and aimed at the surroundings. "Mewooooooo…"
The monstrously big jet of water erupted from his fluffy face. It was as if a dam had been opened, and wherever the water fell, destruction ensued. But slowly, just as the water was drained, the planet started to regain its former underwater glory.
Over time, Miraj's body slowly began to shrink; Going from a huge world-ending disastrous monster to being a lovable, goofy cat. It took longer for him to throw up the water than to drink it—perhaps fury played a role in the process.
'This discovery can be a massive advantage as well.' Sylvester thought, wondering where he could use Miraj's ability. 'Chonky can be my invisible stomper now—a divine wrath of god that could flatten any area I point to.'
Poof!
Soon enough, Miraj returned to his normal size and jumped onto Sylvester, nestling at his chest and below his chin, asking for some well-deserved head pats after his heroic actions, mixed with a touch of confusion.
"You're one puzzling kitty, Chonky," Sylvester muttered and looked around to see if the native creatures would attack them again. They had submerged into the water, so there was no clear outcome yet.
"Saint Scepter, all these places we've seen recently. What are the chances that they're all simply different planets in the realm under the Elder God's rule?" Sylvester asked in amusement. "We may have just met with alien civilizations of another reality."
Saint Scepter, still in shock and amazement from the absurdity that he just witnessed, nodded his head firmly while healing himself. "If the Elder God Nehilius still holds power—Then it should not be impossible for him even to create these lifeforms with a mere thought. This could very well be a reality he created to test you, to ensure you have what he sought."
BOOM!
A number of creatures emerged from the black surface of the ocean and stared at Sylvester. Their eyes now lacked previous hostility. The scent of hatred was now gone, and what remained was oddly one particular scent Sylvester never anticipated.
"Ikano mino bussy loka yono… JOLD!"
Sylvester awkwardly looked at the creatures with enough strength to kill him as they lowered their heads. The scent of worship emanating from them was persistent.
"I know not whether to pity them for their foolery or admire them for their bravery. For earning new followers, I applaud, even if their understanding may be a little flawed." Saint Scepter remarked, still appearing calm and collected on the outside.
'To these beings, I'm a god capable of world annihilation. They exhibit remarkable strength as a species. How strong was the Elder God when he was alive to be able to create them?' Sylvester thought and wondered what was going to come next. 'What's the next trial? What's left to test after survival?'
"I believe we will n—"
Before Saint Scepter could finish speaking, as before, darkness enveloped their vision. However, this time, it lingered around their eyes for a more extended period of time. They felt like they were being squeezed out of a very long, tight pipeline while the world around them shrank rapidly.
In the next moment, they found themselves back outside, hovering before the dead body of the Elder God. Right in the very spot they had initially arrived at. There was no difference anywhere, but the voice still reverberated around them, directly in their minds.
"You have passed the trials of inheritance. Proving your mind is sound, and your thoughts are profound," the heavy, powerful voice said. "I offer you my blood and my energy, for I am doomed to forever languish in lethargy."
Sylvester rubbed his chin, thinking about it deeply, "What makes it different from what the Saint Scepter was doing? He gained his strength by consuming you physically and devouring the solarium."
"What he did was eat the fish, but what I am giving you is the method to catch the fish—my inheritance, my knowledge—your true wish." The heavy voice said, sounding more and more committed and inviting.
Sylvester looked at Saint Scepter and directly asked him some questions, "Is this what you wanted? Is this what your entire life was supposed to be? Why did you even go to such lengths to put all your faith in another person? If you trusted fate so much, then why rebel against it?"
Saint Scepter looked down. His sharp, shining white eyes lost their glimmer and displayed normal eyes. White in color without pupils, yet brimming with a multitude of emotions, followed by the scents.
"Fate would have had me enslaved by the 'them' for eternity. I have been a soldier all my life, in all my lives, but that does not mean I should abide by their plots. No matter how firm their controlling knots.
"The threads of control may not rest in these palms of mine. But when the world itself is of their design, I believe some spilled blood in my pursuit is a forgettable crime."
Sylvester sighed and wondered how he should feel about this man. It was simply too complicated. On the one hand, he attempted to empathize with the man's predicament and couldn't help but sense his helplessness. Having his life in the palms of an unimaginable entity was too much to live with. Meanwhile, hoping to fight against the control secretly was enough to boil minds.
"I can't bring myself to forgive you or like you because you took someone I considered dear. But I do acknowledge that the life you lived must have been severe. It's hard to believe that you've plotted all this…" Sylvester looked at the massive carcass of the Elder God. "...to defeat 'them.' Do you even know 'them' or their true number?"
Saint Scepter seemed disappointed, reflected in the same scents that accompanied his emotions. "Two—There are two beings. But further than that, I could not find anything, despite my best efforts. How strong they are, I do not know—Must not be less than this Elder God. Sylvester Maximilian, to understand this realm and find this carcass' name, it took me this entire life. From here, to uncover the whole truth and end 'their' reign shall be your strife."
Sylvester heaved a weary sigh, his gaze fixated on the imposing, lifeless creature suspended in the void. He felt overwhelmed by the change of fate. Once again, he stood at the crossroads from where he could either become the strongest being—or fall like a bird with broken wings. He wanted to get rid of 'them', but how high the cost would be worried him. Sometimes, he even pondered whether it might be wiser to be their puppet and live the remainder of his life silently.
But, knowing his own pride, he knew it was an idea best left forgotten. Still, he struggled to calm his anxious instincts.
'There are no free meals.' Sylvester remembered the lesson.
"You want me to become your inheritor?" He asked the Elder God.
"I utter only what is true. My knowledge and strength await your acceptance."
Those were unmistakable red flags in Sylvester's mind. "You're an Elder God, and I'm well aware of what happens whenever an Elder God is involved—I appreciate your offer, but I must decline."
Taken aback, the Elder God voiced, "There are no hidden motives."
"Empty words and the lure of power do not entice me, Nehilius," Sylvester confidently bellowed. "Speak something I've never heard of before."
A very long pause ensued after that small exchange. Saint Scepter didn't meddle and allowed Sylvester to follow his own instincts. He could understand the apprehensions since he didn't trust the entity either.
The cold, empty feeling of the endless void remained unchanged. Sylvester didn't speak and waited for an answer from the dead creature. The fact that it still held such sentience was proof that this was a universally powerful being.
"Names." Nehilius' voice reverberated at last, filled with much more pride this time. "I shall tell you the names of those you call 'them'—-the Primordial Gods you wish to condemn."
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