Chapter 278: The Boredom of a God
A flash of blue spatial light illuminated the sanctuary.
Glitch materialized on the teleportation pad, his newly elongated legs carrying him gracefully across the floor. The glowing geometric runes along his spine pulsed with the immense divine magic he had just devoured from the four Heralds.
Rubedo stepped down from his throne and knelt on the floor. He reached out and gently petted the pitch-black Void-Weaver behind his oversized rounded ears.
[ Soul Fragments Reclaimed. 6/14 Restored. ]
[ System Path Unlocked: Cognitive Sensory Domination. ]
[ Passive Trait Acquired: Infinite Mana Conduit (Total immunity to mana node degradation and absolute thermal assimilation). ]
The system notifications flashed across his retinas in bright crimson text. Rubedo opened his eyes and exhaled a breath of pure relief.
By assimilating the elemental data of Derek, Brittany, Zach, and Sarah, he gained the ability to mentally dominate his enemies and channel infinite amounts of destructive thermal energy without ever damaging his decent vessel’s physical form.
Glitch purred and rubbed his head against Rubedo’s hand. The glowing runes on the anomaly’s spine shifted and changed shape as he activated his Mnemonic Decryption ability.
The Void-Weaver extracted the memory scars deeply imprinted onto the digested magic. Glitch reconstructed the tactical knowledge and lived experiences of the four captured Earthlings, projecting the information directly into Rubedo’s mind.
Rubedo stood up as a flood of highly detailed images and tactical layouts rushed into his brain. He saw the grand hall of the Tarnstead palace.
He witnessed Emperor Kronos shattering the communication crystal and walking out the door with the three Morval kings. He watched King Voranthar throw a desperate tantrum before leading the Heralds down into a subterranean vault.
"The grand alliance is entirely broken," Rubedo whispered, a wide smile forming on his face. "Just as Novus and Hawl told me. But they didn’t tell me how entertaining that was."
The downloaded memories revealed every single defensive weakness within the Tarnstead capital. Rubedo now knew the exact patrol routes of the royal guard, the layout of the palace vaults, and the terrifying nature of the crimson crystal Voranthar had handed to Julian Vance.
Rubedo turned back to his central control terminal and opened a direct communication link to the subterranean vaults of Aethelgard.
"Iron-Scale," Rubedo commanded over the network. "The Tarnstead king is completely isolated. Emperor Kronos abandoned the coalition and took the Morval Dynasty with him."
"We are ready to march on the capital," Iron-Scale responded immediately.
"Leave a small garrison to guard the prisoners," Rubedo instructed while looking at the digital map of the continent. "Mobilize the first army. We will crush King Voranthar before he can attempt another desperate counter-attack."
"As you wish." Iron-Scale tapped a metal claw against his chest plate. He turned and exited the command center to execute the deployment orders.
Rubedo leaned back on the obsidian throne. The glowing markers on the screen shifted as Vanguard units began their march.
"I delayed a full-scale assault because Voranthar kept his entire roster of Heralds close," Rubedo murmured to the empty sanctuary. "Now their number has decreased to eight pairs, excluding the Vance siblings. Now, a frontal attack on the capital is completely doable."
He pulled up a secondary holographic window displaying the casualty reports from the recent skirmishes.
"A full roster would have caused a massive number of casualties across the Vanguard," Rubedo added while interlacing his fingers. "With their resources drained and their numbers thinned, it is time I stop entertaining them."
Rubedo pulled up Krug’s profile on the terminal. The ascension stats blared in bright green text.
"Krug has awakened," Rubedo observed. "He alone can deal with most of the Heralds now. His physical body has become a hundred times stronger. I can descend into his vessel without any worries about tearing his flesh apart. It feels like I am playing the beginner’s level at the easiest difficulty with cheats on."
He tapped his fingers across the console to check the active communication channels and global logs.
’Let us see if the Native Gods finally act after I launch a continental invasion,’ Rubedo thought.
"According to Emperor Kronos, his deity has ignored him for over a decade," Rubedo spoke to himself. "That is abnormal. My assumption regarding their deep slumber must be correct. I have operated as a god for five years. Without the exponential trait, I would still sit at Rank Two."
Rubedo adjusted his posture on the throne.
"I kind of understand their apathy," Rubedo continued. "They have existed in this game for centuries. I cannot even imagine experiencing that kind of prolonged isolation. I can easily conquer this continent with minimal casualties right now. I want to up the difficulty level a little. Winning too easily will just make the endgame incredibly boring."
Rubedo activated the neural tether. He routed the signal directly to the southern swamps.
Krug stood in the center of a scorched forest clearing, channeling violet flames through his greataxe to master his newly awakened core.
"Krug," Rubedo called out through the link.
Krug instantly extinguished the alchemical fire and lowered his weapon. "Yes, my Lord."
"I am bored," Rubedo stated flatly.
Krug raised an eyebrow, staring up at the sky in complete confusion. "Pardon?"
"The alliance across the Fourth Continent has broken," Rubedo explained while swiping away the tactical map. "I have no strategic reason to attack Gildreath or Morval. My primary goal was Voranthar and the Heralds to begin with."
Krug tightened his grip on the iron haft of his axe. "What should I do to entertain you, my Lord?"
"Take care of everything," Rubedo ordered. "Make sure Voranthar and the Earthlings stay isolated. Make them feel completely helpless despite possessing divine magic and a fortified capital."
Krug dropped to one knee in the dirt and bowed his head. "I will make sure to entertain you."
Krug trained for a few more hours until he was confident in using his newly awakened magic power. He hadn’t mastered it fully yet as he hadn’t used it in combat yet.
However, that was going to change soon.
"Show them that the Apostle of the Spiral has returned." Rubedo grinned.
