Flame God's Trial
*Ding---!!*
As soon as he passed through the tower's door, a ringing alert echoed in his head like a bell tolling, and a new landscape unfolded before Adel's eyes. Unlike moments ago, he now stood in the heart of a vast desert.
The trial begins.
The trainees receiving instruction at the nest couldn't all receive the desert's blessing because they had to pass the tower's trial first. No matter how exceptional their talent, without communion with a god, they couldn't gain a blessing. But without talent, they couldn't pass a god's trial either. In short, the trial itself was brutally harsh.
The world crafted by this mid god pressed down on Adel with overwhelming divine power, and the heat rising from the sand beneath his feet made even breathing a struggle.
"Indeed..."
Adel nodded slowly, as if recognizing Garon's domain.
"A mid god, sure, but worthy of a desert god with hundreds of thousands of followers. Even with an ancient god's blessing, it's hard to breathe."
[This much heat? It's barely a candle flame. That's only because you haven't had my power long.]
Kalderet spoke as if offended by Adel's words.
[Once you wield my power properly, this would vanish in an instant.]
"I see."
Adel smirked at him.
[Still, that punk Garon's gained some real influence while I was away. A mere mid god daring to hold a trial? Trials are the privilege of high gods alone.]
Countless gods existed in the world. In this era called the age of polytheism, even a single force had multiple gods vying for dominance. But among them, high gods were truly special. Their blessings weren't easily granted—only those who passed trials and were chosen could claim them.
[He's a greedy one. A mid god who never gave up on ascending to high god status.]
"Is that so?"
[Gods are all eccentrics, so it's hard to say who's right or wrong. But Garuda, the high god of fierce flames, devours people. Garon, on the other hand, leads countless desert faithful.]
"That's what irks you. That Garuda holds high god rank with no followers."
Adel nodded in understanding.
Gods were mighty, but not perfect. Envy, jealousy, resentment... they felt every human emotion.
Maybe those emotions originated from the gods themselves.
Thus, in their worlds, gods competed, clashed, and sometimes encroached on others' domains.
[But he's just a brat not even two thousand years old, so he can afford such thoughts. He has no idea how horrific the aftermath of a divine rank war truly is.]
Divine rank war. A true war among gods for supremacy. From the dawn of time until now, it had happened exactly once.
"The War of Extinction, where one of the three ancient gods perished. That annihilation birthed many new gods. The two surviving ancient gods vanished too, ushering in the polytheistic age."
[Exactly. A true war of extinction. Such a war among gods must never happen again. Never.]
Kalderet shuddered as if recalling a horrific memory.
Grrr...
Then it came—a footsteps approaching from somewhere in the tower's desert expanse.
[Chiiik-! Chiiik-!!]
What entered Adel's sight was a massive lizard covered in red scales. No ordinary beast; steam hissed from its body with every breath—chiiik...!
"Salamander?"
Adel muttered warily, recognizing its similarity to fire spirits from his memories.
[No. Look closely. Its tail splits into three prongs. That's no spirit—it's higher. A lower god of fierce flames, Kiren.]
As Kalderet said, the fire lizard's tail forked into three.
Thud.
Adel stepped back and nocked an arrow.
Sching-!
With a flick of his fingers releasing the string, the arrow whistled sharply through the air.
Desert Archery - Ripple Shot.
The arrow rippled like a wave crashing, embedding precisely in Kiren's forehead.
Crack---!!!
A sound like bone shattering rang out, and Kiren's body twitched.
[Grrr...]
But it took no real damage—instead, it growled furiously at Adel. Tiny teeth lined its maw, and its long tongue flicked like a serpent's, poised to strike.
[Be careful. Kiren's a lower god, but its flame power is top-tier.]
Whoosh---!!!
As if responding to Kalderet's warning, Kiren gaped wide. Its tongue lashed out wreathed in flames, aiming for Adel.
Adel dodged the incoming tongue and darted side to side.
"Reptilian monsters' main weapon is their long tongue—vulnerable from the flanks. Even gods follow the same rules."
Timing it perfectly as Kiren retracted its tongue, Adel closed into striking range.
Sching-!!
Bending low, he stabbed the dagger from his boot into Kiren's back.
Pfuk-!! Pffuk--!!
He stomped the hilt with all his might and vaulted onto its back.
Bwoom--!!
Aiming his bow downward, he unleashed arrows into its head in rapid succession.
[Kraaaah---!!]
The first arrow bounced off the scales, the second gouged a shallow wound.
Crunch...!!
The third pierced the wound into its crown.
Kiren thrashed wildly, spilling crimson blood.
"...Tch."
Its roar made Adel's head throb. The innate ability of superior beings: Fear.
[Focus your mind. Your body may react, but an unbroken mental wall will hold.]
Flash-!!
Gritting his teeth at Kalderet's words, Adel thrust forward with even greater force.
[Kiren's flames rival higher gods', but that's its limit.]
Thud-!!
Adel jammed his bow into the open wound.
"That's why it can't escape lower god status—nothing beyond its flames is noteworthy."
Hummm...
Faint black qi flowed along the bow, enveloping Kiren's body.
"The blood vessel from crown to nape."
Thwack-!!
The released arrow pierced its nape with a snap.
"The center of its three split tails."
Slash-!!
Leaping down, Adel severed the tail with his black-qi dagger.
Spurt---!!
Dark red blood sprayed from the stump, igniting and crumbling to ash.
"And the anus."
Without hesitation, Adel thrust into Kiren's rear.
[Keeeek---!!]
It collapsed, writhing uncontrollably.
[Urk, that must hurt.]
Kalderet chuckled at the flailing Kiren.
[You know its weak points well? Gods' vulnerabilities are closely guarded secrets.]
"I've memorized them endlessly. What gods desire, what they fear. Petty flaws to fatal weaknesses."
[Grrk... Grrk...]
Adel approached the fallen Kiren, placed a hand on its nape, and slit its gill-like vent with his dagger.
"To survive."
[Ke... Khek...]
It shuddered and went still.
[Not your first time. How many gods have you hunted?]
Kalderet eyed the deft kill with keen interest.
"Nothing special."
Adel wiped the blood and looked up slowly.
"This is just an illusion, after all. Right, Garon?"
Roar---!!!
Space warped, the desert shifting into a grand temple.
[Not bad, human.]
A man in temple robes, wreathed in flames, approached Adel.
[Don't think you've passed my trial. I've come to warn you.]
It was Garon.
[You already contract another god. That's cheating. Against the rules. You lack qualification for my trial.]
[Cheating? By whose decree?]
Roar---!!!
Garon's flames surged violently.
[Long time no see, Kalderet.]
[Long time? Have you lost your mind...? A mid god runt daring to...]
[Heh... And you, ancient god, have some nerve clinging to a child just to reenter the world?]
[What did you say? You, who couldn't even gaze upon my claws...!!]
Boom---!!!
Kalderet lunged, slashing with claws.
[...!!!]
Yet Garon blocked it effortlessly.
[Here for a handshake?]
[You bastard...]
[Kalderet, so weak I mistook you for a lesser spawn. That's all? While you were sealed, I gained countless desert followers.]
Roar---!!!
Garon's form swelled massively. He loomed over Kalderet and bellowed.
[A god's power grows with followers. None in the desert can best me!!]
[Oh?]
Kalderet snarled up at him.
"Kalderet, you here to help? Why provoke him needlessly?"
[What? He started it. I could just... Mmph...?!]
"Quiet. We're not here to fight."
[Gurk...!]
Adel mashed Kalderet's head down mercilessly, crumpling the wolf's face.
"Garon. I need your power."
[As I said, you're already contracted. Humans serve one god only.]
"Who decided that?"
[...What?]
"I'm different."
Adel drew something from his bosom: a weathered tome.
The magic book from the tribe's warehouse, a reward from Hunt Day.
[T-The Titan's Book?! Insane—where did you get that?!]
Ignored and forgotten in storage, it now drew the gods' intense fascination.
[Think we'd come unprepared? That's why you're stuck at mid god.]
[Grk...]
[Surround yourself with worthless followers all you want. Not worth one of mine. Heh.]
Garon's expression hardened at the sight.
"Enough, Kalderet. No need to taunt him."
Adel spoke softly.
"One more time. Garon, I need your power. No more words. Contract with me."
In that moment, both gods realized.
"Refuse, and you die."
As he said, no fight needed. There had never been a choice.