Surviving Divine Descent
The blade of flame bursting from Adel's gauntlet was a sight straight out of legend—a flame dragon incarnate, exhaling its breath in a torrent of destruction.
"Hah... hah..."
A force beyond human limits. But such overwhelming power always came with a backlash.
'My heart's burning away.'
Adel swallowed hard against the agony, but even that saliva seemed to evaporate as it slid down his throat. Unbearable heat surged through every vein connected to his heart.
Focus. You're not even half-divine yet, trying to control divine power. It's inevitable. You've overused it, so pay the price.
Even through his faltering consciousness, Adel heard Kalderet's voice crystal clear.
Garon's flames are holding the flame dragon's breath in check. But the real issue is you controlling Garon's divine power.
His tone was calm, but Adel—feeling like his body might explode any second—could barely draw breath amid the torment.
Impressive, though. You're not passing out amid the divine surge.
"...I told you. This isn't my first time."
For an ordinary person, this would have been fatal long ago. But as he'd said, Adel had known Garon's power would rampage the moment he tried to control it.
True enough. An ordinary person wouldn't even attempt a god's descent. Your past intrigues me more by the day. Not your childhood—the real past.
Adel knew exactly what past Kalderet meant—his previous life.
Contracting a god grows the human body. You slowly absorb divine power until divine blood settles, turning your flesh half-divine—and then you can control it. Try before that, and nine out of ten die.
"But I'm still alive."
Indeed. That's why I'm saying this—you knew the rampage was coming. But I'll wager it's different from before.
Kalderet clicked his tongue in pity.
That's the terror of knowledge. Back then, you were stronger—at least more than now. You could endure it. Complacency from experience, thinking you could handle it again.
"Cut the nagging. You know that's not the point right now."
Fair enough. Then you know what to do now.
"Release the divine power..."
Exactly.
Staggering like he might collapse any moment, Adel slumped to the ground.
Grrr...
Thud—!!Hiss...
A few surviving hellhounds, half-charred, growled nearby—but Kalderet's paw crushed their skulls to ash.
You know the method.
Closing his eyes, Adel steadied his ragged breathing. Then he began reining in the rampaging divine power surging through his body.
Sizzle—!!!
Steam laced with heat escaped his mouth like dispersing mist. The infernal blaze within slowly settled.
Well done. Even with Garon's protection, calming a divine surge requires understanding its flow. You're adept.
He's still on the brink of death, no doubt.
Any way we can help?
Kalderet, since when did you grow so sentimental? Regrettably, he must do this himself. Direct influence on humans is limited to descent.
If I descend too, it'd kill him.
Just watch. If he dies like this, it's his fate.
Hmm...
Kalderet sighed lowly, gazing at Garon's flames. Garon watched him curiously in turn. In their long history, gods rarely fixated on one human like this.
That was when it happened.
As long as we don't directly interfere?
True, but... what's your scheme?
Instead of answering, Kalderet turned his head. His gaze settled on Adel's Kargon.
* * *
'Can't lose consciousness. It'll devour me.'
Like a straw clinging to life amid crashing waves of flame, Adel barely held on against the inferno threatening to sweep him away.
'Divine power is like a typhoon—fiercer outside, calmer within. To control it, dive into its core.'
Adel recalled the lesson. In his previous life, he'd been strong—but not from the start. He'd faced death countless times, used god's descent more than he could remember.
His first was Yogun, a low god of blades, during his time under Karon Azal. The central five kingdoms warred endlessly; in a battle to end the civil strife, a three-kingdom alliance cornered him. A desperate ace up his sleeve—at age twenty-three.
He'd captured seven gods by then, grown his body accordingly, yet even Kalderet had warned against descent.
'Controlling it now is sheer madness.'
But he had to. To survive. What he could do and what he must do were worlds apart.
Pain tormented him endlessly. Amid fading awareness, visions of his past life flickered like phantoms.
Grip.
Adel clenched his fist tighter.
Whoosh—!!
With a swipe, the illusions vanished like smoke.
"I..."
Yet those memories sharpened his mind instead.
"Won't linger on the past."
Regretting old mistakes changed nothing.
"I'll forge ahead!"
He roared in defiance. But the divine power mocked his resolve, stabbing agony through his body.
"Gaaahhh—!!"
That was when—
Splash...!!
A cold torrent poured from head to toe, instantly quenching the blaze within.
"Hah...?!"
The nightmare visions fled as if never there. Adel blinked in stunned daze.
Back with us?
His muddled mind cleared. Adel caressed his chest and abdomen, murmuring.
"The divine power..."
Hummm—
Raising his arms, crimson energy flowed from them.
Clank. Sizzle...
The gauntlet's plates, once glowing like purgatory, absorbed the flow and sealed shut.
"It's contained."
The skull-splitting headache was gone; his mind felt sharper than ever. He scanned around—the hellhounds reduced to ash.
"Whew."
The divine power no longer ravaged his flesh. Instead, the settled force gently filled his veins.
Be grateful. Two gods went all-out to save one human. You did die and come back.
Adel gave a wry smile at Garon's jab.
"Fair point. Thanks."
You accept too easily. Act normal for once.
"Heh..."
Adel chuckled again.
To use a god's blessing, you must forge a vessel inside for divine blood.
Kalderet approached, standing beside him.
But you made two in Gerald's lair. Holding mana and divine power means twice the time.
"Yeah."
Adel caught his breath before replying.
Fine so far. But it's been barely a year. Your vessels could barely handle a low god—then you contracted me and Garon. Over capacity, plus controlling descent...
He shook his head.
Too hasty. One slip, and your divine blood shatters.
Hummm...
Kalderet burrowed his head into Adel's chest, pressing Adel's palm to his forehead. A strange resonance vibrated through them.
Lucky, though... or did you plan for it? Who knows.
Adel understood the lingering chill.
"Waves of Vital Energy..."
Right. Lucky one lingered in the desert. But not enough to fill your mana. Just doused the flames.
"You helped, Kalderet."
He felt mana filling his second divine blood from Gerald's lair.
Waves of Vital Energy—hidden springs across the continent, infused with mana, called mana wells.
What a heart-stopper you are.
"Thanks to you, I lived. I was gonna seek one out, but getting it like this? Didn't see that coming."
I didn't give you the water. Just guided your Kargon.
"Sure you didn't."
Adel smiled faintly.
Rules chafe in odd ways. Gods can't directly affect humans—that's divine order. I merely commanded your Kargon to draw the water.
"That was plenty. If no direct influence, what's a blessing then?"
Who knows. A mercy, perhaps.
Adel snorted at that.
Rules aren't to bind humans—they keep us from overstepping. Lest we treat you as tools for our whims.
He wasn't wrong. Humans had villains; gods weren't all benevolent. Without rules, the human realm would be gods' chessboard.
The waves temporarily filled you with mana—fuel to control the divine power.
"I see."
You tamed the surge—and your body changed too. A blessing in disguise. Your gamble paid off.
As Kalderet said, Adel sensed a new power nesting in his chest—faint, but divine power taking root in his blood. Even his empty mana stirred.
Grip.
Adel clenched his fist tight.
Now just fill them. Harden the vessels—with divine and mana power, inside you.
"Yeah."
His heart thrummed.
But no more gambles. Whatever drives your haste... you're no Garuda. Humans get one life.
Exactly. Finding a decent contractor's like needle in a haystack.
Garon circled him as he spoke.
Hurry. Avoid using mana much. I've suppressed your divine power, but to claim it fully, you need mana to match.
Two divine bloods glowing at once. First human in history—continent or divine realm—to work two miracles in a day.
"Can't settle for that. I aim higher."
Aiming to be a god?
A strange smile crossed Adel's face. He rose slowly.
"Anyway..."
He approached the shaman's corpse—charred to ash save the robe.
"Death's not the end."
Using demon soul water confirmed his identity. But Adel sought more.
'His ties to Karon Azal.'
Adel knew what was coming. The Forgotten Ones' desert schemes, and the central powers eyeing the sands right after.
"Time to uncover it."
Whether the Forgotten acted alone... or another hand pulled the strings.
Karon Azal.
Biting his lip at the name flashing in his mind, he said,
"Let's begin."
He lifted a scorched robe fragment. Black energy flowed from his touch.
"Interrogation time."