Chương 52: 51-Someone Up There Likes Me

Five Months Ago"Begone, begone in the name of the Lord!" Joseph told the two troopers at his door. The door to his home. The home where his family lived.

"Mr. Brodsky, we really do not have time for this," the older trooper told him. The younger one, a woman in her mid-thirties, glared at him. At him. Joseph would pray later for God to punish her.

"You can let us in, we can do a quick check, and if everything is okay, leave without causing trouble, or we can come tomorrow with a court order. Believe me, you do not want us doing that."

"No earthly court shall judge me," Joseph answered. The flashes from the journalists' cameras lit up his face. There were at least three different television news vans outside, and the rest of the troopers had trouble holding the journalists back. Joseph could clearly hear the questions they threw at him.

"Mr. Brodsky, is it true you are married to all the females in your compound?" Joseph did not even bother answering that filthy lie. There were fifty-three women in the House. He was only married to forty-two of them. The rest would be blessed when they became adults, and their marriage could be sanctioned by God. The female cop finally spoke: "Mr. Brodsky, I must warn you, this does not look good for you. We know there are minors in here who have never set foot outside the compound.

This violates state laws and may constitute several civil rights violations. I personally loathe the very sight of you, but in the interest of these minors, I beg you to reconsider your decision."

"Begone, Jezebel," he told her, as he closed the door.

"Up yours, asshole," the policewoman answered.

"We will come back tomorrow, with your warrant." Joseph sighed. He had built a beautiful thing, apart from the filth of the world, with its internet, its electricity, and its lies. He was neither a fool nor completely ignorant of how the world worked. He knew it was over. His flock looked at him, one hundred and twenty pure souls, who had chosen to heed his call and carve a little piece of heaven on Earth. They worked the land, bred farm animals, and lived life the way it ought to be lived. He smiled at them.

"Do not worry. Everything will be fine. God will not forsake us in our time of need. Go back to your chores." Joseph went to his room, knelt, and prayed to his God. Not the one the false priests in town worshipped. The one true God.

"Please, dear God. Protect your flock. Do not let all our work be for nothing. Also, give cancer to that policewoman. Not a fast one. Make her suffer." That night, as he lay in bed, listening to an old transistor radio, the only connection with the outside world in all the compound, God answered. That thing called the Internet had fallen. It would snare no more souls. No warrant came the following morning. Or the next one.

As Joseph heard the panicked voices of the radio hosts, describing the fall of civilization into chaos, he understood that God had heard him and had answered. The Apocalypse had come. No police would come looking for him—they had greater problems. Joseph fell to his knees and prayed in thanks. God had destroyed the world, only to protect him. He would be worthy of it. One Month Ago"Why are you testing me, God? What did I do wrong?" Joseph prayed.

This morning, Alan, his second-in-command, had been taken away by a giant bat-thing while tending the fields. Joseph's flock was terrified, and for the first time, he was afraid they would refuse to obey a direct order if he commanded them to leave the building. The harvest was left to rot in the fields. It was the Apocalypse all right. Civilization had fallen. People were starving to death as their technology failed, and monsters had begun to maraud through the streets. As it was foretold.

The True Church of Light was ready for it—they did not even use electric power. They grew their own food. They were entirely self-sufficient. They were dying, all the same. When the first true believers were killed by monsters, Joseph blamed them—they were unworthy. They did not believe enough. God could see the frailty of their souls. They prayed, they fasted, they gave glory to God. They kept dying. Joseph fasted and prayed for three whole days. On the third night, God answered.

He closed his eyes for what felt like a single instant. When he woke up, he had changed. You have been activated. You are the Champion of Necessity Stat Matrix: Intelligence (Dominant), Strength (Inferior) You have obtained the Eidotics Competency. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it. Eidotics (Restricted) (1): The user gains intuitive knowledge about Essence-consuming organisms. -Eidosight: Gain the ability to perceive Essence.

Quest: Answer the Ungodly Type: Elite Competency: Eidotics Final Goal: Restore balance to the universe by removing those that would threaten it. This is the first part of a multiquest. First goal: Observe Eidocytes for one hour. Reward: 5, 000 xps. God had blessed him. He had given Joseph a task and the means to fulfill it. He activated a mental switch, and the whole room erupted into colors. He could see energy pouring out of him, dispersing into the air. Could this be his soul?

Small, unseen organisms fluttered around, like kaleidoscopic eyefloaters. Joseph knew that the colors they emitted were conveying information about their properties. God wanted him to do something with these microscopic but wonderful creatures. He would serve. One hour later, God's hand touched him again, empowering his body and mind and granting him new abilities. He was level five now, whatever that meant, and he could choose new powers.

Some of the options flashed when he looked at them—they were the ones God wanted him to choose. A new quest had been added to the previous one. He was supposed to do his first modifications on the floating points of light that circled around him, drinking his essence. The quest promised more experience and new powers. He had obtained more quest slots as he gained competencies. They were easy tasks, often involving his powers.

Increase the amount of Essence in a room by 50%, change the tag of an eidocyte, study one Essential… They were just excuses to increase his powers until he was ready to perform his glorious destiny. Joseph followed obediently the path set for him. Three Days Later Hitting level 15 was a significant milestone.

He got a new title, Essence Engineer (Restricted), and the power to use his abilities to create original modifications to Eidocytes, the angelic creatures that floated invisibly in the air, attracted by the souls of the holy. He had also obtained the Artificer, Breeder, and Tamer Competencies. Joseph noticed none of them were classified as restricted. He clearly understood that God had meant him to have powers He did not offer to the blind masses. More proof of his love for Joseph.

No new quests, only the last part for Answer the Ungodly, the first quest he had obtained. Penultimate goal: Modify an Eidocyte until it has the Hatchery, Hive, and Parasitic tags. Feed it Essence until it manifests. Reward: Revelation of your destiny. Hive and Parasitic were easy to implant into the Eidocyte he chose. He had to create the Parasitic tag, a grueling process that took him more than a week, and which would have been impossible without the powers he had gained along the way.

Finally, on the seventh night, his dungeon manifested, a glowing rift hanging midair in his room. With the quest complete, his glorious calling was revealed at last. Last goal: Enter the rift, carrying a sentient creature with you. The dungeon will grant a sacrifice. A sacrifice must be given back to it. Reward: Restore balance in the cosmos. Answer the Ungodly. He knew it. He knew he had a special purpose. He was not like others. He was the one. He would fix everything, and then, he would ascend.

He would not be the prophet, writing holy books, but the main character in them. He summoned his flock to announce the great news. They came shyly, almost afraid to face him. They had not seen him for the past ten days, as he embarked on his quest. They knew something significant had happened—they could feel the finger of divinity on him.

"Rejoice!" he exclaimed.

"All has been revealed. Tonight, we heal the universe." His followers looked smitten as the glowing fissure of light, likely the first manifestation of real magic they had seen, apart from the monsters tearing the town apart. He needed an offering now, much like Isaac had offered his son. One of his future brides-to-be. He would not deprive any child of his mother, but he was willing to sacrifice a daughter. He grabbed the wrist of the girl nearest to him. The girl had the audacity to scream and try to escape.

"No, Joseph, please, I am scared, don't take me there." Joseph slapped her hard.

"You ungrateful dullard. The Lord commands. You obey." He entered his bedroom, dragging the girl with him, and closing the door behind them. They both entered the rift. She tried to resist, but Joseph's strength was no longer human. He felt a brief moment of disorientation as they entered the dungeon. Then his eyes adjusted to the dimly lit room. It looked like a temple, nothing flashy, but there was a dour dignity in its walls of stone. A stone altar occupied the center of the hall.

There was something on it, making mewling noises. Joseph approached the altar, dragging the wailing girl behind him. He looked with reverence at what lay on it. A malformed creature, no larger than a cat. It looked like the unborn spawn of a calf, with multiple slimy tentacles erupting from its body. There was a single sacrificial steel dagger lying beside it. Joseph grabbed the dagger with his free hand and raised it.

"I take this offering in the name of God. I will give this girl's life in its stead," he proclaimed. One sacrifice was offered. Another one was given in return. Just as God instructed. He raised the dagger and plunged it into the creature's chest. The whole world exploded into a flash of white light. When he regained consciousness, the rift was nowhere to be seen. He checked his status page in panic. The quest was not completed yet. The girl was sitting on his bed, staring into nothing. Joseph still had the dagger.

Time to finish this. Then, she turned around and looked at him straight in the eyes. Joseph froze, feeling his bladder let go. She spoke to him in a voice like and unlike hers.

"You were never meant to be a prophet, Joseph. You were always meant to be the second sacrifice." Joseph screamed for a long, long time. One Hour Later The door finally opened, and the only living thing in the room floated out. She was covered in blood, from head to toe, and her feet did not touch the ground. The believers gasped in horror, knowing whose blood it was.

"Oh, my God," said one of them.

"Mary Beth, what have you done?"

"There is no God," Mary Beth answered.

"There is only me."