Chương 62: Alliances and Gods

Joe found himself seated in what looked like an enclosed amphitheatre. At the centre stage stood two silver-skinned men wearing wide-brimmed hats. Joe remained with the small group he'd been chatting with earlier. Lola sat at his side, though thankfully, he had the use of his arm back now. She'd released it with a pout after he'd politely insisted. He gazed around the room as the last attendees filed in. Small groups were forming, each world gravitating toward its allies.

Joe noted that the attendees from Worlds 6, 8, 9, and 10 sat together, forming a solid cluster. Other mid-ranked worlds gathered nearby in small satellite groups. The top five-ranked worlds, however, were different. They sat directly across from the alliance cluster, but kept to themselves. No mingling. No conversation with other worlds. Just quiet, confident separation. Joe's attention shifted to the five attendees of World Ranked 1.

Tall, muscular birdmen lounged in their seats, looking completely relaxed, standing out from everyone else.

"Feormere." Joe turned at the sound of his name. Tevenny stood on the row below, looking up at him.

"Hi, can we join you?" She asked in her high, bubbly tone.

"Sure," Joe replied.

"These seats aren't taken." Tevenny stared at Markos, who sat to Joe's right. After ten seconds of awkward silence, Markos stood.

"Please, have my seat," he said, moving two spots over. Tevenny smiled and slid into the seat beside Joe. The slim girl with her, Shanna Toterro - Rank 4, sat next to her and gave Joe a polite nod. Joe returned the gesture with a smile. Then, at the front of the amphitheatre, the two silver-skinned men stepped forward. They raised their arms.

"Welcome, everyone, to the Third Annual Empire Meeting. We are happy to see some new faces this year, and welcome you all equally." They gave a bow, one directed toward Joe and a few others scattered throughout the crowd.

"We hope you enjoyed the meal today. The drones are available for drink requests, so please do use them as you will." Joe noticed several attendees raising their hands as sleek drones descended from the ceiling, gliding toward them. Tevenny raised her hand and ordered drinks for herself and Shanna. She offered one to Joe as well, but he politely declined. He figured it was probably wise to keep a clear head for whatever came next.

"First," one of the silver-skinned men continued, "we have a couple of announcements to make before we begin with the alliance proclamations. We are nearing the middle point of the integration competition, which, as you all know, will open up the trading and world transfer system." He paused before continuing.

"In three hundred multiversal days from now, Sion of the Ghost Valley Empire will be celebrating a marriage in the family. She has personally granted ten invitations to this integration to attend the after-party celebration." A soft ripple of interest moved through the amphitheatre.

"I don't think I need to explain what a great opportunity this will be for those who attend to meet some of the elites of the Ghost Valley Empire. These ten invitations will be distributed by lottery, and any person ranked five or above on their world can put their name down in the lottery. The lottery will commence in twenty multiversal days, so please do put your name forward if you are interested in attending."

"Oooo, I do hope I win a slot. That sounds delightful," Tevenny whispered. clapping softly. She leaned toward Shanna and whispered something that sent both girls into a fit of quiet giggles.

"The second announcement," the speaker continued, "is an open recruitment offer from the Vanaquase Empire. They are currently leading an expedition into the Demonic Rim and are offering positions on the front lines for willing combatants." A subtle hush fell over the room.

"Joining their vanguard grants immediate freedom from the integration. More details are available on your integration pillars."

"Every year, one empire tries to recruit for its armies. Those looking for a quick escape usually take the offer, from what I've seen," Geld said. Lola nodded in agreement. Joe had completely forgotten she was still sitting next to him. She had been deathly silent since Tevenny arrived.

"Our final announcement today. Every world ranked forty and below is now open for winner-takes-all resource grab challenges." A ripple of silence passed through the room.

"In order to initiate the resource grab, the challenging world must achieve one hundred votes in favour of the grab from within the top one hundred and fifty ranked representatives." This last sentence hit like a thunderclap. Shocked gasps erupted from the nine worlds ranked forty and below. Joe glanced around at the faces surrounding him, many now etched with worry or outright fear. A cold, tense shift swept through the amphitheatre, and a low hum of anxious conversations filled the space.

The silver-skinned announcers didn't pause; they simply continued, unfazed by the rising tension.

"With announcements complete, we now open the floor for Alliance proclamations." They stepped aside as the stage was cleared for the first group to speak. Joe turned to Geld. It felt like they had just witnessed a death sentence. If any of the top ten worlds could gather one hundred votes, what would stop them from launching challenge after challenge, stripping the lowest-ranked worlds of everything they had? The thought lingered like a sour taste in his mouth.

Then Shanna, seated beside him, voiced what he was thinking.

"Do you think any worlds will issue a challenge?" she asked Tevenny.

"Yes," Tevenny said, her cheerful voice dimming.

"You saw what happened last time a challenge was opened. Three worlds jumped in without hesitation." Joe remembered it all too well. Those around turned to look at him, expressions curious, questioning. Joe waved a hand, brushing it off.

"Let's not get into that bag of worms," he said. The others nodded in agreement. Suddenly, he felt a gentle tug at his hand. He looked over to see Lola slipping a small token into his palm as she rose from her seat.

"I must return to my group. It was nice meeting you," she said, eyes fixed solely on him. Before he could reply, she was already walking away. Geld slid into her now-vacant seat, casually watching her departure. Joe couldn't help but follow her with his eyes too, momentarily distracted by the graceful sway of the spider-woman's movements. When he turned back toward the stage, he found Tevenny watching him with a sly smile. She reached into her robe, pulled out a token, and placed it gently into Joe's other hand.

He examined the two objects now resting in his palms. One was emblazoned with a web wrapped tightly around a pillar. The other depicted a candle with a flame shaped like a glowing eye.

"What are these?" Joe asked.

"They are honour tokens," Tevenny replied.

"Symbols of interest." Joe studied the one Tevenny had given him, trying to use Identify, but, as he suspected, the skill didn't work here. Just like during the Battle Royale, all identification abilities were blocked. He slipped both tokens into his storage ring. That turned out to be a big mistake. The moment the tokens disappeared, it was as if a dam had burst. Within seconds, ten attendees appeared around him, seemingly out of thin air, each with a hand extended, offering their own tokens.

Joe nearly fell out of his chair from the sudden rush. Voices erupted around him.

"Feormere, would you like to accept my token?"

"Feormere, regards from world 20, please accept this token!"

"Feormere! Take now!" Joe raised his hands in protest, trying to say something, but the shouting drowned out his voice. In the end, he gave up and started plucking coins from hands at random, stuffing them quickly into his ring. Only once he'd accepted all of them did the crowd finally disperse.

"What the hell was that?" he complained, watching the retreating crowd of attendees. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Geld, Tevenny, and Shanna, all laughing at his expense. Markos, at least, wore a look of sympathy.

"Okay, I'm confused. Why are so many people interested in me?" Joe asked, turning to Geld. who had finally stopped laughing. Tevenny and Shanna had not.

"What do you mean? Why wouldn't they be?" Geld replied, looking genuinely baffled.

"You survived a failed world and then a Battle Royale with the number one integration ranker. You also claimed the number one spot on your world in a short time." Joe blinked. When he put it like that…

"I'm surprised you received so few tokens," Markos added, shaking his head. Joe thought about it for a moment before just sighing and shaking his head again. He didn't fully understand the attention, but fine. He'd take their word for it. Tevenny and Shanna rose from their seats, giving Joe a cheerful wave goodbye before heading back to their group. Markos and Geld soon followed, leaving Joe alone just in time for the first Alliance Proclamation. A tall, bone-covered Orc from World Ranked 6 stepped onto the stage.

Villanor Nrack - Rank 2. His voice was deep, rumbling, and overly dramatic.

"Grrrr. I am voice of Alliance Deep Booming Sanctuary. We present hope for lower worlds. New terms have decided. We hear complaints and adjust. Terms better. We offer sanctuary to you failures. Join us or swim upstream. Place on our world, you have." Villanor gave a stiff bow.

"Details on pillar, send now. Thank you." Then he stomped offstage, returning to the large alliance group he belonged to. Joe sat, piecing together the broken delivery. The message was simple enough, but… Why on earth was he the one they picked to give that speech? Did they not have anyone more eloquent? Were they all just a bunch of overgrown kids? What in the actual hell was that?

"That made no sense," Joe mumbled to himself. Two more proclamations followed in quick succession, both from worlds ranked forty and below. They were mostly desperate pleas, asking not to be targeted in the upcoming Resource Grab challenges. Then came a short proclamation from a coalition of three mid-ranked worlds requesting negotiations with one of the top five. That one was met with stern glares and emphatic shouts of no. Joe paid close attention to the reactions.

Watching each group closely, he started forming a mental picture. He took note of which worlds responded negatively; unsurprisingly, most were in the top ten. There was a definite air of superiority in the way they carried themselves, the way they dismissed others with barely veiled disdain. Except for World Ranked One. Those birdmen didn't seem to care at all. Casual, silent, and relaxed, they simply observed. Joe also noted that Kilch'Kitz hadn't looked at him even once.

In contrast, Pathfinder and the other Voldura glanced at him constantly, whispering among themselves and pointing in his direction. Something was going on there, but Joe didn't know what, and he wasn't about to cause a scene. Not here. He'd deal with them back on-world. No further proclamations came. Instead, the room shifted into a more informal atmosphere. Groups began moving around, engaging in personal conversation.

Quite a few made their way toward the Deep Booming Sanctuary Alliance, likely negotiating future trade or transfers. Joe considered moving closer… but something held him back. Some deep part of him whispered no. He wasn't sure why, but suddenly, he felt uncomfortable. Really uncomfortable. He scanned the room, trying to pinpoint the source of his unease, but found nothing. No hostile glances, no visible danger. Still, the feeling wouldn't go away. In fact, it grew stronger to the point he could no longer sit still.

He stood and began pacing along an empty section of the amphitheatre, that prickling sensation trailing behind him. It wouldn't leave. __"Stop it!" Gaston hissed, his voice strained.

"Look! The anomaly is moving; he feels it as well. Something is off." Ark didn't respond immediately. He kept his gaze steady, observing. Both he and Gaston had felt it, the subtle shift, the pressure in the air. The gods had arrived. They weren't in the room yet… but they were close. What Ark couldn't understand was why one of them was angry. The room was practically steeped in killing aura. And yet, no one else reacted. Not even the strongest from World Ranked One. Only himself, Gaston… and the anomaly.

That, more than anything, was telling. Ark's eyes shimmered faintly, completing its latest analysis.

"Eighty per cent probability that the anomaly has encountered this god before," Ark said calmly. Gaston turned to him.

"Eighty? That's basically a guarantee. What the hell did he do? Should we leave?" He began pacing, visibly agitated.

"Negative. Stay the course," Ark replied without hesitation.

"The safety measures here ensure that not even a god can harm us." Ark's interest in the anomaly deepened. All anomalies were unpredictable by nature, but this one's actions defied even Ark's considerable forecasting. There was something about him that Ark couldn't quantify, something elusive. And Ark hated that. He hated puzzles. Hated anything that disrupted his calculations. And this anomaly was a walking disruption. He wanted nothing more than to leave this mandatory event behind.

But his models had warned him, he couldn't go just yet. Something critical was going to happen. Something that made an early departure impossible. Rarely did Ark calculate an outcome with one hundred per cent certainty. But today, he had. Today, with complete and absolute certainty, this anomaly would trigger an Integration-altering event. __ Catalina Terravignion paced in the system entry room she'd arrived in. The space was lavishly decorated, exactly as she had requested.

Normally, she would have been lounging in comfort, sipping tea and watching the childish negotiations of the Integration unfold. It was always mildly amusing, watching these desperate younglings scramble to survive the chaos of this manufactured hell. Because that's what Integrations were to her: hell. Worlds forced to compete. Used for entertainment. She hated it. So, for the most part, she ignored them. Left it all behind. Until that insufferable man had laid hands on her daughter, anger flashed in her eyes.

Normally, she controlled her emotions flawlessly. But ever since that day her bloodline wisp had died, things had unravelled. Fate had intervened in a way even she couldn't have predicted. Now, here she was, attending an Empire meeting, to prevent events from spiralling out of control even more. All to deal with a mess that the corrupted seedling had dragged her into. With a sigh, she dropped into a chair and rubbed her temples. Her attendant, Oscar, knelt beside her and offered a steaming cup of tea.

She accepted it, took a sip, then returned the cup without a word. How did it come to this? she wondered. That foolish brat, Lucius Von Brave the Forty-Ninth, had started it all. He had dared to orchestrate an assassination attempt on… him in her palace. The audacity was staggering. But he had done it, and her daughter had reacted to the foolish act. She'd nearly beaten Lucius to death before he fled Eludia. Then the snivelling coward ran home to his father, demanding honour.

And now, thanks to the pathetic whining, the God of War himself was here at the Empire Meeting. She had been forced to intervene. To make sure her daughter wasn't dragged into an unexpected fate, summoning or worse.

"Never have children, Oscar," Catalina exasperated.

"Yes, madam," Oscar replied dutifully. Catalina vowed, yet again, that once this mess was sorted, she would personally deal with the foolish High Human at the centre of everything. She knew it was impossible to sever the bond, barring an intervention from the system itself. So she would have to do the next best thing. Imprison or just have him killed. She knew that the second option wasn't really an option. For some inexplicable reason, her daughter was fond of the man.

Catalina herself had to admit he had a few good points… he could dance… and that flower. She shook her head, admonishing herself internally. She should just let him die. That would solve everything. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. __ Joe continued pacing around the amphitheatre. The feeling hadn't faded; it remained, persistent and uncomfortable, like a thorn lodged just beneath the skin. He couldn't shake it.

Then a chime rang out, clear and resonant, pulling his attention back toward the stage. A new announcer had appeared.

"Thank you, everyone. We have now concluded the alliance talks. Please make your way through a doorway to the final part of the Empire Meeting." Joe moved quickly towards the nearest doorway, hoping that stepping into a new space might shake off the unease still crawling along his spine. As he crossed the threshold into the next chamber, everything inside him went still. He saw… it. No, he felt it.

A presence that pierced straight through him, eyes locking onto his own with such raw intensity that he forgot how to move. He couldn't even process what he was looking at. All he understood in that instant was a singular, terrifying truth: the largest lion he had ever seen in his life wanted him dead. His limbs locked up as he was overwhelmed by the sheer force of the gaze aimed at him. His thoughts scattered into static. Just as suddenly as it had struck, the presence vanished.

The gaze passed, and Joe stumbled forward, legs finally regaining function. He nearly lost his balance but managed to catch himself before falling face-first. A glance behind confirmed he was still the first person through the doorway. No one else had seen. No one had witnessed what had just happened. He reached into his ring, pulled out a towel, and wiped the sheen of sweat from his face. His pulse still thundered in his ears. Forcing a breath, he squared his shoulders and finally looked up.

The sight that met him should have taken his breath away, but all he could do was walk, shaky and slow, toward the rows of chairs lining the open, marbled space ahead. As he collapsed into one of the chairs labelled with his world's number, he gazed up at the chandeliers that hung high above, glowing softly with magical light. The walls around him were made entirely of crystal-clear glass, revealing a serene view of fields blooming with vibrant, multicoloured flowers.

Under any other circumstance, Joe would have rushed to the window, eager to soak in the beauty of nature. But not now. Not after that. As his mind calmed, his eyes were pulled instead toward the raised podium at the far end of the room. A long, ornate desk stretched across it, behind which sat twenty individuals, each one dressed in impossibly intricate robes and armour, their garments glowing faintly with enchanted thread. These had to be the representatives of the Multiversal Empires.

Each and every one of them radiated power so dense it weighed down the air itself. The sheer pressure of their presence was suffocating. Even without releasing a single drop of their auras, Joe could feel it. It was like standing too close to a raging wildfire, invisible but overwhelming. A sharp tingle prickled the back of his mind. Then, a system notification flashed before his eyes. System Message You were the target of a God's aura; the system has protected you.

Mental stability temporarily boosted by the system.

"Shit!" Joe mumbled under his breath. He raised his eyes to the centre of the podium, where three figures sat elevated above the rest. His gaze moved to the floating labels above them, though he recognized one instantly. Lucius Von Brave (God) Catalina Terravignion (God) Decree (God) Joe swallowed hard, his throat dry. His eyes locked with Catalina's first. She was staring at him, but her expression wasn't what he expected. There was no fury, no smug satisfaction. Instead, her face held a strange look, conflicted.

She moved her mouth in a way so he could clearly read her lips… he almost gasped as he registered her words. What the hell is going on? He turned his attention to the god beside her, the lion. That was the only way to describe the massive, awe-inspiring presence. Towering over everyone, Lucius Von Brave was an entity so overwhelming that it physically hurt to look at him. Joe's vision blurred the longer he stared, like his eyes couldn't handle the sheer divinity.

He quickly turned away, rubbing his face until his sight cleared again. His gaze shifted to the third god, Decree. Joe had never seen anything remotely like him before. The god didn't have a body in the traditional sense of the word. He looked like a swirling cluster of floating papers, each one orbiting around a miniature star at the centre. The "head," if it could even be called that, was simply a ring of shifting pages, circling in hypnotic patterns above the core. There was no mouth. No nose, no eyes.

Just pages and starlight. Staring at him too long felt like falling into a trance. Joe looked down at his own hands. They were shaking. So this was what it was like to be in the presence of more than one god. Even with the system's boost to his mental stability, he felt like he was about to pass out. He closed his eyes and took a slow, deep breath. Then another. And another. It was the only thing he could do to hold himself together. His pulse remained steady as he composed himself.

__ Decree Avatar floated in orbit around his proto-star, observing the unfolding events. Something was happening… something curious, something rare, and it had captured his attention. The God of War had just targeted a young newborn… High Human, with his divine Aura. The system seed had intervened, shielding the mortal from damage. But the fact that the God of War had even bothered to attack, knowing the system would protect an integration contender, was deeply telling. It was an emotional move. A petty one.

One below a God's actions. Yet it happened. He made a mental note, relaying the data to his internal AI. Something about this moment, about this… High Human was significant. Today was turning out to be far more interesting than expected. __ Joe opened his eyes. And suddenly, he felt incredible. Every doubt, every flicker of anxiety, every trace of discomfort vanished in an instant. His hands had stopped shaking. His mind was perfectly clear.

He could look directly at the three gods on the podium now without so much as a blink. No strain. No fear. He felt like a new man. System Message You have been touched by a god. Mental state boosted to maximum capacity. Joe ignored the notification. He didn't care why he felt so good. He just knew he did. This was what it meant to be in your prime. He was amazing. He was the best. A confident grin spread across his face as he settled comfortably into his seat, brimming with unshakeable self-assurance.

As the rest of the amphitheatre filled, Joe casually glanced around. He spotted Tevenny, and she gave him a charming wave. He blew her a kiss. She stared back at him, wide-eyed and stunned. Perfect. Everyone loved him. Today was a good day. His gaze slid to the side as Pathfinder and the other Voldura moved to take the seats beside him. Joe turned his head slowly and locked eyes with Pathfinder. He didn't blink. Didn't flinch. He stared deep, pressing into Pathfinder's soul with the full weight of his presence.

Pathfinder looked shocked.

"Ha," Joe said dismissively, shifting his gaze elsewhere as if bored. Voldura? Just a blip on the path to greatness. Joe smiled and leaned back in his chair, completely at ease. The food had been amazing. The company had been weird but entertaining. And he? He was thriving. He turned his head toward the world-ranked 39 attendees, a race of stoic, rock golem-like beings with nearly imperceptible facial features. He focused on their rank one, a stone figure named Rarr Gaar.

With a casual smirk, Joe's eyes bore into him, then turned away with a flourish. He was on fire today. Just as he wondered what came next, a new silver-skinned announcer stepped onto the podium.

"Welcome, integration attendees. We will now enter the final portion of today's meeting. The Empires are here to discuss Elite petitions. If your name is called, please step forward and approach the podium." The silver-skinned man vanished, and one of the seated Empire representatives rose to address the room.

"Hello, everyone. I am Gruu Flashkil of the Dovistory Sector of the Grecko Vuse Empire." Joe tuned out almost immediately. Boring, he thought. This guy wasn't even from the Empire's main force. Why bother paying attention? Instead, Joe let his eyes wander. That's when he saw Kilch'Kitz rise and approach the podium. Huh. So the weird blue guy had called Kilch up for something. Mildly interesting, Joe supposed. Kilch was strong, not as strong as him, of course. No one was. But strong enough to be worth a glance.

Kilch stepped back down a few seconds later, clearly uninterested. Joe nodded to himself. Exactly. Even Kilchy knew that whatever minor sector Gruu came from wasn't worth more than a moment's attention.

"Hahahaha," Joe suddenly burst out laughing, loud and triumphant. A few heads turned toward him. He welcomed it. In fact, he relished the attention. He waved at the onlookers with a dazzling smile, radiating confidence. Of course, they wanted to look at him. He was the best. __ Catalina's internal gaze snapped toward Lucius. Who sat beside her with an expression carved in stone. Her God's eye drilled into him, sharp and unrelenting, but he didn't flinch. He gave no indication that he even noticed her stare.

She forced herself to externally remain serene and composed, hiding her emotions behind the mask she wore so well. Lucius had given… him a blessing. A blessing. What was he planning? Her mind spun as she tried to unravel the purpose behind such a deliberate move. She was unable to gaze into fate; something was off. She kept her eyes still, but her internal gaze was now focused on Joseph. His entire demeanour had… changed. He was acting wildly, something dangerously akin to arrogance.

She knew what the blessing was now. Lucius had blasted him with a combination of increased pride and vanity and something else. She reached out with her divine aura, intending to intervene… but the system halted her efforts. A message flashed across her vision, and she cursed inwardly. She knew what this meant. The system thrived on chaos. It prevented her from altering what was inevitably to come. Was the seedling sinking further into corruption? Its actions started to make more sense to her. But why?

That she had yet to grasp. Why this one, High Human? Why the bond? Why allow the God of War to sow chaos? As her thoughts whirled, one horrifying possibility struck her. One that would explain the closing of fate. She turned her God's Eye onto Joseph for the first time. She saw it. Or rather, didn't see it. Where a fate line should have shone, all she saw was pitch-black emptiness. __ Lucius leaned back in his chair, basking in silent victory.

Catalina's godly glare was practically burning into him, but he didn't respond. He didn't need to. He had spent millennia mastering the art of stillness, of concealment. He was not like his children, emotional, reactive. They would learn in time. But they were the children of the Divine Cosmic Lion God. He smiled. He had been mildly surprised that the current integration system seedling had allowed him to touch the boy with his Divine Aura.

But the moment he did, he understood the truth, and everything had fallen into place. The results of his child's banquet made all the more sense now. This High Human was an amalgamation of chaos. That changed everything. System seeds usually despised those who stood outside of fate. They hated anomalies almost as much as they hated fate itself. His plan was progressing, but he decided to change its direction now that he had discovered such an interesting revelation. He knew there was no stopping it now.

The blessings were in place. All he needed was one tiny push. A slow smile curled on his lips as he imagined the High Human's lifeless body lying before him, in offering. __"Excellent! More drinks!" Tevenny winced and shot a sharp glare toward Feormere, who simply winked at her in return. She blinked, caught off guard by the strange behaviour.

"What is he doing?" Shanna whispered, her voice filled with confusion.

"Does he not realize he is angering the Empires?"

"I… don't know," Tevenny replied, eyes narrowing. She watched him closely, observing every subtle movement, the twitch in his eye, the slight quiver of his lip, the unrelenting tap of his fingers against his knee. Something had changed. Tevenny was no ordinary citizen of her world. She was a prodigy, a telepathic savant whose talents had remained unmatched for the last hundred blips. She was also one of only three in her world who had a legendary class.

Even with her abilities suppressed by the system, she could still read body language like a map. And Feormere… Feormere glowed like a beacon in her eyes. His presence was stronger than any she'd ever encountered. Stronger even than Kilch. Not his strength, or even his Aura. But his presence. And now she understood why. This human, Feormere, was something more. He wasn't bound by the threads of destiny like the rest of them. No, he existed outside of fate. Her people had a name for it. Gofotomokpopo.

Or, in Multiversal speak… an anomaly. Now, however, that brilliant glow Tevenny had seen radiating from him had all but vanished. It was as if something, or someone, had seized control of him, pulling him into a pre-written path. No longer was he outside the bounds of fate. At this moment, he was firmly tethered to a line… one that was not of his making. There could only be one of two explanations: a god was involved, or the system was guiding him.

Had one of the divine beings present in the room drawn Feormere into a fate line of their own design? But why? What purpose could a god possibly have for someone like him? Tevenny didn't know the answer, but she was determined to find out. More than anything else she'd ever encountered in her life, this mystery consumed her. No matter what happened today, she vowed she would claim this human for her own. He was too unique, too special to leave to the whims of gods. Her eyes lit with anticipation as she…

she stopped. Her vision skill had just activated. She turned back towards Feormere, and the sight made her eyes water. Unable to hold back her emotions, she spoke.

"I think he is about to do something amazing," she whispered, nearly trembling with glee.. Shanna stared at her in disbelief, but Tevenny didn't see. She simply smiled, joyful and expectant. __ Joe downed the glass of wine the drone had delivered. It tasted perfect. Rich, bold, and balanced, exactly the kind of drink someone as perfect as he deserved. He was the best, after all. He looked up and caught the lion god's gaze. The divine being nodded at him. Joe nodded back, pleased.

Even the gods knew how special he was. He sat there, basking in his own magnificence, when he suddenly heard his name being called. He blinked and looked around. Who said that?

"Feormere, please step forward!" Ah. That was it. The voice had come from ahead. He rose, swaying slightly, and spotted one of the entities on the podium waving him forward. About time, he thought. He strutted confidently toward the podium, only to stumble awkwardly as he climbed up.

"Who put that step there?" he asked irritably, then forgot he'd said anything. He stopped in front of the… thing that had called him.

"Hi," he greeted, blinking slowly. Why was the room spinning?

"Feormere," the being said in a strangely metallic voice, "We of the Designation 343 Empire were very impressed with your showing in the recent Battle Royale. We have two questions for you…"

"This sucks," Joe said, clearly audible for all to hear. The voice grated on him. It was mechanical, synthetic, and it made his head throb. Why was he here again? He shook his head. Something wasn't right. He was feeling… off. Disconnected.

"Feormere. Please, are you listening?" the robotic voice asked again.

"Fuck no." His vision blurred further. Was he drunk? That couldn't be right. Why was he drunk? His thoughts tangled in a knot. He'd had some drinks, sure. But this? This wasn't just intoxication. His name echoed again, but he couldn't focus. Clear your head. Something's wrong. Why did I drink so much? The confusion spiralled. He felt lost. Unmoored. Then suddenly, a shout rang out in front of him. A wave of force exploded outward, slamming into him and sending him flying back across the floor.

The entire room fell silent. Joe stumbled to his feet. He wasn't hurt, but the dizziness was overwhelming. His head spun, thoughts jumbled as he tried to make sense of what had just happened. His vision slowly cleared, and he looked up at the podium in the distance. The desk in front of the representative had been completely obliterated. Debris still floated slightly in the air from the impact. Joe could now see the being more clearly, a black-plated robot named ZZk56ft.

He realized, to his growing horror, that he now knelt in the centre of the marbled area between the stage and the seated attendees. Every single being in the room was staring at him. He struggled to pull his thoughts together. He needed to apologize, he had to apologize. He'd made a terrible mistake. Bits of memory came back to him in shards, then slid into his mind like a lift arriving at its floor. He'd sworn at the representative. To a member of an Empire.

He quickly clutched his head as a pounding pain rippled through his skull. A voice ran out above him. Strong. Mocking.

"Oh dear. It seems we have an arrogant child among us today!" Lucius Von Brave's voice thundered through the room. Joe looked up. Lucius now stood beside ZZk56ft at the ruined portion of the desk, both of them gazing down at him. Lucius gave a theatrical sigh.

"Tut tut, I apologise on his behalf ZZk56ft. The Nomadic Cultists will take it from here," Lucius declared with a sweeping gesture. As if in response, the desk reformed perfectly before them, as though it had never been destroyed. ZZk56ft bowed deeply to the god, then turned and returned to his seat without a word. Joe watched, his head still pounding, his heart racing. Why? Why had he done that? It wasn't just the wine; something had been wrong. His mind hadn't been his own.

He opened his mouth to speak, to plead his case, but then he caught sight of Catalina. She was subtly shaking her head, motioning with a single finger for him to stay still. Don't speak, she was telling him. Her gaze focused. Joe did just that. He bowed his head and stayed quiet.

"It's a bit late to show remorse, child!" Lucius bellowed, leaping down from the stage to land before him. With a flick of his hand, Joe was yanked from the ground, lifted into the air by some invisible force. His limbs locked in place, suspended, helpless.

"I have decided," Lucius continued, his voice rich with theatrical cruelty, "that your actions here today cannot go unpunished." He turned toward the audience, smiling darkly.

"Therefore, it is time for a new quest." Lucius raised a single finger into the air. A system notification appeared before Joe's eyes. System Message A bounty has been placed on your head.

"As you can see," Lucius declared, "I have issued a bounty on this dear, naughty child before me." With a wave of his hand, the invisible force released Joe, dropping him harshly to his knees. Joe hit the ground with a dull thud as he gasped. Lucius smiled at the crowd.

"Let's read it, shall we?" Integration Elite Quest All elites ranking in the top one hundred in their world have been issued a quest by the God Lucius Von Brave. Kill World Ranked 27 combatant Feormere. Reward - A place within the Nomadic Cultists. Resources and training to assure ascension to C-grade.

"I'm sure I don't need to explain what an opportunity this is for you all. I have one last stipulation for those here in this room. Bring his body to me intact, and I will offer you a bonus reward. I will grant one thing you desire from within my personal treasury." Joe, still on his knees, stared at the floor. Why was this happening? He did not understand at all. The words, the threat, the new quest… it all blurred together into something unreal. His mind spun in circles. Why?

What the hell was he supposed to do now?

"Now," Lucius said with a dismissive wave of his hand.

"I'm bored." And just like that, Lucius von Brave vanished from the room.