Chapter 91: The Superboss (1/2)

The temple on top of the pyramid looked a lot larger from within than outside.

Victor could have fit two copies of his manor in these golden halls, although the building had clearly degraded over time. A pillar holding the roof had collapsed, wall mosaics had eroded into incomprehensible gibberish, and a thick layer of dust covered the ground. It appeared no one had stepped in this place for eons.

Yet, the sealed evil of El Dorado had made its lair there, waiting on the other side of the hall.

The beast lurking in this hall was a terror to look at. A monstrously long, crimson worm with an armored exoskeleton covering its entire body, the entity had six clawed insect legs to support it and the tail of a scorpion. Six blue eyes circled its mouth, a lamprey-like abyss of golden teeth.

While already an unnatural mishmash of verminous animals, what terrified Victor the most was its size. It was even bigger than Vainqueur, reaching eighty feet in length from the tip of its tail to its mouth.

And yet, the group found it reading a book.

Victor blinked at the surreal sight of a giant abomination even bigger than Vainqueur lifting a book and flipping its pages through telekinesis, paying no attention to its visitors. The Vizier recognized the cover as “The Denial of Death, by Ernest Becker;” with a quick glance, he noticed a tower of volumes, folios, and treaties at the creature’s right, and a smaller pile of miscellaneous toys on the left. They looked a lot like...

“Wait, is that a Super Nintendo?” Allison recognized one of the items on the pile.

Her words echoed through the walls, making the creature peek from his book towards the disparate group crossing the temple’s threshold. “Yes?” the creature sounded like a horde of locusts painfully trying to imitate human words. “What do you want, mortals?”

“Are you the source of the Shiny-ing, wormling?” Vainqueur asked with haughtiness.

“Yes,” the creature replied, not bothered at all by the silly name. It looked a lot like paintings of…

…

Victor activated [Monster Insight], and started praying.

Sablar, God of Destruction

Deity (Insect/Divine)

There is absolutely nothing you can do to me. Go home.

I am the Worm who Eats the World, and I am too lazy to say more.

Holy sh—

“Sablar!” Victor had never seen Allison angry, but a demonic spirit seemed to have possessed the priestess of Cybele. Her face had twisted into a raging snarl, and she immediately channeled magic through her fingertips. “[Blackthorn]!”

“Allison, this is a terrible idea—” Victor protested, but she already launched a volley of spiky thorns at the deity. Vainqueur instinctively imitated her by unleashing a mighty fireball, while only Malfy did nothing, knowing it was useless.

Even Furibon started casting a spell in panic, as the projectiles threatened to hit the giant worm. “[Za Waru—”

Sablar peeked from his book, as the group crossed the threshold. “Yes?”

Victor blinked and glanced at his surprised companions. The projectiles had vanished as if they never had been launched. While Furibon quickly understood the situation and Allison remained confused, Vainqueur immediately went on the offensive again.

“[Spell Purge]!” The dragon used his favorite defensive perk. “Ah! Now you can do nothing to—”

“[Spell—” Vainqueur paused, realizing time had rolled back right before he launched his spell. This time, he simply glared at the worm of the world. “How do you do this, wormling?”

“I erased time,” the god replied flatly.

“That makes no sense—” Victor protested.

Time rolled back again before he could finish his answer.

“You cannot roll back time anytime someone contradicts—”

He did.

“What were you saying?” the god asked, sounding vaguely smug.

“It totally makes sense when you think about it,” Victor grumbled.

“Yes, it does.” Sablar closed his book, the volume joining the top of the pile. “Why are you here, mortals? I have no desire for crude violence, especially during my holiday.”

“Your holiday?” Victor blinked at the surreal answer. Was he dreaming?

“This is my vacation resort,” the god said. “I cannot destroy the world seven days a week. I have been overworking these past centuries, so I am taking it easy for the current millennium. While my rivals roam the planes to play games together, I prefer alone time in the ruins of Outremonde.”

“But…” Furibon struggled for words, completely at a loss. “What about the seal outside? How can anyone keep a deity sealed?”

“That weak barrier? I raised it to keep wandering explorers out of my room. I can come and go as I wish.”

Yeah, it seemed Xolotl's info might have been a little unreliable. “You read and play games at home all day long?” Victor frowned. “Are you a shut-in?”

“Social distancer,” the deity defended his lifestyle. “I am currently playing Last Fantasy VI since a Claimed of mine brought it from Earth.”

“Really?!” Victor had always wanted to play that game!

“Vic, this is Sablar, the god of destruction and despoiler of the environment!” Allison seethed, her hatred for the vile deity overwhelming her better judgment. “Don’t cozy up to him!”

“A Claimed of Cybele.” Sablar let out a heavy, condescending sigh. “I do not understand you people. We both love nature, so should we not get along?”

“A nature lover? You?” Victor had to admit it, the dryad showed complete fearlessness even in the face of her own deity’s nemesis. “You turn forests to sand, and people to gold!”

“I wish to return Outremonde to its original environment, a perfect sphere of earth and metal,” the worm responded much more calmly. “I do not comprehend what beauty you find in trees. They are ugly and full of noisy creatures. Can you not see the beauty in silent, motionless mountains? Of lifeless gems and gold?”

“There is nothing more beautiful than a shiny hoard,” Vainqueur said, defending his own way of life. “They would agree with us if they had any taste.”

“Indeed, Vainqueur,” the god added. “Dragons and I share a belief in the superiority of minerals and metals over life itself.”

“You know us?” Victor could have sworn the worm’s words had shaken his dragon friend, albeit only a little.

“Of course he does,” Vainqueur replied, showing his chest. “Who would not?”

“The dragon raised a disgusting city where my followers left a beautiful desert landscape, and you, earthling, created a landmass where there was nothing but water. Yes, I know you both.”

“What are you calling disgusting, wormling?” the dragon’s mood soured instantly.

“Island?” the Vizier repeated, more confused than insulted. Sablar was… surprisingly laid-back for a god of destruction. Seeing the deity in the flesh shattered every myth Victor had created in his head about him.

“Did you not roll Dice yesterday?” the worm god asked. “You willed a new island into existence, west of this continent.”

Victor did his best to ignore the glances Malfy and Allison sent him. “I have no idea what you are talking about.”

“This is a waste of time,” Furibon said, at his wits’ end.

“The lich speaks true, no matter how unlikely that sounds,” Vainqueur raised his voice. “Free my minions immediately, fairyspawn.”

“Wait, that soulcrest thing, Wotan gaining levels…” Victor glared at the deity. “It was your doing?”

“No,” the deity replied, “Mag Mell may have created me for his wars against mortals, but I have no love for the fomors. I support those who walk the path of annihilation, and I will not release anyone. Children of the earth your minions have become, and they will remain so until this world comes to an end.”

Malfy, who had remained silent until now, cleared his throat. “If I understand the divine laws—and since I attended Hell Law School I do—you should not be able to directly interfere with the life of those who do not worship you.”

“We deities have a ‘gentlemen’s agreement’ with loose rules,” the god corrected. “We can affect Outremonde and grant miracles within our purview. Dice rains destructive weather, Camilla unleashes undead plagues, and Shesha fulfills requests paid with money.”

“At an overpriced rate!” Vainqueur complained, still obsessed with getting a refund.